Give Thanks For His Holiness
Pastors Rodney & Adonica Howard-BrownePublish date: 11/26/2023
Foundation Scriptures:
Who is like You, O Lord, among the gods? Who is like You, glorious in holiness, awesome in splendor, doing wonders? 13 You in Your mercy and loving-kindness have led forth the people whom You have redeemed; You have guided them in Your strength to Your holy habitation. Exodus 15:11; 13 AMPC
1. We Give Thanks Because He is Holy.
a. We give thanks to God because He is holy.
b. We give thanks at the remembrance of His holiness and His holy Name (Ps. 30:4; 97:12).
c. We give God the glory due His Name and we praise and worship Him in the beauty of holiness (Ps. 29:2; Ps. 96:9; Ps. 110:3; 1 Chron. 16:29;
2 Chron. 20:21).
d. The heavenly host is eternally engaged in giving glory, honor, and thanks to God (Rev. 4:9; Rev. 7:11-12; Rev. 11:16-17).
e. Day and night, the living creatures around His throne worshipping and calling attention to His holiness (Is. 6:3; Rev. 4:8).
f. Holiness and thankfulness are related and linked to one another.
g. If you love God and are thankful to and for Him, you are also thankful for Who He is—He is holy.
h. Because God is holy, He is also merciful, kind, and faithful to keep His Word.Gove
i. That is something for which to be most thankful.
2. Giving Thanks in Holiness.
a. If you are truly thankful for His holiness, you will also have a desire to be holy, to be submitted to Him, and to be conformed to His Word and His image.
b. Ephesians 5:1-4 KJV –– Be ye therefore followers of God, as dear children; 2 And walk in love, as Christ also hath loved us, and hath given himself for us an offering and a sacrifice to God for a sweetsmelling savour. 3 But fornication, and all uncleanness, or covetousness, let it not be once named among you, as becometh saints; 4 Neither filthiness, nor foolish talking, nor jesting, which are not convenient: but rather giving of thanks.
c. Holiness is not what you do, but who you are.
d. Holiness is consecration, purification, and sanctification of heart and life.
e. It is being set apart for a purpose.
f. We are set apart for and unto God.
g. We belong to God—not to the world or to sin and ungodliness.
h. We give our attitude—our thoughts and words—over to thankfulness, not to filthiness or ungodly, foolish things.
3. The Contamination of Ungratefulness.
a. Hebrews 12:14-16 NKJV –– Pursue peace with all people, and holiness, without which no one will see the Lord: 15 looking carefully lest anyone fall short of the grace of God; lest any root of bitterness springing up cause trouble, and by this many become defiled; 16 lest there be any fornicator or profane person like Esau, who for one morsel of food sold his birthright.
b. Pursue peace and holiness, and do not miss out on God’s grace, or your opportunity to spend eternity in His presence.
c. Esau was rejected by God because he rejected God.
d. Rejecting the call and will of God is a rejection of God Himself and is an act of ungratefulness.
e. And ungratefulness, for any reason, can lead to bitterness, sin and defilement.
4. Ungratefulness That Leads to Wickedness.
a. Romans 1:18 AMPC –– For God’s [holy] wrath and indignation are revealed from heaven against all ungodliness and unrighteousness of men, who in their wickedness repress and hinder the truth and make it inoperative.
b. God’s wrath is poured out on ungodly, unrighteous, wicked men, who oppose the Truth.
c. Romans 1:19 AMPC –– For that which is known about God is evident to them and made plain in their inner consciousness, because God [Himself] has shown it to them.
d. A person’s own conscience—if they would pay attention—testifies of Truth and of the reality of God, therefore they are without excuse.
e. Romans 1:20 AMPC –– For ever since the creation of the world His invisible nature and attributes, that is, His eternal power and divinity, have been made intelligible and clearly discernible in and through the things that have been made (His handiworks). So [men] are without excuse [altogether without any defense or justification],
f. Creation testifies of God—His role as Creator, His power, His greatness, and His goodness.
g. Realizing all this, the only response should be appreciation—gratefulness and thankfulness.
h. Psalm 19:1 NKJV –– The heavens declare the glory of God; And the firmament shows His handiwork.
i. Romans 1:21 AMPC –– Because when they knew and recognized Him as God, they did not honor and glorify Him as God or give Him thanks. But instead they became futile and godless in their thinking [with vain imaginings, foolish reasoning, and stupid speculations] and their senseless minds were darkened.
j. A wicked generation refuses to acknowledge God—they neither honor, nor glorify Him.
k. Neither are they thankful to Him for all He has given and all He has done.
l. Because they are not thankful to Him, they choose to believe a lie—their thinking and decision-making process is disrupted and corrupted.
m. Romans 1:22 AMPC –– Claiming to be wise, they became fools [professing to be smart, they made simpletons of themselves].
n. Because they reject God, choosing to not acknowledge, nor appreciate Him, He gives them over to a reprobate, debased, and condemned mind (Rom. 1:23-32).
o. And they continue deeper into sin and lust, yielding themselves to demonic influence, and utterly degrading themselves.
p. 1 John 2:16 NKJV –– For all that is in the world—the lust of the flesh, the lust of the eyes, and the pride of life—is not of the Father but is of the world.
5. Choose to Be Thankful.
a. Each person must consciously choose to serve God with a willing, joyful, and grateful heart—fully comprehending Who He is, what He has done, and what we owe Him for all His blessings and goodness toward us.
b. We must comprehend the reality of Heaven and hell—and make a choice to fully serve God with joy and thankfulness.