Giving Thanks Always Unto God
A Sermon on Ephesians 5:20
Originally preached Dec. 13, 1959
Scripture
20Giving thanks always for all things unto God and the Father in the name of our Lord Jesus Christ;
Sermon Description
According to Dr. Martyn Lloyd-Jones, one of the most important parts of prayer is thanksgiving. In this sermon on Ephesians 5:20 titled “Giving Thanks Always Unto God,” he says that one of the clearest gauges of spiritual maturity is how much of prayer is spent in thanksgiving. All who know God as Lord and Savior should live lives marked by continual Spirit-filled praise for all that God has done in and through Jesus Christ. It is by God’s loving grace that His people know Him and are partakers of all the blessings of Christ Jesus the Savior. Christians have new life and hope only in Jesus, and only come to know Christ through the grace of God in sending His Holy Spirit. As Dr. Lloyd-Jones elaborates, Christians can give thanks even for the hardships in life. This can be seen in Acts when Paul and Silas are beaten and thrown in prison but continue to sing praises to God. This is because it is God who sovereignly works in and through all things to bring about His purposes for His people. No matter what trials and tribulations Christians are experiencing, and no matter how bad the circumstances are, they can always give thanks to the God who has delivered them from sin, who loves them, and guards them through all of life.
Sermon Breakdown
- The sermon begins by emphasizing how Christians should be characterized by gratitude and thanksgiving to God. This is contrasted with non-Christians who rarely thank God and mostly complain.
- Christians should be giving thanks always for all things unto God the Father in the name of Jesus Christ. This means Christians should be constantly thankful in all circumstances.
- Christians should give thanks to God as the creator and giver of all good gifts. This includes life, family, food, shelter, health, natural abilities, and more. These are gifts from God that should elicit thanksgiving.
- Christians have a special relationship with God as Father through Jesus Christ. This should lead to even greater thanksgiving. Christians should be amazed they have been saved and adopted as children of God.
- Christians should give thanks for trials, troubles, and tribulations. God uses all things for the good of those who love him. Suffering as a Christian is a privilege. Chastisement from God shows his love. Difficult times can be a call to return to God.
- Examples of Paul and Silas show how to give thanks in adversity. Despite their suffering in prison, they sang praises to God. Christians can give thanks by remembering their salvation, relationship to God, purpose of trials, and God's faithfulness.
- Christians give thanks in the name of Jesus Christ. He is the only way to God the Father. All blessings come through him. Christians can call God Father only because of Jesus.
Sermon Q&A
Questions about Dr. Martyn Lloyd-Jones' Sermon on Thanksgiving
What does Dr. Lloyd-Jones consider to be one of the most characteristic things about people filled with the Spirit?
According to Dr. Lloyd-Jones, one of the most characteristic things about people filled with the Spirit is their sense of gratitude to God. He states, "This is ever one of the most characteristic things about people who are filled with the spirit. Nothing perhaps, is more characteristic of them than just this very thing. They have a sense of gratitude to God, and they are filled with a sense of praise and of thanksgiving to him for all his abundant and abounding mercies." He considers this thanksgiving to be an inevitable result of the Holy Spirit's work in a person's life.
How does Dr. Lloyd-Jones suggest we can test the measure of our spiritual condition?
Dr. Lloyd-Jones suggests that we can test the measure of our spiritual condition by examining the proportions of praise versus petition in our prayer life. He explains, "It is the relative proportions of petition and praise and thanksgiving that tell most exactly the measure, the degree of the Holy Spirit in us." He notes that a person whose spiritual life is poor spends most of their time petitioning God with little or no praise, while someone filled with the Spirit primarily wants to praise and thank God.
What does the phrase "giving thanks always for all things" mean according to Dr. Lloyd-Jones?
According to Dr. Lloyd-Jones, "giving thanks always for all things" means literally that - thanksgiving should be constant and cover every circumstance in life. He emphasizes that we should thank God not only for obvious blessings but also for trials, troubles, tribulations, and infirmities. He confirms that "all" truly means "all things" without limitation, citing Romans 8:28 and 1 Thessalonians 5:18 as supporting scriptures. He explains that we can give thanks even in adversity because God is working all things for our good, whether to correct us, refine us, or keep us from going astray.
How does Dr. Lloyd-Jones explain the relationship between God as "God" and God as "Father"?
Dr. Lloyd-Jones explains that God is "God" to everyone as the creator and author of all life and being, but He is "Father" specifically to Christians. He clarifies that the notion of universal fatherhood of God is not taught in scripture - God is creator to all but Father only to those in Christ Jesus. He quotes Jesus saying to unbelievers, "Ye are of your father the devil," and John 1:12 which says God gave the right to become children of God to those who received Christ. This Father relationship gives Christians special reasons for thanksgiving beyond what all humanity should offer.
What examples does Dr. Lloyd-Jones give of things Christians should be thanking God for?
Dr. Lloyd-Jones provides numerous examples of things Christians should be thanking God for, including: - The gift of life itself - God's ordinances like marriage and family - Food, clothing, shelter, health, and strength - Personal gifts, talents, and abilities - God's long-suffering, kindness, and patience - Being chosen and called by God - Forgiveness of sins and justification - New life as partakers of the divine nature - The indwelling of the Holy Spirit - Deliverance from sin and the world - Blessings in the church and knowledge of truth - The prospect of future glory and eternity with Christ
Why does Dr. Lloyd-Jones say we should thank God even for trials and difficulties?
Dr. Lloyd-Jones explains that we should thank God even for trials and difficulties because they may serve several divine purposes. He suggests these difficulties might be: 1. A sign of sharing in Christ's sufferings, which is a privilege 2. A form of loving chastisement from God to correct us (citing Hebrews 12) 3. A way God keeps us from straying further (citing Psalm 119:67) 4. A reminder not to live independently from God 5. A way to refocus us on our eternal destiny rather than earthly comforts 6. A tool God uses to conform us to Christ's image
He concludes that trials ultimately yield "the peaceable fruit of righteousness" and are part of God's perfect plan for us.
What does it mean to give thanks "in the name of our Lord Jesus Christ"?
According to Dr. Lloyd-Jones, giving thanks "in the name of our Lord Jesus Christ" means recognizing that we can only approach God through Christ. He explains that all blessings come to us through Christ, and it is specifically through Christ that we become children of God. He states, "God is my father because, first of all, he is the God and father of our Lord and savior Jesus Christ. He is Christ's father. Where do I come in? Well, I've been put into Christ. And because I'm in him, God is my father also." Lloyd-Jones emphasizes that our adoption as God's children is only possible in Christ, and therefore all our thanksgiving must acknowledge this mediating role of Christ.
The Book of Ephesians
Dr. Martyn Lloyd-Jones
Dr. Martyn Lloyd-Jones (1899-1981) was a Welsh evangelical minister who preached and taught in the Reformed tradition. His principal ministry was at Westminster Chapel, in central London, from 1939-1968, where he delivered multi-year expositions on books of the bible such as Romans, Ephesians and the Gospel of John. In addition to the MLJ Trust’s collection of 1,600 of these sermons in audio format, most of these great sermon series are available in book form (including a 14 volume collection of the Romans sermons), as are other series such as "Spiritual Depression", "Studies in the Sermon on the Mount" and "Great Biblical Doctrines". He is considered by many evangelical leaders today to be an authority on biblical truth and the sufficiency of Scripture.