BROADCASTS.com

\u201c\u2026you also, like living stones, are being built into a spiritual house to be a holy priesthood, offering spiritual sacrifices acceptable to God through Jesus Christ\u201d (1 Peter 2:5).

We continue with the theme of Thanksgiving. The Heidelberg Catechism can be helpful in this reflection. The question which sets the stage for the whole catechism is, "How can we live in the comfort of the gospel?" There are three things: "first, how great my sin and misery are; second, how I am set free from all my sins and misery; third, how I am to thank God for such deliverance" (Q/A 2). The rest of the catechism fleshes these three out.

Thus, a key component of the Christian life is thanksgiving. Not thanksgiving for food, work, health, or family but for our salvation. Does that ring true of our lives?

Is it possible that many of us Christians take our salvation for granted? As a church, we get involved in many good things, but do we forget that redemption is at the heart of it all? Are we not here only because God has chosen to redeem us?

So, the question comes, "How are we to thank God for such deliverance"? In part of its answer, the Catechism picks up the image of a priest. In the Old Testament, the priests took the offerings the Israelites brought to God and burnt them on the alter. But Jesus, the final priest, offered himself. The cross was his alter. In imitation of Jesus, we no longer bring things to God, we bring ourselves. Of course, some of our stuff may tag along with us. But the emphasis is on us, not our stuff.

Later, we get an explanation of how this happens. When the question is asked, \u201cWhy must Christians do good?\u201d, the answer comes, "We do good because Christ by his Spirit is also renewing us to be like himself, so that in all our living we may show that we are thankful to God for all he has done for us..." (A86).

In my opinion, this is one of the best lines in the HC. Did you notice the sequence? We do good not by trying harder, nor by memorizing the ten commandments or even the Catechism. We do good because \u201cChrist by His Spirit is renewing us to be like himself.\u201d

Wow! This is a wonderful summary of the Christian life: Christ by His Spirit is renewing me to be like Himself. Or as our text says, \u2018we, like living stones, are being built into a spiritual house to be a holy priesthood, offering spiritual sacrifices acceptable to God through Jesus Christ.\u201d Someone else, that is God, is doing the building. Isn't that great? That is what the Christian life is all about.

So how do we give thanks? How do we offer ourselves as living sacrifices? By getting in step with the Spirit. We do that by reading the Scriptures and praying, thereby submitting ourselves to Christ's work in us; we do it by intentionally gathering with God's people to worship Him; we do it by offering our stuff, including our money, to God for his use.

The Bible says, "Humble yourself before Him and he will lift you up." Humility is the way to open ourselves to the Spirit's work. Humility will lead us to thanksgiving. Thanksgiving cannot be fabricated for one weekend. It\u2019s either a core ingredient of our lives or it\u2019s not.