Grace and Gratitude

I've been doing daily bread for quite some time with "Our Daily Journey"
think it's really helpful... one of the interesting article read last week to share...

-- Taken from Our Daily Journey --

Read - Titus 2:11-14
¹¹For the grace of God that brings salvation has appeared to all men. ¹²It teaches us to say "No" to ungodliness and worldly passions, and to live self-controlled, upright and godly lives in this present age, ¹³while we wait for the blessed hope—the glorious appearing of our great God and Savior, Jesus Christ, ¹⁴who gave himself for us to redeem us from all wickedness and to purify for himself a people that are his very own, eager to do what is good.


Martin Luther wanted to quit. His congregation in Wittenberg, having learned that Luther's gospel promised forgiveness for any and all sin, had stopped attending services and giving to the ministry and had started indulging in greed, lust, and booze. A frustrated Luther threatened to go on strike if they didn't change their ways. He declared, "You absolutely unthankful beasts, unworthy of the gospel; if you do not repent, i will stop preaching to you." They did not and so he did, taking several months off from being " the shepherd of such pigs."
Like the Luthers in Wittenberg, many of us may have though (early in our Christian career) : If God forgives us no matter what we do, then ultimately does not matter what we do. Salvation is a blank check. We can sin as much as we want, for it's all covered!
Surprisingly, Paul tells Titus that rather than encourage sin, the grace of God actually instructs us "to turn from godless living and sinful pleasures" (Titus 2:12).
The Heidelberg Catechism explains that only when I realise "how great my sin and misery are" can I understand "how I may be delivered from all my sins and misery," which then leads me "to express my gratitude to God for such deliverance."
So here is the Calculus. Understanding the extent of my sin enables me to appreciate grace, which automatically fills me with gratitude, which always looks for ways to say thank you. It looks like this: Sin--> Grace--> Gratitude--> Good Works.
If your love for God is waning and your will to obey is lacking, the answer is not to grit your teeth and try harder. Instead, work the formula. Start with a realization of the depths of your sin. Only then will you appreciate your need for grace. And gratitude and obedience will surely follow. --- Mike Wittmer


next--> Why is it significant that the New Testament word for gratitude (encharistia) is built on the term for grace (charis)? Is gratitude a better motivation than duty? Why?


-- Taken from Our Daily Journey --