I am still meditating on Ephesians 5:20, and what it means to always and in all things give thanks. The Lord works all things together for our good. When we thank Him in the midst of our trials, we glorify Him. 

Jesus is our example. John 17 was what He prayed just before He was going to be crucified. Verse 1 says, “…Father, the hour has come. Glorify Your Son, that Your Son may glorify You.”

1 Peter 4:12 says, “Beloved, do not think it strange concerning the fiery trial which is to try you, as though some strange thing happened to you.” This verse sets the context for the next one.

Verse 13 says, “But rejoice to the extent that you partake of Christ’s sufferings, that when His glory is revealed, you may also be glad with exceeding joy.” Isaiah 53:4 says, “Surely He has borne our griefs and carried our sorrows…” The literal meaning for griefs is sicknesses, and for sorrows pains.

We glorify Him when we thank Him instead of complaining, and we endure instead of bailing out emotionally.

When we sacrifice our fleshly reaction we fulfill Galatians 5:16. It says that when we walk in the Spirit we will not fulfill the lust of our flesh. Our flesh reacts, but when we are walking in the Spirit we will instead respond with grace.

It is said of Jesus in Psalm 45:2 that, “…grace is poured upon Your lips; therefore God has blessed You forever.” Ephesians 4:29 says, “Let no corrupt word proceed out of your mouth, but what is good for necessary edification, that it may impart grace to the hearers.”

Our heart is our belief center. What we believe in our heart about ourselves, others, or our circumstances, will eventually come out of our mouths. Often it is unexpected. That is why Proverbs 4:23 says, “Keep your heart with all diligence, for out of it spring the issues of life.”

Proverbs 18:21 says, “Death and life are in the power of the tongue, and those who love it will eat its fruit.” Matthew 12:34 says, “…for out of the abundance of the heart the mouth speaks.”

I love how the Holy Spirit takes a well known verse and reveals another facet of truth. That is the case of Hebrews 13:15. It says, “Therefore by Him let us continually offer the sacrifice of praise to God, that is the fruit of our lips, giving thanks to His name.”

Sacrifices are an intentional act of our will to please the Lord. When we start to complain, we can sacrifice our complaining spirit on the altar of God’s attribute of omniscience. He knows our situation fully. We can trust Him.

When a negative thought comes into our mind, we can sacrifice it on the altar of God’s promises. He is Faithful ~ always.

Sacrificing our fleshly reactions glorifies the Lord. It is an enactment of Romans 6:13. It says to present, “…yourselves to God as being alive from the dead, and your members as instruments of righteousness to God.”

Psalm 116:17 says, “I will offer to You the sacrifice of thanksgiving, and will call upon the name of the Lord.” Psalm 51:17 says, “The sacrifices of God are a broken spirit…” Humility.

There is another verse that discloses God’s revealed will. 1 Thessalonians 5:18 says, “In everything give thanks; for this is the will of God in Christ Jesus for you.” The verse I’m memorizing is like it.

Ephesians 5:20 says, “Giving thanks always for all things to God the Father in the name of our Lord Jesus Christ.”

In everything, always, and all ~ means that there are never exceptions. It is like Romans 3:23 which says, “For all have sinned and fall short of the glory of God.” 

The counterpart to thanksgiving is complaining. Think back to Numbers 11:1. It says, “Now when the people complained, it displeased the Lord; for the Lord heard it, and His anger was aroused…”

Complaining is a disregard of God and His attributes. He is always in control of all things. Note: no exceptions. We can always trust the Lord because He is Trustworthy. 

2 Timothy 2:13 says, “If we are faithless, He remains faithful; He cannot deny Himself.” Great verse to anchor our soul when we are tempted to complain. Complaining is rooted in faithlessness.

Progressive sanctification is achieved as we yield to the Holy Spirit’s control. He then uses the pressures of our trials to conform us to Christ’s image. 2 Peter 1:4 says that through His promises “…you may be partakers of the divine nature…” 

He leads us in paths of righteousness so we can fulfill the good works preordained for us to walk in. Good works are accomplished through us only in His resurrection power. Ephesians 1:19. Anything we do in our own strength is futile activity.

In order for a wheel potter to form a vessel, the clay has to be prepared. Water must be worked into the dry clay so it is pliable. The potter has total control over the clay. When we yield to our Potter, He works the water of His word into the fabric of our hearts. 

He uses the pressures of our lives to center us on Him. Without centering our vessels cannot be conformed to His design for our lives. His character is imprinted in vessels that are willingly yielded to the Holy Spirit.

As I was memorizing Ephesians 5:18 my mind went back to my childhood. My dad did street preaching in Sacramento’s skid row. At a young age I saw drunken behavior firsthand.

The verse says, “And do not be drunk with wine, in which is dissipation; but be filled with the Spirit.” I asked someone what it meant and they said: out of control. Knowing they used to drink I asked if they were ever out of control. They laughed and said, “You are asking an ex drug addict. Of course I was out of control.”

Paul was wanting his readers to see the difference from being out of control to being controlled. When our lives are lived out under the control of the Holy Spirit, then the fruit of the Spirit is evident. Galatians 5:22-23. 

At salvation we receive the Holy Spirit who comes to live in us. Galatians 5:17 says that He will act contrary to our flesh. I like to think of two magnets. A polar force occurs when you try to put them together. They repel one another.

In Psalm 86:11 David prayed, “Teach me Your way, O Lord; I will walk in Your truth; unite my heart to fear your name.” He was asking the Lord to give him singleness of heart.”

Psalm 119:10 says, “With my whole heart I have sought You; oh, oh let me not wander from Your commandments!” The key for living in obedience is in verse 11. It says, “Your word I have hidden in my heart, that I might not sin against You.”

The Lord knows our hearts. Any heart idol usurps His place and keeps us from wholeheartedly obeying His word. Read Ezekiel 14:1-7. Verse three says that heart idols cause us to stumble into iniquity ~ acting independent of God.

1 Kings 8:39 uses another word for heart idols. It says, “Whatever prayer, whatever supplication is made by anyone…when each one knows the plague of his own heart…” Is your heart plagued by being a people pleaser? Do you fall prey to temptations to sin? It is time to ask the Lord to do heart surgery with the scalpel of His word.

Obeying God’s revealed will is evidence that we love Him. John 14:21 says, “He who has My commandments and keeps them, it is he who loves Me…” I was thinking back to my childhood. I obeyed because I had, but my heart was not in it.

Are you a people pleaser? I was thinking about this as I fixed breakfast. If a parent does not win the heart of their child, then they are set up to be people pleasers. Like the little child and his father at the dinner table. “Johnny sit down.” He stubbornly refused. “Johnny I said to sit down.” He continued to stand. The father stood up, and Johnny said, “I’m sitting down but I’m standing up inside.”

The Lord is after heart obedience in His children. His commands are not options. They are specific instructions that will lead us along His paths of righteousness. Our progressive sanctification journey is one of learning to heed what the Lord says to do.

King Saul disobeyed. 1 Samuel 15:23 says, “For rebellion is as the sin of witchcraft, and stubbornness is as iniquity and idolatry…”

God’s will is clearly stated throughout Scripture through His commandments. Back to redeeming our time. Matthew 28:19-20 says, “Go therefore and make disciples…teaching them to observe all things that I have commanded you…”

Mark 16:15 says, “…Go into all the world and preach the gospel to every creature.” Paul took the great commission seriously as God’s will. He suffered greatly to proclaim the gospel. In Colossians 1:23 he wrote about his calling, :…which was preached to every creature under heaven, of which I, Paul, became a minister.”

What did Jesus do? He raised up disciples to take His gospel to the world after He ascended. At salvation the Holy Spirit comes to dwell in us. He is our Leader. As we follow Him, He will set up divine encounters that enable us to share the gospel. 

Redeeming our time here is to be light bearers. We are called to make disciples, so they too can share the gospel through their lives. Ministry that bears fruit for His glory is to bear fruit of redeemed souls that will remain throughout eternity.

I remember back in high school years, the question most asked among youth: do you know what the will of God is for your life? It was like a mystery for us to figure out. However the Bible makes it really clear.

Think first of salvation. John 1:13 says, “Who were born, not of blood, nor of the will of the flesh, nor of the will of man, but of God.” 2 Peter 3:9 says that He is, “…not willing that any should perish but that all should come to repentance.”

Ephesians 5:17 says, “Therefore…” Going back to verse 16 Paul was referring to redeeming the time. Verse 17 continues, “…do not be unwise, but understand what the will of the Lord is.” 

Romans 12:2 says, “And do not be conformed to this world, but be transformed by the renewing of your mind, that you may prove what is that good and acceptable and perfect will of God.”

1 Thessalonians 4:3 is so explicit. It says, “For this is the will of God, your sanctification: that you should abstain from sexual immorality.”