Regional Synod of Canada - Reformed Church in America

Pioneer Christian Monthly

Date - Oct 1/61

Contributor - R. Van Farowe

Title - Neither Were We Thankful

Topic - Thankfulness

Romans 1:21

This verse gives us the topic, "The Evil Results of Ingratitude". For, in the verses before this we read of the wrath of God which came upon men because of their ungodliness. Part of that ungodliness was that even though they knew God they were unthankful.

When you therefore read of the terrible punishment which came upon these people please notice that one of the reasons for that awful moral condition which the rest of the chapter describes was ingratitude. Paul describes how and why God gave these people up to all uncleanness and vile affections because they did not keep God in their mind, and were ungrateful.

Here then we have one of the dire results that came to the heathen world, and that will come to any people who are unthankful. They shrivel in their stature, and lose the real value and meaning of life. Looking at them one must say, "That's the way it is with folks who are not thankful". They become vain, and foolish, and immoral, because they worship the creature "more than the Creator, who is blessed forever. Amen."

Unthankful people become confirmed in sin. That's what happened to those people about whom Paul wrote. "Wherefore God gave them up". Ingratitude is the first step on the downgrade which ends in a hardened condition of sin. Their foolish heart was darkened, their physical sins horrible. And that in spite of the fact they know God's power. They become bold in sin, and consent with sinners, become full of envy, hateful to God, disobedient to parents, unmerciful, - - all because they were NOT THANKFUL.

Sometimes we Christians think that it does not really make any difference whether we are thankful or not. We consider this sin so very small, but in reality it leads to failure, frustration, and the missing of many other blessings. When we are not thankful we fail to give to the Church, and to Missions as we should. We take everything as if it is our own.

So then, let us cultivate a thankful spirit, both in our own hearts, and in our churches, and in our homes. The cure for ingratitude or thankless living is in remembering that we are not worthy, that all we have is not from ourselves but that we have received it as a gift. Comparing with others let us remember there are many who have not food or clothing enough. We have great abundance and variety, both in field and home. Such common things as houses, stoves to heat them, our health, our jobs, the schools and the privilege to learn and study.

"Count your blessings" as homes the happy children, the loving parents, the toys and the tools, the pets and the animals. Think, especially, of the spiritual blessings - the church, the bible with its promises and warnings, of Jesus Christ and His Salvation. "Thanks be unto God for His, unspeakable gift."

A certain boy lived on the east side of a valley, on a raised, level piece of ground. His house was moderate, and his family was good. Each morning, as the sun was shining, he would look away to the west, and see a house standing with golden windows in it. Curiously he wondered. One day he resolved to walk across the valley westward, and ascend a bit to where that house, with the golden windows, stood. He traveled a few hours, and reached the other side in late afternoon. He saw no house with golden windows. He asked a little girl who was playing. "Oh," she said, "the house with the golden windows is there to the east." It was his own house from which he had come. It depends on our relationship to the sun, and in our case, to God, and to Jesus Christ, as to how 'golden' life really is. How do we look at things ? That is the question.

Don't let it be said of us this Thanksgiving, "They were not thankful wherefore God gave them up.

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