Thanksgiving To The Trinity

THANKSGIVING TO THE TRINITY

By Pastor Zacch Olorunnipa

Key Texts: Ephesians 5:20; Genesis 1:26 & Jeremiah 30:19

“Giving thanks always for all things unto God and the Father in the name of our Lord Jesus” (Ephesians 5:20)

And God said, Let us make man in our image, after our likeness: and let them have dominion over the fish of the sea, and over the fowl of the air, and over the cattle, and over all the earth, and over every creeping thing that creepeth upon the earth. (Genesis 1:26)

And out of them shall proceed thanksgiving and the voice of them that make merry: and I will multiply them, and they shall not be few; I will also glorify them, and they shall not be small (Jeremiah 30:19)

Introduction

In America and in some other parts of the world, the month of November has become known as “Thanksgiving month” since 1863 when President Abraham Lincoln gave his Thanksgiving Proclamation. In this proclamation, President Lincoln called on his fellow citizens to "set apart and observe the last Thursday of November --, as a day of Thanksgiving and Praise to our beneficent Father who dwelleth in the Heavens". Essentially it is a call for reflecting on, and giving thanks to God on that day for His blessings and bountiful provisions as well as the peace the nation has enjoyed.

While this Thanksgiving day is a laudable idea, the believer must remember that in God’s Calendar, Thanksgiving is meant to be a timeless practice. This is implied in the phrases “giving thanks always” (Ephesians 5:20) and “give thanks alway” (2 Thessalonians 2:13). It will be helpful to define the two key words in the title of this message - Thanksgiving and Trinity. Thanksgiving, according to the dictionary, is the act of giving of thanks; grateful acknowledgment of benefits or favors, especially to God. While the ultimate thanksgiving belongs to God, the believer's attitude of thanksgiving must also be extended to other deserving human beings from whom one has received benefits or favor or service. Trinity (also called Blessed Trinity or Holy Trinity) refers to the union of three persons (God the Father, God the Son and God the Holy Ghost) in one God head, or the threefold personality of the one Divine Being. The inseparable unity of the Triune God is clearly brought out in Mt. 28: 19 when Jesus Christ declared that believers in Him are to be baptized “in the name of Father, and of the Son, and of the Holy Ghost “.

Role of the Trinity in the Believer's Life

In the life of the believer, the Trinity can function as a singular entity while each member can also perform unique roles according to divine plan. Take the wonderful work of creation as an example, the three members of the Trinity were in tandem to create man in their own image according to Gen 1:26: "And God said, Let us make man in our image, after our likeness: and let them have dominion over the fish of the sea, and over the fowl of the air, and over the cattle, and over all the earth, and over every creeping thing that creepeth upon the earth. So God created man in his own image, in the image of God created he him; male and female created he them". Of course the "us" in this scripture refers to the Trinity as defined above. Many people do not realize how blessed they are to be created in the image of God and to be given the power to have dominion over everything else created. You must see yourself as a perfectly and wonderfully created representation of the Triune God (Gen. 1: 27, 31; Ps. 139:14).

Aside from acting jointly, each member of the Trinity is capable of working individually For example, the Bible declares that God the Father sent His Son Jesus Christ to be the Savior of the world: "And we have seen and do testify that the Father sent the Son [to be] the Saviour of the world" (1 John 4:14). After His ascension into heaven, Jesus Christ also sent the Holy Spirit into the world as a Comforter: "Nevertheless I tell you the truth; It is expedient for you that I go away: for if I go not away, the Comforter will not come unto you; but if I depart, I will send him unto you" (John 16:7). Other unique roles of the Holy Spirit include serving as a Teacher and as a Reminder (John 14:26) as well as a Guide (John 16:13). In this season of Thanksgiving and always the Trinity deserves our unwavering giving of thanks for his roles in our lives.

Reasons for Giving Thanks to the Trinity:

Without a doubt there are innumerable functions performed by the Trinity in the life of the believer. The Bible says God loads us with benefits on a daily basis (Psalm 68:19). Acts 17:28a declares “For in him [God] we live, and move, and have our being”, meaning that we cannot function outside God. In fact Jesus Christ categorically told His followers that “without me you can do nothing” (John 15: 5b). It is the Holy Spirit that empowers us to become children of God and to be His witnesses (Rom. 8:14,16; Acts 1:8). Therefore, everything about the believer (conception, birth, childhood, redemption, adulthood, talents, education, career, wealth, family, etc) centers on the role of the Trinity. Rememeber, the scripture says “A man can receive nothing, except it be given him from heaven” (John 3:27). Both in quality and quantity the gifts of the Trinity are more superior to the gifts of man. In fact, divine gifts are good and perfect according to James 1:17:“Every good gift and every perfect gift is from above, and cometh down from the Father of lights, with whom is no variableness, neither shadow of turning”