Eph. 5:18-21; Col. 3:16-17, Gratitude vs. unthankfulness (5)

e)    Thanksgiving is a product of the Spirit!

Now you might be saying, “I don’t remember that ‘gratitude’ is one of the ‘fruit of the Spirit’ in Gal. 5.”  Well that might we the case.  But let me remind you of the twin passages in Ephesians and Colossians that tell us where this “attitude of gratitude” comes from.

Eph. 5:18-21:

¹⁸ And do not be drunk with wine, in which is dissipation; but be filled with the Spirit, ¹⁹ speaking to one another in psalms and hymns and spiritual songs, singing and making melody in your heart to the Lord, ²⁰ giving thanks always for all things to God the Father in the name of our Lord Jesus Christ, ²¹ submitting to one another in the fear of God.

Col. 3:16-17:

¹⁶ Let the word of Christ dwell in you richly in all wisdom, teaching and admonishing one another in psalms and hymns and spiritual songs, singing with grace in your hearts to the Lord. ¹⁷ And whatever you do in word or deed, do all in the name of the Lord Jesus, giving thanks to God the Father through Him.

A careful look at these passages gives us similarities and differences.  Both describe a situation where believers are talking to one another with music.  In one we are “making melody in your heart to the Lord” and in the other we are “singing with grace in your hearts to the Lord.”  In both there is a “heart” condition, not just words that can be heard.  In both we are “giving thanks” to the Father in the name of Christ.  So this is what we are looking for: a heart that is thankful to God in all things.

There is one significant difference in the two passages.  In one, the grateful heart is the result of being “filled with the Spirit.”  In the other, it is the result of letting “the word of Christ dwell in you richly.”  Given the clear similarities of the two passages, my view of this is that being filled with the Spirit and having the word of Christ living in you richly two ways of talking about the life of the believer in Christ.  Think about it.  Here is what Jesus said about the role of the Holy Spirit: He will glorify Me, for He will take of what is Mine and declare it so you (John 16:14).  Jesus said this to His disciples at the meal in the upper room.  So what possible distinction can their be between being “filled with the Spirit” and letting the “word of Christ dwell in you richly?” 

Thus we conclude, that gratitude, like every other trait of the life of Christ, is the fruit of the Spirit, and requires that our daily focus be on Christ.  To be full of the Spirit is to be full of Christ.