“But thanks be to God”
[Romans 6:15-23]
Among the things that people love, there are "sam" (ginseng in Korean) varieties: ginseng, red ginseng, black ginseng, and mountain ginseng. However, the best among these four is "cheonsam" (천삼), which represents "gratitude." In other words, living with gratitude to God is considered the best. Complaining and harboring resentment do not benefit the mind and body, but living with gratitude brings about positive effects.
Today's passage is Romans 6:17, which states, "But thanks be to God." Why should we give thanks to God? There are three reasons:
The first reason is that God has transformed us from being "slaves to sin" into becoming "slaves to righteousness."
Romans 6:17-18 says, "But thanks be to God that, though you used to be slaves to sin, you have come to obey from your heart the pattern of teaching that has now claimed your allegiance. You have been set free from sin and have become slaves to righteousness." When we were slaves to sin, we were free from righteousness [meaning we had no connection to righteousness (Modern Korean Bible)] (v. 20). Therefore, we indulged in sin at will, leading to death (vv. 21, 23). As sinners destined for death, God, in His mercy, sent a messenger to us and provided us with the pattern of teaching (v. 17). Here, "teaching" refers to the gospel, and "pattern" indicates the gospel of Jesus Christ, who, for our sins, was crucified on the cross and resurrected after three days. Look at 1 Corinthians 15:1-4: "Now, brothers and sisters, I want to remind you of the gospel I preached to you, which you received and on which you have taken your stand. By this gospel, you are saved if you hold firmly to the word I preached to you. Otherwise, you have believed in vain. For what I received, I passed on to you as of first importance: that Christ died for our sins according to the Scriptures, that he was buried, that he was raised on the third day according to the Scriptures." The Holy Spirit enables us to "obey from the heart" and be "set free from sin to become slaves to righteousness" (Rom. 6:17-18). In other words, through the death and resurrection of Jesus Christ, we have been set free from sin and received justification from God (Rom. 4:25). Therefore, as recipients of justification, we should give thanks to God (6:17).
The second reason is that God has made us His slaves, enabling us to live a holy life.
Romans 6:22 says, "But now that you have been set free from sin and have become slaves of God, the benefit you reap leads to holiness...." As recipients of justification from God, we have attained holiness (sanctification). In other words, the indwelling Holy Spirit sanctifies us daily, conforming us to the likeness of Jesus. 1 Corinthians 6:19-20 states, "Do you not know that your bodies are temples of the Holy Spirit, who is in you, whom you have received from God? You are not your own; you were bought at a price. Therefore, honor God with your bodies." Since our bodies were purchased at the precious cost of the blood shed on the cross by Jesus Christ and are now temples of the Holy Spirit, they belong to the Lord. As servants of God, we are obligated to glorify God with our bodies.
If we look at Exodus 2:1-17, we see that God gave the Israelites, who had come out of Egypt at Mount Sinai, the Ten Commandments (Old Covenant). The purpose was to make them a holy people for God. In the New Covenant, God, through the death and resurrection of Jesus Christ, liberates us from sin in a manner similar to the liberation from a satanic kingdom like Egypt. He justifies us, making us righteous, and, through the work (guidance) of the indwelling Holy Spirit, conforms us to the dual commandment of Jesus: "Love the Lord your God with all your heart and with all your soul and with all your mind" and "Love your neighbor as yourself" (Mk. 12:30-31). This leads us to resemble Jesus and live a holy life. Therefore, we must express gratitude to God (Rom. 6:17) [Note: The kingdom of God is a kingdom of love. The commandments of the kingdom of God are "Love the Lord your God with all your heart and with all your soul and with all your mind" and "Love your neighbor as yourself" (Mk. 12:30-31). By God's grace, those who believe in Jesus Christ possess "eternal life" (Romans 6:23) as a gift of grace. They obey the commandments to love God with all their heart, soul, mind, and strength and to love their neighbors as themselves according to Jesus' twofold commandment. Thus, they purify their souls, love their brothers without deceit (1 Pet. 1:22), and practice righteousness as Jesus did (1 Jn. 2:6). Seeking first the kingdom of God and His righteousness (Mt. 6:33) means living as people of the kingdom of God, loving God with all their heart, soul, mind, and strength, and loving their neighbors as themselves, just as Jesus did.]
The third reason is that God has given us eternal life as a gracious gift.
Romans 6:23 states: "For the wages of sin is death, but the free gift of God is eternal life in Christ Jesus our Lord." God, without any merit on our part, has given us the priceless gift of "eternal life in Christ Jesus our Lord." Through the death of Jesus Christ on the cross, He paid the full price for our sins, and by His resurrection, God the Father, on this basis, has freely given us the gift of eternal life. Without the merit of Christ's work on the cross, we could never have received this gift of eternal life. Therefore, we cannot help but express gratitude to God.
Looking at the story of Job in Job 1:13-19, we see that Job lost not only all his possessions but also all his children (ten in total). Nevertheless, Job did not sin or complain against God. Instead, he offered thanksgiving, praise, and worship to God. We, too, should follow Job's example and offer thanks and worship to God even in challenging circumstances. Job's thanksgiving resulted in him not only hearing about God but also seeing God with his own eyes (42:5). Furthermore, God blessed Job more than before, granting him not only abundant wealth but also ten more children (vv. 12-15). Job lived to be 140 years old, seeing his descendants up to the fourth generation, and died peacefully in old age (vv. 16-17). Similarly, we should learn from Job and live a life of gratitude through Jesus Christ, especially thanking God for making us righteous instead of sinners, enabling us to live a holy life resembling Jesus, and bestowing upon us the gift of eternal life in Jesus Christ. Therefore, we must offer abundant thanks to God.