Giving Credit to God for His Role in Our Lives Authentically
Giving credit to God for His role in our lives is a fundamental aspect of Christian living, rooted in biblical teachings and emphasized across various Christian traditions. The apostle Paul expresses gratitude to God through Jesus Christ, stating, "I thank God through Jesus Christ our Lord!" [1]. This sentiment is echoed in other biblical passages, such as I Timothy 1:12, where Paul gives praise to Christ Jesus for empowering him and making him a servant [2].
The biblical basis for acknowledging God's role in our lives is multifaceted. Scripture encourages believers to offer "a sacrifice of praise to God continually" [3], recognizing God's sovereignty and provision in every aspect of life. Job's declaration, "Let Him weigh me with accurate scales, And let God know my integrity" [4], reflects a deep-seated trust in God's justice and a willingness to be accountable to Him.
Torrey's Topical Textbook highlights various reasons for praising God, including His majesty, glory, excellency, greatness, holiness, wisdom, power, goodness, and mercy [5]. These attributes are not merely abstract concepts but are manifested in God's interactions with humanity throughout Scripture. For instance, the Psalmist praises God for His goodness and mercy [5].
Different Christian traditions emphasize the importance of acknowledging God's role in our lives. In the Methodist/Wesleyan tradition, Adam Clarke notes that Jesus glorified God by completing the work given to Him, looking forward to a time when the true God would be known and worshipped worldwide [6]. Protestant academics emphasize that believers receive God's righteousness through faith and the Spirit's sanctification, underscoring God's power in providing righteousness [7].
The Puritan/Nonconformist tradition, represented by Matthew Henry, stresses that our lives are a result of God's mercy and bounty. Henry comments on Psalm 119:17, noting that David prayed for God to "deal bountifully" with him, acknowledging that life and its continuance are due to God's mercy [8]. Similarly, in commenting on Psalm 136:1, Henry emphasizes the importance of giving thanks to God, as we receive all good from Him [10].
In essence, giving credit to God for His role in our lives involves recognizing His sovereignty, provision, and redemption. It is an expression of gratitude and trust, reflecting a deep understanding of God's character and His involvement in the lives of believers. As the apostle Paul writes, "We are only God's servants" [9], highlighting the proper attribution of credit and honor to God in all aspects of Christian living. This understanding is foundational to Christian worship and practice, encouraging believers to continually offer "the fruit of lips which proclaim allegiance to his name" [3].
Sources
- Romans “Romans 7:25 (LITV) — I thank God through Jesus Christ our Lord! So then I myself with the mind truly serve the law of God, and with the flesh the law of sin.”
- I Timothy “I Timothy 1:12 (BBE) — I give praise to him who gave me power, Christ Jesus our Lord, because he took me to be true, making me his servant,”
- Hebrews “Through him, then, let us offer up a sacrifice of praise to God continually, that is, the fruit of lips which proclaim allegiance to his name. -- Hebrews 13:15”
- Job “Job 31:6 (NASB) — Let Him weigh me with accurate scales, And let God know my integrity.”
- Torrey's Topical Textbook “Torrey's Topical Textbook: Praise — God is worthy of -- 2Sa 22:4. Christ is worthy of -- Re 5:12. God is glorified by -- Ps 22:23; 50:23. Offered to Christ -- Joh 12:13. Acceptable through Christ -- Heb 13:15. Is due to God on account of His majesty. -- Ps 96:1,6; Isa 24:14. His glory. -- Ps 138:5; Eze 3:12. His excellency. -- Ex 15:7; Ps 148:13. His greatness. -- 1Ch 16:25; Ps 145:3. His holiness. -- Ex 15:11; Isa 6:3. His wisdom. -- Da 2:20; Jude 1:25. His power. -- Ps 21:13. His goodness. -- Ps 107:8; 118:1; 136:1; Jer 33:11. His mercy. -- 2Ch 20:21; Ps 89:1; 118:1-4; 136:1-26. His loving-k”
- John (Methodist/Wesleyan) “Adam Clarke on John 17:4: I have glorified thee - Our Lord, considering himself as already sacrificed for the sin of the world, speaks of having completed the work which God had given him to do: and he looks forward to that time when, through the preaching of his Gospel, his sacrifice should be acknowledged, and the true God should be known and worshipped by the whole world.”
- Galatians (Protestant academic) “Tyndale House on Galatians 5:5: 5:5 The alternative to living by faith in the law is to live by complete reliance on the Spirit to make us pleasing to God. • eagerly wait to receive by faith the righteousness God has promised to us (or eagerly await by faith the hope that righteousness gives us): We receive God’s righteousness at our salvation (Rom 5:9-11; 10:10), in an ongoing way through the Spirit’s sanctification (Rom 8:1-14), and fully at the resurrection when Christ returns (Rom 8:18-30). It is God’s power that provides righteousness, and he fulfills his promise (Gal 3:14, 22).”
- Psalms (Nonconformist/Puritan) “Matthew Henry on Psalms 119:17: We are here taught, 1. That we owe our lives to God's mercy. David prays, Deal bountifully with me, that I may live. It was God's bounty that gave us life, that gave us this life; and the same bounty that gave it continues it, and gives all the supports and comforts of it; if these be withheld, we die, or, which is equivalent, our lives are embittered and we become weary of them. If God deals in strict justice with us, we die, we perish, we all perish; if these forfeited lives be preserved and prolonged, it is because God deals bountifully with us, according to ”
- 1 Corinthians (Protestant academic) “Tyndale House on 1 Corinthians 3:5: 3:5-9 To identify oneself proudly as a follower of a human teacher is wrong because God does the real work of redemption, so he deserves the honor. • We are only God’s servants: Cp. 2 Cor 4:5.”
- Psalms (Nonconformist/Puritan) “Matthew Henry on Psalms 136:1: The duty we are here again and again called to is to give thanks, to offer the sacrifice of praise continually, not the fruits of our ground or cattle, but the fruit of our lips, giving thanks to his name, Heb 13:15. We are never so earnestly called upon to pray and repent as to give thanks; for it is the will of God that we should abound most in the most pleasant exercises of religion, in that which is the work of heaven. Now here observe, 1. Whom we must give thanks to - to him that we receive all good from, to the Lord, Jehovah, Israel's God (Psa 136:1), the G”