Giving Jesus Credit

First of all, I want to thank God, for without Him, none of this would have been possible.

I mentioned Monday that the phrase doesn't thrill me, and mentioned yesterday that there could be something for us to learn from it.

My first concern is that this phrase is just too vague. Except for the vexed atheist, everyone else is left to think you may be talking about their god. Even if the person knows you are a Christian, a simply compliment to "God" can allow the person to take a more relativistic perspective; knowing who you mean by God, not believing you are limiting yourself to only this God.

Jesus leaves no room for doubt. By giving thanks to Jesus Christ you leave no room for doubt. If a person objects that they truly wanted to thank God the Father, then I would suggest they say, "God, the Father of the Lord Jesus Christ."

Here's the ultimate question:

Could the same statement of thanks have been made by a Jew, a Muslim or a "God-fearing" pagan?

So often, we're content for people to know general things about us: we're religious, we go to church, we don't do this-or-that. However, those things do not tell us much. The world is not offended by religion, church or morals. Frankly, Jesus would not have been crucified had He simply been a good, church going guy. No, Jesus was killed for declaring that He is God, had the power to forgive sin and would be raised to life after dying in place of others.

If you are a believer, you were not saved by being a monotheist. If you are a believer, you are saved by the precious blood of Jesus Christ, who offered Himself on behalf of your sins. If you want to glorify God in every opportunity, make sure you speak of His Son, Jesus Christ.