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“But the day of the Lord will come as a thief in the night; in the which the heavens shall pass away with a great noise, and the elements shall melt with fervent heat, the earth also and the works that are therein shall be burned up.  Seeing then that all these things shall be dissolved, what manner of persons ought ye to be in all holy conversation and godliness, Looking for and hasting unto the coming of the day of God, wherein the heavens being on fire shall be dissolved and the elements shall melt with fervent heat?  Nevertheless we, according to his promise, look for new heavens and a new earth, Wherein dwelleth righteousness. Wherefore beloved, seeing that ye look for such things, be diligent that ye may be found of him in peace, without spot, and blameless” (II Pet. 3:10-14).  Peter’s words could not be plainer with regard to the destruction of the physical heavens and the earth by fire.
God’s Promise
“But the heavens and the earth, which are now, by the same word are kept in store, reserved unto fire against the day of judgment and perdition of ungodly men” (II Pet. 3:7).  At one time, God said He would destroy the world by a flood (Gen. 6:9-17).  Then, God followed through with His word and brought the flood upon the earth (II Pet. 3:5-6).  God keeps His word.  Now, God has promised that He will destroy the heavens and the earth by fire.  God cannot lie.  He will keep His word.  The heavens and the earth which are now will be destroyed by fire.  This absolutely precludes a rejuvenated heavens and earth.   God cannot contradict Himself!  Any doctrine that contradicts a plain passage of Scripture is a false doctrine.  Any interpretation of II Pet. 3:10-14 that contradicts God’s promise is a false doctrine.
Christ’s Doctrine
“Heaven and earth shall pass away, but my words shall not pass away” (Matthew 24:35).  Jesus states that the heaven and earth shall pass away.  They are temporal in contrast to His words which are eternal.  These physical and temporal structures are time-bound and so were never intended by God to be permanent.  Any doctrine that contradicts the plain statement of Jesus in Matthew 24:35 is a false doctrine.  Any interpretation of II Pet. 3:10-14 that contradicts what Jesus taught in Matthew 24:35 is a false doctrine.
The Apostle Peter’s Doctrine
Three times Peter writes by the Holy Spirit, that the heavens and earth will be destroyed by fire: II Pet. 3;7, 10, 12.  Peter does not contradict himself in v. 10 where there may be a textual variant (ESV-“shall be exposed”) vs. (KJV-“shall be burned up”).  Some contend that the textual variant in the ESV may be interpreted to mean that the heavens and earth will be rejuvenated and not destroyed.  This would make Peter contradict himself (see v. 7).  This would make Peter contradict God and the Lord Jesus Christ.  Such an interpretation is false.
Jesus told the apostles including Peter that the Holy Spirit would take of mine and show it unto you.  “He shall glorify me: for he shall receive of mine, and shall shew it unto you” (John 16:14).  What is the ultimate source of the doctrine of the apostles?   The answer is Jesus Christ the Son of God.   God and Jesus are one (John 10:30 and 16:15).  The ultimate source of the doctrine of the apostles is the triune God.  This means that there will be harmony between what God states, Jesus states and the apostles state.  They cannot contradict each other because the doctrine comes from one divine source.
Whenever we have a plain passage of Scripture such as the Lord’s teaching in Matthew 24:35, and we are attempting to interpret another passage of Scripture such as II Pet. 3:10, the plain passage provides an infallible guide to the understanding of the passage that may have some question (an alternate reading) about it.  With such an infallible guide (Scripture interpreting Scripture) we can be absolutely certain of the meaning of the questionable passage.   The heavens and the earth will be destroyed by fire on the Judgment Day.  The hope of the Christian is to live forever with God in heaven (a spiritual place wherein dwelleth righteousness).  The phrase new heavens and new earth is a reference to heaven and not to a rejuvenated earth.

In an article written for the Christian Chronicle, vol. 82, no. 1, titled, “Will there be hound dogs in heaven?” by Bobby Ross Jr., the distinction between animals and human beings was blurred.  Ross quoted from individuals who affirmed that at least some dogs would be in heaven.  Steve Holladay, a member of the Harpeth Hills church of Christ in Brentwood, TN said, “If God works through dogs in this life to help accomplish His will, I imagine dogs also have a place in heaven.”  Speaking of dogs he said, “I don’t know about all dogs, but I’m expecting see Baby Ruth and Legend when I get there.”  Ross himself said that he did not know whether or not dogs will be in heaven.  So, the article seems to leave the question open-ended.  But, is that true?
The False View Of PETA
Members of PETA  affirm the ethical treatment of animals.  PETA stands for persons for the ethical treatment of animals.  Members of PETA believe that the “Golden Rule” applies to all animals.  “Ethical treatment–The Golden Rule–must be extended to all living beings:  reptiles, mammals, fish, insects, birds, amphibians and crustaceans…We must abandon the archaic and incorrect boundary of “human” which we use to justify the ongoing massacre of billions of beings.”  The view of PETA is rooted in the false theory of evolution.  Some theistic evolutionists also believe in the concept of common ancestry.  The evolutionary theory attacks the concept of what it means to be “human” and blurs the distinction between animals and human beings.
What Does It Mean to Be Human?
Human beings were created by God “in His image” (Gen. 1:26-27).  This means that human beings have a spiritual aspect to their being along with a physical body.  Human beings have an immortal soul.  Animals do not possess a soul.  Nothing physical or material will be in heaven.  Flesh and blood cannot inherit the kingdom of God (I Cor. 15:50).  Heaven is a spiritual place where only spiritual beings reside.  Consider the following differences between animals and human beings:  (1) Humans possess the ability of speech or language that is unlike animals.  (2). Humans can write, improve their education, accumulate knowledge, and build on past achievements.  (3) Humans possess an intellectual capacity for thinking and reasoning that transcends animal intelligence.  Do monkeys build skyscrapers?  Can a monkey build an airplane and fly across the ocean?  (4) Humans are creative and possess creative expression.  Humans can make sophisticated tools and build diverse objects.  (5). Humans have free-will that gives them the capacity for rational choices.  Animals have instinct and are limited by it and guided by it in their behaviors.  (6). Humans are moral and have the ability to choose right from wrong for which they will be held accountable by God.  Animals do not have morals or ethical behaviors.  (7). Only humans possess a conscience which is a moral arbiter that acts as an umpire on various behaviors.  (8)  Humans experience heart-felt emotions and emotional experiences like love.  (9). Humans alone possess a unique, inherent religious inclination with a desire to worship God and ability to worship God.  (see the article by Dave Miller, Humans Are Not Animals, published by Apologetics Press.com).  Only humans bear the spiritual imprint of God due to the fact that they possess an immortal soul.  The soul of man never dies.  The human soul is doomed because of sin and will die the second death if not redeemed by the blood of Christ.  Animals are not subject to God’s Laws and are not held accountable by God for behavior that is in violation of His laws.  Animals do not fear death because of the consequences of sin.  However, humans do (Hebrews 2:14-15).
Animals Were Created For Man’s Benefit
Animals were created by God for man’s benefit (Gen. 9:1-4).  Human beings exercise dominion over animals (Gen. 1:26).  This is never reversed.  Animals were provided by God for use by human beings: 1) for food (Gen. 9:1-4); 2) for clothing, (Gen. 3:21); 3) for useful instruments such as tools (use of bones), and decoration.
Conclusion                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                            The distinction between animals and human beings is rooted in the acts of Creation by an all-powerful God.  Animals cannot obey God’s laws.  They cannot transgress God’s laws.  Since animals cannot either obey or disobey God’s laws and do not sin, they are not subject to redemption through the blood of Christ and cannot go to heaven as a result of being saved from sin and its consequences.  The intimation that animals can go to heaven is outrageous because it demeans the glory of the death of Jesus Christ on the cross and denies the created design originating in the mind of God.

Before we leave January, 2025, we must take a look at the New Year’s resolutions we made.  January 10, 2025 is National Quitters Day.  This day was so named because many people who make New Year’s resolutions do not keep them.  In fact, only 8% of Americans actually keep the resolutions that they make.  Making New Year’s resolutions is a tradition that goes back 4,000 years.  While a long-standing tradition, it lacks substance in bringing about real change in the lives of people.  One person said, “I can’t believe it’s been a year since I didn’t become a better person.”  Another remarked, “Don’t live the same year 75 times and call it a life” (Robin Sharma).  Both comments rebuke a lack of real growth in personal life and character.  After all, making New Year’s resolutions is all about making decisions that will change our lives for the better.  Someone else said, “I don’t need a New Year’s resolution.  It’s the year’s turn to get better.”  Another person thought that making more realistic resolutions would help.  Here are some of them:  “I will get slightly older each day”; “I will eat more cheese”; “I will muddle through each day.”  Obviously, lowering the bar is not a good pathway for self-improvement.
New Year’s resolutions involve making life changing choices that enable self-improvement.  The reason most fail is the lack of discipline and commitment involved in success.  If most fail to keep New Year’s resolutions, then,  that would indicate most do not have the self-discipline and commitment to follow through.  This means that we have serious character flaws that hinder personal growth.  Perhaps our New Year’s resolutions should target this deficiency.
The greatest decision that we can make toward self-improvement is to follow the Lord Jesus Christ.  Jesus challenges us to “deny self and take up our cross and follow him” (Matt. 6:24).  Self-denial means that we renounce the old self, the old man of sin, and turn to God.  We are called to repentance (Acts 2:38; 3:19).  We must repent of our sins, put to death the old man of sin (Rom. 6:6).  We stop serving sin and we begin to serve the Lord in the pursuit of righteousness.  Peter states that the “lusts of the flesh” “war against the soul” (I Pet. 2:11).  Peace within can only come when we have been forgiven of our sins and turn away from sin which destroys the soul.  We obtain forgiveness of our sins when we are baptized into Christ.  “Then Peter said unto them, Repent, and be baptized every one of you in the name of Jesus Christ for the remission of sins, and ye shall receive the gift of the Holy Ghost” (Acts 2:38).  Our sins are washed away by the power of the blood of Christ when we obey the command to be baptized (Acts 22:16).  When we are cleansed of sin (forgiven), we are justified before God and are “washed and sanctified (I Cor. 6:11).  We no longer pursue a life of sin (Rom. 6:1-2).  Life in Christ involves a pursuit of righteousness.
The decision to become a New Testament Christian is the most important decision we will ever make.  This decision commits us to a life of discipleship.  We must be willing to endure hardships for the name of Christ and we must be willing to live each day for His glory.  We follow the teachings of Jesus and the example of Jesus just as children who follow in the footsteps of their parents.  We imitate our Lord and seek to please Him in all things.  The change indicated is absolute and complete.  We hold nothing back, but are wholly consecrated to God our Heavenly Father (Rom. 12:1-2).
We might make a New Year’s resolution to lose weight.  Paul indicates that bodily exercise profiteth little.  But, godliness profits for all things and has the promise of eternal life (I Tim. 4:8).  If you really want to change your life for the better, become a New Testament Christian.

“The New Year’s most glorious light is sweet hope!” (Mehmet Ildan).  This year we will shine the light of hope to the world.  Wonder nurtures intrinsic hope.  Wonder is about being in the presence of something truly amazing that transcends the mundane and everyday monotony.  It humbles us.  It lifts us up.  It excites us.  It awe’s us.  What is this wonder?  God.  The focus of our wonder is God.  Wonder is inquisitive awe in the pursuit of an understanding of all of the perfections of the excellent majesty of God!  God is the God of hope.  “Now the God of hope fill you with all joy and peace in believing, that ye may abound in hope through the power of the Holy Ghost” (Rom. 15:13).  An important formula for the New Year:  hope is connected to faith (Heb. 10:22-23) and faith is connected to truth (Rom. 10:17), and truth is connected to God (John 17:17).  Thus, hope is connected to God (Rom. 15:13).  No God, no hope.  Hope is connected to God’s faithfulness to His Word.  God has the power to bring His promises to fruition.
What is Hope?
Hope is a positive emotion, a positive outlook.  Hope provides positive energy to make us resilient.  Hope is an optimistic state of mind based on an expectation of positive outcomes.  Expectation is tied to confidence which is tied to truth which is tied to God.  Hope means that we cherish a desire with anticipation of its fulfillment.  Hope looks to the future.  Biblical hope is confident expectation of good things to come based upon the faithfulness of God to His Word.  Embracing hope means that we must embrace God’s Word by faith.  We must have a living faith in order to have a living hope.  A living faith embraces the precepts and promises of God and so hope is anchored in the certainty that God can and will bring His promises to complete fulfillment.  Consequently, hope is not a mere wish.  We may wish that our favorite athletic team will win but we have no certainty of it.  The outcome is uncertain.  God’s Word cannot fail and so gives us a steadfast and sure foundation for our faith which undergirds our hope.  God cannot lie.  He does not permit His Word to fail.  This assurance is the basis of our confidence in good things happening as God’s fulfills His promises to us.   Hope enables us to bounce back from set-backs, overcome obstacles, see the possibilities, and be confident in God and our relationship with Him.  Embracing hope means embracing God.
God Is Faithful
Look back.  God saves by His power through His Son Jesus Christ.  He answers the prayers of the righteous.  He blesses continuously with His grace.  He chastens those whom He loves.  He uses us to serve in His kingdom.  God has been faithful to us and He has kept His Word.  The history of the Bible reveals the faithfulness of God.  God has never failed to accomplish His purposes.  Reflect on the present.  Truth is a crucial link in the formula given above.  hope is connected to faith which is connected to truth which is connected to God.  God cannot lie (Heb. 6:18; Titus 1:2).  Truth is intrinsic to the nature of God.  We embrace hope by embracing the God of truth.  “He that cometh to God must believe that He is….”  (Heb. 11:6).  God is and God is faithful.  “There hath no temptation taken you, but such as is common to man: but God is faithful, who will not suffer you to be tempted above that which ye are able; but will with the temptation also make a way to escape” (I Cor. 10:13).  God is the ultimate reality.  “Despair looks at immediate realities, hope looks at ultimate realities.”  Hope is grounded in the eternal and so never fades away.  “…and that he is a rewarder of them that diligently seek him” (Heb. 11:6).  God is gracious.  He is full of lovingkindness.  We must pursue God and appropriate His grace for our lives.  God cannot fail us and will not fail us.
The Promise
Paul cites Isaiah 11:1-11 where Isaiah prophecies of the Righteous Branch an obvious reference to the Messiah.  The Messiah would be a root out of Jesse (David).  The Spirit of the Lord shall rest upon Him.  He will possess all wisdom and knowledge.  He will judge in righteousness.  He will make peace and unify all men in Himself and thus the Jew and the Gentile will hope in Him because of the salvation He will bring.  This Messianic prophecy was fulfilled by Jesus of Nazareth.  Jesus is the hope of the world because He is the savior of the world!   Embracing hope means believing on Jesus Christ and becoming a disciple of Christ.  This promise of salvation thr0ugh Jesus the Christ is still powerful and continues for us today. “For the promise is unto you, and to your children,  and to all that are afar off, even as many as the Lord our God shall call” (Acts 2:39).  This salvation is available to all people and is proclaimed through the gospel of Christ (Rom. 1:16).  The gospel must be heard, believed and obeyed in order to obtain it.  God calls us by the gospel to Himself. “Whereunto he called you by our gospel, to the obtaining of the glory of our Lord Jesus Christ” (II Thess. 2:14).  Those so called must obey the gospel (II Thess. 1:7-9) in order to have the hope of eternal life.  God imparts His truth to us in order for us to have faith in Him and embrace a living hope that we can be with Him forever in heavenly realms.  One day this hope will be realized.  O glorious day!

Wonder is the inquisitive pursuit of an understanding of all of the perfections of the excellent majesty of God.  To know God is the greatest quest of the human mind.  To know God is to have everlasting life (I John 5:20).  We must believe that He is and that He is a rewarder of them that diligently seek Him (Heb. 11:6).  Without this knowledge of the Holy and faith in Him, we will never see God.
The Wonder of Wonders is the incarnation.  In John 1:14, God’s Word declares, “And the Word was made flesh, and dwelt among us, (and we beheld his glory, the glory as of the only begotten of the Father), full of grace and truth.”  The eternal Word becomes a human being and dwells among men.  His glory is manifested as He makes God known to us.  The only begotten Son, a reference to His becoming flesh and taking on the form of a servant (Phil. 2:5-11).  Fully God and fully man in one person–Jesus, the Christ.  Full of grace and truth, which grace is God’s undefeatable, benevolent, goodwill and truth which is reality as God Himself defines reality revealed in His holy Word (II Tim. 3:16,17).  This is a mystery revealed, “And without controversy great is the mystery of godliness: God was manifest in the flesh, justified in the Spirit, seen of angels, preached unto the Gentiles, believed on in the world, received up into glory” (I Tim. 3:16).
Revelation of the Wonder
The foreknowledge of God is on display in the prophetic statements made in the Law and the Prophets concerning Jesus Christ.  The Second Person of the Godhead: The Eternal Word pre-existed the human form of Jesus of Nazareth.  “In the beginning was the Word and the Word was with God and the Word was God (John 1:1).  God foreknew and He foretold through the prophets that the Messiah would come through the “seed of woman” (Gen. 3:15), the “seed of Abraham” (Gen. 22:18); and the “seed of David” (II Sam. 7:11-13).  Jesus of Nazareth is the Messiah, “The book of the generation of Jesus Christ, the son of David, the son of Abraham” (Matthew 1:1).  Peter writes, “Who verily was foreordained before the foundation of the world, but was manifest in these last times for you” (I Pet. 1:20).  Peter also writes, “Receiving the end of your faith, even the salvation of your souls.  Of which salvation the prophets have inquired and searched diligently, who prophesied of the grace that should come unto you:  Searching what, or what manner of time the Spirit of Christ which was in them did signify, when it testified beforehand the sufferings of Christ, and the glory that should follow.  Unto whom it was revealed, that not unto themselves, but unto us they did minister the things, which are now reported unto you by them that have preached the gospel unto you with the Holy Ghost sent down from heaven; which things the angels desire to look into” (I Pet. 1:9-12).  The gospel of Christ (Rom. 1:16) is the message of salvation that is accomplished through Jesus Christ our Lord.  This message reveals the mystery of godliness to us.  It reveals the birth, life, ministry, death, burial and resurrection of our Lord and savior.  The “seed” promise was ultimate fulfilled in the person of Jesus (Gal. 3:16).  This reality is prophesied by Isaiah in Isaiah 7:14, “Therefore the LORD himself shall give you a sign; Behold, a virgin shall conceive, and bear a son, and shall call his name Immanuel.”  This prophecy was fulfilled in the virgin birth of Jesus.  The angel Gabriel explained to Mary, the mother of the Lord, just how the conception would occur, “And the angel answered and said unto her, The Holy Ghost shall come upon thee, and the power of the Highest shall overshadow thee: therefore also that holy thing which shall be born of thee shall be called the Son of God” (Luke 1:35).  Jesus was born of a virgin named Mary by the miraculous power of God who can do all things (Matthew 19:26).  Matthew records the fulfillment of Isaiah’s prophecy, “Now all this was done, that it might be fulfilled which was spoken of the Lord by the prophet saying, Behold, a virgin shall be with child, and shall bring forth a son, and they shall call his name Emmanuel, which being interpreted is, God with us” (Matthew 1:22-23).  God foreknew and He foretold and then, by His power, Jesus was born in Bethlehem of Judah (Luke 2:1-14).  Jesus is the savior of the world (John 4:42, I John 4:14).
Reality of the Wonder
Mary would give birth to the Messiah (Luke 1:26-35).  Jesus of Nazareth is the Messiah.  He is the Son of God.  God’s power to perform wonders brought about the wonder of wonders–the birth of Jesus, the Christ.  The word incarnation is derived from the Latin language and means, “to take on flesh,”  or “embodiment of flesh.”  The incarnation is the gracious, voluntary act of the Eternal Word in assuming a human body and human nature along with maintaining His glorious divine nature.  Jesus is fully human and fully deity.  These two natures are indissolubly united in one person– Jesus of Nazareth. Paul describes this truth, “For in him dwelleth all the fullness of the Godhead bodily” (Col. 2:9).  Paul also writes, “Who, being in the form of God, thought it not robbery to be equal with God: But made himself of no reputation, and took on him the form of a servant, and was made in the likeness of men: And being found in fashion as a man, he humbled himself and became obedient unto death, even the death of the cross” (Phil. 2:6-8).  God’s Word declares, “But we see Jesus, who was made a little lower than the angels for the suffering of death, crowned with glory and honor; that he by the grace of God should taste of death for every man” (Heb. 2:9).  The incarnation was necessary in order for the Son of God to die and secure our redemption.  The reality of our salvation and hope lies in the historical reality of the incarnation.
Proclamation of the Wonder
Paul states, “For I determined not to know any thing among you, save Jesus Christ, and him crucified” (I Cor. 2:2).  “But we preach Christ crucified, unto the Jews a stumbling block, and unto the Greeks foolishness; But unto them which are called, both Jews and Greeks, Christ the power of God, and the wisdom of God” (I Cor. 1:23-25).  Paul preached the gospel of Christ (Rom. 1:16) to the saving of the souls of men and women.  Salvation from sin involves a purchase price.  The purchase price involved in our redemption is the blood of Jesus, the Christ.  “Forasmuch as ye know that ye were not redeemed with corruptible things, as silver and gold, from your vain conversation received by tradition from your fathers; But with the precious blood of Christ, as of a lamb without blemish and without spot” (I Pet. 1:18-19).  Jesus’ blood is the only means of remission (forgiveness).  “And almost all things are by the law purged with blood; and without shedding of blood is no remission” (Heb. 9:22).  “For it is not possible that the blood of bulls and of goats should take away sins” (Heb. 10:4).  “How much more shall the blood of Christ, who through the eternal Spirit offered himself without spot to God, purge your conscience from dead works to serve the living God?” (Heb. 9:14).  Not only do we preach redemption and remission of sins through Jesus, but, we preach reconciliation to God.  “Therefore if any man be in Christ, he is a new creature: old things are passed away; behold, all things are become new.  And all things are of God, who hath reconciled us to himself by Jesus Christ, and hath given to us the ministry of reconciliation, To wit, that God was in Christ, reconciling the world unto himself, not imputing their trespasses unto them; and hath committed unto us the word of reconciliation” (II Cor. 5:17-19).  Jesus makes oneness with God possible.  He is the preeminent peacemaker.  The message preached is one of redemption, remission of sins, and reconciliation to God thus bringing forgiveness, peace and sonship to the world.
The incarnation of Christ is a one-time historical event –wrought by the power of God;  involving a one-time historical person–Jesus, the Christ; having a one-time historical result–the salvation of the people of the world.  This is the mystery of godliness revealed and proclaimed through the gospel of Jesus Christ.

Hear the Word of the Lord: “In everything give thanks: for this is the will of God in Christ Jesus concerning you.”  Paul understood the power of thanksgiving.  Thanksgiving is a command of God for every Christian.  It is an expression of humility and joy at the reception of the goodness of God manifested in the bestowal of His grace.  God’s grace is a windfall for every person who experiences it.  The goodness of God is overwhelming.  God’s grace saves us (Eph. 2:8-9) and it sustains us (II Cor. 9:8).
Since God’s grace is given to us on a daily basis, we should be thankful for everything we receive from Him.  This means a daily renewal of thanksgiving.
The Power of Thanksgiving To Transform Us (Its Humbling Effect)
When someone from whom you have no right to expect anything, gives you everything, it is a humbling experience.  God’s lovingkindness is like that.  It is grace.  God is its source.  God is infinite in His goodness.  When we taste of the heavenly gift (Heb. 6:4), the gift of salvation through Jesus Christ our Lord, we are humbled.  The gift of God’s Son (John 3:16) is the unspeakable gift (II Cor. 9:15).  The gift of salvation through Jesus Christ is priceless!  Truly, the windows of heaven are opened to us.  Our salvation through Jesus, opens the door to every spiritual gift (Eph. 1:3).  All spiritual blessings are in Christ.  God withholds nothing.  He gives us everything.  Then, if we put the kingdom of God and His righteousness first in our lives, all of the temporal blessings are given to us (Matthew 6:33).  God saves us.  Then, He sustains us.  Both acts of God are humbling.  We know we are not worthy.  Yet, God enriches us with every good and perfect gift (James 1:17).
The Power of Thanksgiving To Connect Us To God (Its Reconciling Effect)
The goodness of God pulls us in God’s direction.  The goodness of God leads us to repentance (Rom. 2:4-6).  He loved us first, then, if we respond to His love as we should, we love Him back (I John 4:19).  He manifests His long-suffering toward us (II Pet. 3:9).  He reveals His grace to us (Titus 2:11-12).  The impenitent despise the goodness of God.  The impenitent are also unbelievers.  Unbelievers harden their hearts against God.  But, at the same time, they act in such a way as to contradict their own best interests.  This is self-defeating.  It also denies God’s goodness.  The good and honest heart responds positively to God’s love and to His grace.  The human soul needs God’s saving power.  The human heart needs God’s grace.  Gratitude to God makes us look up to God from whence cometh our salvation.  We connect with God when we obey the commandments He has given to us through His Son in the New Testament–the Law of Christ (Rom. 8:1-2).  We can enter into covenant relationship with God by recognizing His goodness toward us and humbling ourselves in His sight.   Through thanksgiving we complete the circle of fellowship with God.  We recognize His goodness and receive it with meekness.
The Power of Thanksgiving To Change Our Perspective (Its Optimistic Effect)
Are you weary?  Are you heavy hearted?  Are you inundated by the evil that surrounds us?  Take heart, focus on God’s goodness.  Put on “God’s goodness” glasses and it will change your perspective.  Start by observing God’s blessings in your life.  Count your many blessings.  Name them one by one:  daily bread, shelter, clothing, answered prayers, material means, the good done to you by others, natural resources: sun, earth, rain, and the air we breathe, redemption, salvation, and justification to name a few.  We are truly rich toward God (II Cor. 8:9).  Do you describe yourself as rich?  Put on “God’s goodness” glasses and you will see just how blessed you really are.
The Power of Thanksgiving To Increase Contentment (Its Peacemaking Effect)
Covetousness is a robber.  It robs of inner peace.  It robs God of His rightful place in our hearts (Col. 3:5).  The insatiable appetites of the flesh war against the soul (I Pet. 2:11).  This struggle within us is resolved only when we can slay covetousness and replace it with contentment.  Godliness with contentment is great gain! (I Tim. 6:6).  Contentment is being satisfied with God’s sufficiency for our lives.  God’s sufficiency is His grace.  Our lives do not consist of the abundance of the things that we possess (Luke 12:15).  We need to be able to say, “It is enough.”  Only then, will we have peace.
The Power of Thanksgiving To Deepen Relationships (Its Unifying Effect)
Gratitude helps us recognize the value of others to us.  Gratitude cements relationships with others.  We recognize their value to us.  We need each other.  In I Cor. 12:14, Paul emphasizes that the body of Christ is comprised of many members.  Each of these members has a function.  But, it does not function just for itself.  It functions for the benefit of the whole body.  Our giftedness is a blessing to the whole body and is not to be a source of envy within the body of Christ. We are spiritual united in Christ when we are baptized into Christ (I Cor. 12:13).  We are spiritually united to each other.  Gratitude recognizes this fellowship and helps form a bond that keeps us united.  This interdependency in the body of Christ makes us stronger and more productive.
Gratitude is a powerful attitude that benefits us personally and positively affects all of our relationships.  Unleash this power in your own life and see how it affects your relationship with God, molds your own character, and strengthens relationships with others.

The wonder of God should stimulate “inquisitive awe in the pursuit of an understanding of all of the perfections of the excellent majesty of God.”  Pursuing the wonder of God is a certain cure for boredom!  Pursuit of the knowledge of who God is and what God has done is a thrilling quest of the human heart that is certain to bring excitement to the human soul.  This pursuit is a lifetime spiritual endeavor.  Those who undertake it are immediately rewarded intellectually and spiritually.  Keep the wonder!
God’s Justice Defined
God’s justice or righteousness is an intrinsic moral perfection of God.  There are six moral perfections of God:  holiness, justice, jealousy, perfection, truthfulness and goodness (love).  Each of these moral perfections are interrelated.  Consequently, God’s justice is interrelated to His holiness, truthfulness, and perfection.  God’s laws stem from His moral perfections.  Justice is based upon truth.  No truth, no justice.  Objective truth originates in the mind of God and is conveyed through the revelation God has made by the Holy Spirit.  This revelation we call Scripture.  God is and reveals the ultimate standard of righteousness and by this standard all mankind will be judged by Jesus Christ (Acts 17:31).  God’s justice is His righteousness applied to the human soul.
God’s Justice Revealed
Ps. 89:14, “Justice and judgment are the habitation of thy throne: mercy and truth shall go before thy face.”  Justice (God’s intrinsic moral perfection) and judgement (God’s decrees regarding man’s conduct) are inherent in His majesty as King as kings (His sovereignty).  Justice could not exist without truth and one of God’s moral perfections is truthfulness.  In fact, God cannot lie (Heb. 6:18; Titus 1:2; Rom. 3:4).  This important truth about God has tremendous implications for our faith.  Faith in God is never a “leap in the dark” as some falsely claim.  Our personal faith is rooted and grounded in the objective truth God’s has revealed in holy Scripture (Rom. 10:17).  God’s justice expresses itself in mercy or in condemnation.  In order for us to be justified, God’s applies His mercy based upon the atoning power of the blood of Jesus Christ.  When Christ’s blood is applied to our life, we are forgiven (Rom. 5:8-9).  If Christ’s blood is not applied to our life, then we remain unforgiven which is the very definition of condemned.  God’s mercy toward us is conditional.  The terms or conditions are stated in His Word which today is given in the New Testament.  God has always dealt with man through a unilateral covenant.  God gives the commandments and human beings must follow them.  Since Jesus’ death on the cross, when the New Testament went into force, God has dealt with us on the terms of the New Covenant or the Law of Christ (Col. 2:14, Eph. 2:13-22; Heb. 9:15).  The words of Jesus Christ will judge us in the last day (John 12:48).
Heb. 1:8, “But unto the Son he saith, Thy throne, O God, is for ever and ever; a scepter of righteousness is the scepter of thy kingdom.”  A scepter is a standard of rule.  The scepter is a symbol of imperial authority.  God’s reign/rule is eternal.  God’s reign/rule is universal.  God’s reign/rule is inherent in His righteousness.  God has ultimate authority to bind and loose and exercises this authority over all of mankind.
Ps. 19:9, “The fear of the LORD is clean, enduring for ever: the judgments of the LORD are true and righteous altogether.”  The LORD’S decrees are based upon His true ordinances, laws or commandments.  God is righteous altogether.  Truth is that which conforms to reality as God defines reality.  To reject the truth is to accept irrationality.  It is to believe a lie and this would lead to vanity in life.  To reject the truth revealed by God would bring condemnation to our soul through the execution  of God’s justice.
Zephaniah 3:5, “The just LORD is in the midst thereof; he will not do iniquity: every morning doth he bring his judgment to light, he faileth not; but the unjust knoweth no shame.”  The violation of God’s law (no matter what covenant is in force at the time) is the definition of injustice.  The unjust are unrighteous.  The unrighteous know no shame.  They act with impunity because they do not fear God, but they will face God’s justice!
The Application of God’s Justice To Us
Righteousness is the standard of justice that God will use to judge the people of this world.  “Because he hath appointed a day, in the which he will judge the world in righteousness by that man whom he hath ordained whereof  he hath given assurance unto all men, in that he hath raised him from the dead.”  This righteous standard is the very words of Jesus Christ (John 12:48).  When Jesus comes the second time, He will come as the judge of all people. People will be judged according to their deeds (Rom 2:6).  God’s justice is involved in manifesting mercy to those who have known Him and obeyed the gospel of Christ (II Thess. 1:7-9; Rom. 1:16, Rom. 5:8-9).  Justification is based upon the substitutionary sacrifice Jesus made of Himself for the sins of all human beings.  Those who have obtained forgiveness through the blood of Jesus have no fear of the wrath of God.  However, those who reject Jesus and His words, will be condemned by their unbelief and disobedience (Mark 16:16; John 8:24).  They will be punished with everlasting destruction from the presence of the Lord and from the glory of His power (II Thess. 1:7-9).
We must all appear before the judgment seat of Christ (II Cor. 5:10).  We must all face the justice of God.  Will we face God forgiven or unforgiven?  Only you can answer that question.  Only you can believe and obey the gospel of Christ (Mark 16:16).