Thanks be to God for his inexpressible gift! (I Corinthians 9:15 ESV)
Salvation
I have usually been thankful for a paycheck… but it is a restrained thankfulness, because a paycheck is giving me something that I have usually earned. I am often thankful for birthday presents… but it is a restrained thankfulness because those gifts, in a way, are a reward for making it through another year. I am sometimes thankful for being able to finish a task or project… but it is a restrained thankfulness because the completion is accompanied by fatigue, effort, and loss of time.
But Paul declares that he is thankful for his salvation. And all the more because that gift, he says, is inexpressible. His salvation was not earned, is not a reward, and does not come from hard work.
Paul’s salvation was by grace, through faith.
We would be understandably less grateful if we received eternal life through good financial investments. Yes, we would be glad, but part of that gratitude would aim towards our cleverness. We would be understandably less grateful if we received eternal life through high numbers of Bible verses read, memorized, or placed on posters around our home. Yes, we would be glad, but part of that gratitude would aim towards ourselves. We would be understandably less grateful if we received eternal life through being nice, thinking kind thoughts, or being generous. Yes, we would be glad, but part of that gratitude would aim towards ourselves.
But none of those things lead to salvation.
God saves by grace.
God saves because of His love.
God saves because Jesus paid our heaven-blocking sin-debts.
And that is amazing… and that is worth profound thanksgiving!