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In the days leading up to Thanksgiving, many of us are rightly focused on thanking God for the many blessings He has given us.
We thank God for the temporal blessings of friends, family, and earthly comforts. We thank God for every aspect of our salvation: election, regeneration, justification, sanctification, and glorification. We thank God for our union with Christ and baptism into the body of Christ.
When we consider all that we have to be thankful for, it can be overwhelming! But the Bible gives us a way of expressing this explosion of gratitude: doxology.
What Is Doxology?
Although the word doxology is familiar to most Christians, many of us may not understand it properly. As a brief definition, doxology comes from two Greek words: Doxa, which means “glory,” and logos, which refers to a word or saying. Therefore, a doxology is a word of praise about God. It is giving thanks to God by means of praise.
When we come across doxologies in Scripture, they are usually in response to some grand work of God. They are not associated with mundane or trivial things, like finding a good parking spot at the grocery store. Blurting out, “Praise the Lord!” in response to something like that may be a legitimate expression of thanks, but that is not the kind of doxology we see in Scripture.
In the Bible, doxologies consistently appear as a punctuation mark concluding a discussion of something transcendent and marvelous—particularly God’s plan of salvation. They are the words of grateful praise offered from unworthy sinners who have been redeemed.
As you find the writers of Scripture contemplating the realities of salvation, they burst into praise, like a cork being blown off a bottle when the pressure builds up. The pressure is joy, thankfulness, or gratitude, and when it builds to the point of being overwhelming, a doxology comes bursting forth.
Doxologies are explosions of praise and joy—and they come in response to contemplating God’s work of salvation. Let’s look at some examples in the New Testament.
Doxology in Scripture
The New Testament contains a river of doxologies flowing from the gospels to Revelation. One famous example is Paul’s conclusion to Romans 11. In some ways, this doxology summarizes all the others—it is a sweeping exclamation of praise for all of God’s work.
In chapters 1–11 of Romans, Paul delivers the greatest treatise on salvation ever written. He covers the whole story of salvation from beginning to end—even taking into account the future salvation of Israel. He answers every objection and leaves no stone unturned.
Then, finally, he comes to the very end of chapter 11 and bursts forth in praise,
Oh, the depth of the riches both of the wisdom and knowledge of God! How unsearchable are His judgments and unfathomable His ways! For who has known the mind of the Lord, or who became His counselor? Or who has first given to Him that it might be paid back to him again? For from Him and through Him and to Him are all things. To Him be the glory forever. Amen. (Romans 11:33–36)
Paul began Romans with the topic of sin (Romans 1:18–3:20). Then he wrote about salvation and all of its benefits (Romans 3:21–11:32). And here he sums it all up with an explosion of wonder and gratitude toward God. This doxology in Romans 11:33–36 is the apostle’s sanctified response to God’s plan of salvation. And it displays the kind of attitude that should characterize every Christian response to that grand plan.
Paul does the same thing in Galatians, but it doesn’t take 11 chapters to get there this time. In the very opening of the book, he writes, “Grace to you and peace from God our Father and the Lord Jesus Christ, who gave Himself for our sins so that He might rescue us from this present evil age, according to the will of our God and Father” (Galatians 1:3–4).
As Paul begins to write this letter, he immediately mentions grace and peace—the two great benefits of salvation. Then he talks about the Lord Jesus Christ with the simple statement, “who gave Himself for our sins.” This encompasses the whole story of redemption: Christ’s incarnation, His humiliation, and His substitutionary sacrifice. It’s a monumental statement that emphasizes the greatest reality of salvation: the forgiveness of sin.
Paul is ruminating on the tremendous truth of forgiveness and meditating on the redemptive work of Christ. Then he follows that up with a purpose statement: “so that He might rescue us from this present evil age, according to the will of our God and Father.” This age is characterized by the dominance of sin, damning ideals, and damning conduct. But we have been rescued from it! And what’s more, we have been rescued from hell.
What is Paul’s response to this glorious truth? “To whom be the glory forevermore. Amen” (Galatians 1:5). Glory to God our Father forever! Paul can’t contain himself. He’s just four verses into this letter, and he’s already lost in wonder, love, and praise.
This is the spontaneous combustion of praise in the life of a grateful believer—one who is overwhelmed with the reality that he is delivered from his sins. He will not perish with the passing world. He has been rescued, and he will be taken to the world of eternal glory with Christ. Just that simple contemplation of the forgiveness of sins elicits doxology.
But what about the difficult times in life? Is doxology appropriate then? From a human perspective, 2 Timothy was written during a bad time in Paul’s life. It is the last letter he wrote as he faced a violent death.
Even the events prior to his death were painful. He was hurt by the defection of certain people close to him (2 Timothy 4:10)—so much so that he was concerned with Timothy’s own faithfulness. That’s why he reminded Timothy not to have a spirit of fear and encouraged him not to abandon the faith (2 Timothy 1:7–14).
Paul was being physically persecuted by Alexander the coppersmith (2 Timothy 4:14). Everyone had abandoned him except Luke (2 Timothy 1:15; 4:11). He was cold (2 Timothy 4:13). He knew his death was imminent (2 Timothy 4:6). This was a deeply difficult period.
How did the apostle respond to these trying times?
At my first defense no one supported me, but all deserted me; may it not be counted against them. But the Lord stood with me and strengthened me, so that through me the proclamation might be fully accomplished, and that all the Gentiles might hear; and I was rescued out of the lion’s mouth. The Lord will rescue me from every evil deed, and will bring me safely to His heavenly kingdom; to Him be the glory forever and ever. Amen. (2 Timothy 4:16–18, emphasis added)
The Lord looks after His own. Even though Paul’s earthly friends wavered and abandoned him, God was faithful. Paul essentially says, “My friends desert me; my Lord stands with me.”
That is why Paul could confidently say, “The Lord will rescue me from every evil deed.” Nothing, whether man or demon, could successfully destroy Paul. Even when they killed him, the Lord delivered him “safely to His heavenly kingdom.” Upon death, Paul was ushered into glory (Philippians 1:23). That is true security in hard times. This leads Paul to the final verse quoted above: “to Him be the glory forever and ever. Amen” (2 Timothy 4:18).
Doxology was Paul’s way of responding to all aspects of salvation, no matter how dire his earthly circumstances were. If he thought about election—doxology. If he thought about forgiveness—doxology. If he thought about being rescued from this evil age—doxology. If he thought about eternal life—doxology.
A Day of Doxology
When we get to heaven, we are going to spend eternity praising the Lord. We will sing, “Worthy is the Lamb that was slain to receive power and riches and wisdom and might and honor and glory and blessing” (Revelation 5:12). We will be offering Him a doxology with every celestial breath and in every heavenly moment.
So when we are overwhelmed with the truth of God’s goodness in this life and burst forth in praising Him, we are practicing for eternity. Thanksgiving in this life is a rehearsal of our eternal praise. That’s why doxology should characterize every believer’s life. God’s gift of salvation is a permanent reason for us to offer thanks to God.
And the pinnacle of our doxology—our thanksgiving to God—is our salvation. It is good to thank the Lord for earthly things, but the greatest gift we receive from God is redemption in Christ. That is what should elicit the most gratitude from us.
Whether you meditate on one of the many biblical doxologies (Romans 16:25–27; Ephesians 1:3; Philippians 4:20; 1 Timothy 1:17; Jude 24–25) or give thanks to God in your own words, I hope that your Thanksgiving celebration is filled with gratitude for the Lord.
May doxology always be in our hearts, in our minds, and even on our lips.
“Now to our God and Father be the glory forever and ever. Amen” (Philippians 4:20).
