The Dynamic Gospel

Just recently, with the Rugby World Cup approaching, the World Rugby Match Official select committee met to decide who would officiate the upcoming games. It would make logical sense that the top referee from a top tier nation would likely make the cut. For New Zealand, that would mean a flight to Japan for our top whistle blower, Glen Jackson.

Illustration about being an overweight red headed kid who didn’t get chosen for teams

While in one manner, this might be correct. Viewed through the eyes of Paul, experience is a vital indicator of authentic Christian faith. Which, however, comes first? The chicken, or the experience of a chicken laying an egg.

Isn’t it a bit ironic that many who would oppose the ‘spiritual experience’ at the same time demand a visible change in a person’s demeanor and lifestyle. And I believe they are right in one aspect of this.

I am not sure how, when someone becomes a “new creation” () that they can stay the same. There must be some form of change in the person’s life or the reality of the new birth is simply no reality.

The other night, Kiri had taken Caleb out for about an hour. This meant that Jamie would get some quality time with his Dad. And quality it was. 40 minutes of constant crying (Jamie, not me) as he called out over 4000 times “I want Mummy”.

What Paul presents in this passage is the subjective response to the objective truth. The experience does not precede the acceptance of truth, but is a response to it. A response that is required as evidence of true acceptance.

I would like you to note as we read through this portion of Scripture that Paul’s emphasis is not on the mental belief in the gospel, but the experiential evidence that supports that belief. Paul reveals more about the Thessalonians response to the gospel than the fact that they “believed” it.

However, when the names were called out, Jackson’s name was omitted from the list. Although he was the best referee New Zealand currently has to offer, he wasn’t good enough to make the cut for the cup.

How did this make him feel? “What did I think” he says, “I was shocked...” When asked how he felt, he said, “I was disappointed”. And understandably so.

The other night, Kiri had taken Caleb out for an hour. This meant that Jamie would get some quality time with his Dad. And quality it was. 40 minutes of constant crying (Jamie, not me) as he called out over 4000 times “I want Mummy”.

Paul wants to emphasise that the Thessalonians can “know” and be encouraged, because Paul, Silas and Timothy “know” and are encouraged. The same source of encouragement will serve everyone; that being, the response of the Thessalonians to Paul’s preaching of the gospel.

If he were ranked number 6 in New Zealand and you knew they were only going to take 3, then you wouldn’t take it so hard. When you’re number 1, it must cut pretty deep the feeling of rejection.

There is something deeply ingrained in the human psyche that desires acceptance. Greater than that, this desire is fulfilled only when we come to a point when we can know with a high degree of certainty that this acceptance is real and true, and most of all secure.

Or, what if a person purporting to be a Police Officer pulls you over in your car. You would want to see evidence that supports their simple stat

Consider for example the cry of the heart of our Savior as he hung, crucified on the cross; “My God, my God, why have you abandoned me?”

To truly know something generally takes more than a mental assertion of something. I can ‘know’ something because I have been told something, or I have read something, or I can “know” something as an absolute because I have seen evidence that supports my prior assertion.

When I was at school, we would have to do PE classes and the teaches used the old system of picking out the two best players who would then have turns picking their teams; generally they would each pick the best players until they got down to the dregs and everyone was put into a team. Let’s just say that the overweight red headed kid with the terrible hair cut was not the highly sort after player and I would inevitably be left until quite late in the peace. I so wanted to be chosen so I didn’t have to be “that guy”, the last person standing alone.

Paul’s statement regarding his knowledge of their faith is not restricted to mere belief, but belief established in the reality of evidence.

As I hit my teen years, I got taller, faster and reasonably talented at rugby. It was also a bonus as this stage that I was able to change my hair style. With these changes came a change in status; suddenly I was worth choosing and man did it feel good to be chosen. No longer was I “that guy” that was last, but I got the opportunity to be the one either choosing, or being chosen first.

Psalm 22 CSB

For the choir director: according to “The Deer of the Dawn.” A psalm of David. 1 My God, my God, why have you abandoned me? Why are you so far from my deliverance and from my words of groaning? 2 My God, I cry by day, but you do not answer, by night, yet I have no rest. 3 But you are holy, enthroned on the praises of Israel. 4 Our fathers trusted in you; they trusted, and you rescued them. 5 They cried to you and were set free; they trusted in you and were not disgraced. 6 But I am a worm and not a man, scorned by mankind and despised by people. 7 Everyone who sees me mocks me; they sneer and shake their heads: 8 “He relies on the Lord; let him save him; let the Lord rescue him, since he takes pleasure in him.” 9 It was you who brought me out of the womb, making me secure at my mother’s breast. 10 I was given over to you at birth; you have been my God from my mother’s womb. 11 Don’t be far from me, because distress is near and there’s no one to help. 12 Many bulls surround me; strong ones of Bashan encircle me. 13 They open their mouths against me— lions, mauling and roaring. 14 I am poured out like water, and all my bones are disjointed; my heart is like wax, melting within me. 15 My strength is dried up like baked clay; my tongue sticks to the roof of my mouth. You put me into the dust of death. 16 For dogs have surrounded me; a gang of evildoers has closed in on me; they pierced my hands and my feet. 17 I can count all my bones; people look and stare at me. 18 They divided my garments among themselves, and they cast lots for my clothing. 19 But you, Lord, don’t be far away. My strength, come quickly to help me. 20 Rescue my life from the sword, my only life from the power of these dogs. 21 Save me from the lion’s mouth, from the horns of wild oxen. You answered me! 22 I will proclaim your name to my brothers and sisters; I will praise you in the assembly. 23 You who fear the Lord, praise him! All you descendants of Jacob, honor him! All you descendants of Israel, revere him! 24 For he has not despised or abhorred the torment of the oppressed. He did not hide his face from him but listened when he cried to him for help. 25 I will give praise in the great assembly because of you; I will fulfill my vows before those who fear you. 26 The humble will eat and be satisfied; those who seek the Lord will praise him. May your hearts live forever! 27 All the ends of the earth will remember and turn to the Lord. All the families of the nations will bow down before you, 28 for kingship belongs to the Lord; he rules the nations. 29 All who prosper on earth will eat and bow down; all those who go down to the dust will kneel before him— even the one who cannot preserve his life. 30 Their descendants will serve him; the next generation will be told about the Lord. 31 They will come and declare his righteousness; to a people yet to be born they will declare what he has done.

That little story reveals two important truths; firstly, I am a sinful human who has an ego the size of Everest, and secondly, that there is something extremely special to the human psyche when we are chosen to be a part of something we value.

If we were to sum up in a single point what he wanted to Thessalonian believers to know at this point, it is this; no matter what is going on in life, you are God’s children and you are saved and you are secure.

As Peter outlined last week, the church in Thessolonica was established in the midst of deep oppression and persecution. Opposition to the gospel was rife and opposition to Paul and his fellow believers was treacherous.

Since Paul had established this church, many had come attacking Paul’s message and Paul’s motives.

Paul is writing in response to Timothy returning to him with a report about this church that Paul had previously established. We will read in chapter 3;

But now Timothy has come to us from you and brought us good news about your faith and love.

However, Paul is clearly writing to a church that is struggling under the weight of persecution. And as any good Pastor does, he writes this letter to encourage and exhort his flock to stand firm in the truth and the knowledge of God.

As we consider this letter, I would like to ask you this question; What is the most important thing that a Christian needs to know and be reminded of? What is the one piece of knowledge that can sustain us through many trials and tribulations.

Surely, it is the knowledge that we are secure in our faith and that our faith is true.

That is the message to these believers and we see this established in the passage we are looking at this morning.

Turn with me to 1 Thessalonians, chapter 1. Last week Peter opened looking at 3 verses, so we thought it only right that I also get 3. Therefore, our text for this morning are verses 4-6.

Or, the cry of the heart of our Savior as he hung, crucified on the cross; “My God, my God, why have you abandoned me?”

7 “The Lord had his heart set on you and chose you, not because you were more numerous than all peoples, for you were the fewest of all peoples. 8 But because the Lord loved you and kept the oath he swore to your fathers, he brought you out with a strong hand and redeemed you from the place of slavery, from the power of Pharaoh king of Egypt. ()

This morning, we are continuing in our study of Paul’s first letter to the Thessalonians. As Peter outlined last week, this letter was written by Paul to express his pride in their resilience in the face of severe persecution.

We heard how the Apostle Paul continuously expressed his thanksgiving to God for this church because of three areas;

You work produced by faith

Your labour motivated by love

You endurance inspired by hope

Faith, hope and love.

This morning, we continue to examine Paul’s expression of thanksgiving towards this group of believers. Turn with me to ;

1 Thessalonians 1:4–6 CSB

4 For we know, brothers and sisters loved by God, that he has chosen you, 5 because our gospel did not come to you in word only, but also in power, in the Holy Spirit, and with full assurance. You know how we lived among you for your benefit, 6 and you yourselves became imitators of us and of the Lord when, in spite of severe persecution, you welcomed the message with joy from the Holy Spirit.

At the heart of all humanity is the desire for acceptance. For some people, they will go to extreme measures to gain that acceptance. People will change the way they speak, the way they dress, the people they spend time with for the sake of being accepted.

So the engineers came up with a plan to provide a firm foundation on which Neil could build his home. The plan was to form a “raft” underground on which all the building would sit. While this foundation would be the

At the heart of all humanity is the desire for acceptance. For some people, they will go to extreme measures to gain that acceptance. People will change the way they speak, the way they dress, the people they spend time with for the sake of being accepted.

This morning, I want us to consider three aspects to

At the heart of all religion is the desire for acceptance by the deity to which you worship. In the same way, many people have gone to extreme measures to prove their worth, to ensure they are “accepted”. For some this may mean sitting for hours on a pole. For others, mutilating their flesh with whips and spikes. And for others, even the willingness to sacrifice their own children to gain acceptance by their god.

While faith, hope and love form the foundation for Paul’s joy, today we come to understand the framework that holds this church together.

At the heart of all humanity is the desire to be accepted.

The issue that follows this desire however is the question; “How do I know?” How do I know if I am truly accepted by the one to whom I am seeking acceptance? Can I know?

Paul begins our passage this morning answering that very question. Can we know? Paul says, “We know...”. “We know, brothers and sisters loved by God, that he has chosen you”. We know… and we want you to know.

We want you to know so that you can be secure that no matter what is going on in life, no matter what the persecution that you are facing, no matter what others may be saying about Paul or them as a church… they can know that they are accepted by God.

To really gain an understanding, We need to break this opening verse down slightly to capture the essence of what Paul is saying;

“We know” is Paul’s expression that what he is about to say is not a passing assumption. It is not a loose understanding. There is an assurance that Paul expresses with these words “We know”.

He then identifies the group about which he knows this information. “We know, brothers and sisters loved by God...”

This is a key expression for these people. In the midst of their trial, Paul reminds them that they are part of the family of God and are “loved” by Him. Is there any greater knowledge in life that to truly know that the creator of the universe loves you? When Paul expresses that these people are loved by God, he is describing a perfect action which can never change.

We cannot lose the love of God once we have it. It is not a momentary expression from God, but an established state of being. As a “child of God”, you are loved by God… unwavering and unending.

But that is not the statement that Paul is trying to make here. The “brothers and sisters loved by God” is merely introducing them as the recipients of what he is wanting to say. “For we know, brothers and sisters loved by God, that he has chosen you.”

How are we to understand this phrase that they are chosen? It means “to choose out, to select, to elect”. It expresses that the believers in Thessalonica, as an example of Christian believers everywhere, that they have been chosen, elected, selected, by God.

Matthew presents in his gospel that in the last days, a time when God will prepare to judge humanity, “He will send out his angels with a loud trumpet, and they will gather his elect from the four winds...” ()

Mark’s gospel, speaking of the same events declares, “If the Lord had not cut those days short, no one would be saved. But he cut those days short for the sake of the elect, whom he chose”. ()

“There is only one happiness in life, to love and be loved.” George Sand

The Scriptures are clear that within all humanity, God’s salvation is for his elect; for those whom God chooses for salvation.

I haven’t the time to expound on the topic of election to its fullest requirement, only to say that the Scriptures make clear that there are a specified group to will inherit God’s promise of heaven, and that the remainder, as a punishment for their sin, will spend their eternity under God’s wrath.

I would expand that slightly to express that the only true happiness in life is to know that the love we have is the love of God.

“We shall never be clearly persuaded, as we ought to be, that our salvation flows from the wellspring of God’s free mercy until we come to know his eternal election, which illumines God’s grace by this contrast: that he does not indiscriminately adopt all into the hope of salvation but gives to

I haven’t the time to expound on the topic of election to its fullest requirement, only to say that the Scriptures make clear that there are a specified group to will inherit God’s promise of heaven, and that the remainder, as a punishment for their sin, will spend their eternity under God’s wrath.

This is the essence of the gospel; .

John 3:16 CSB

16 For God loved the world in this way: He gave his one and only Son, so that everyone who believes in him will not perish but have eternal life.

The elect are those who have believed the gospel message and have inherited eternal life. Let us not miss Paul’s point here however; the knowledge that he has regarding this group of believers is that “God has chosen you”. Salvation is a work of the Lord towards the sinner. Regardless of where we sit regarding our ability to respond to God’s offer, it is ultimately God’s sovereign choice as to who He will choose. However, just as Paul describes here, God’s elective choice is based upon one thing… His love.

Deuteronomy 7:7–8 CSB

“The Lord had his heart set on you and chose you, not because you were more numerous than all peoples, for you were the fewest of all peoples. But because the Lord loved you and kept the oath he swore to your fathers, he brought you out with a strong hand and redeemed you from the place of slavery, from the power of Pharaoh king of Egypt.

Is there anything greater than knowing that we are children of God, saved from sin, and destined to spend eternity with our Lord in heaven? Is there anything better? I would proclaim this morning that there is nothing that comes close to the absolute knowledge of knowing that we are secure in the love and salvation of Christ. But can we know for certain that we have this status? I want to say this morning that the answer to that is an emphatic “Yes”.

“For we know” reveals a total and absolute understanding of what Paul is about to assert. This is not a mere passing understanding, but an established knowledge that the following is true.

“Brothers and sisters loved by God” indicates the group of people that Paul is referring to. The Thessalonian believers were people who were “loved by God”. While we will come back to the love of God, it is the identifier that this is the group that Paul “knows” about, who will be the recipients of what Paul knows.

What does Paul know of these people? For we know… “that he has chosen you”. That is Paul’s central statement and therefore requires our focus.

Paul has expressed to this group of believers that he knows (firstly) that they are loved by God and (secondly) that they are chosen by God, and now he moves into the evidence to ensure that they know.

Paul reveals two aspects as to how the Thessalonian believers could “know” they were chosen by and secure, in God. He presents to us the Spiritual Reality of our conversion and also the Experiential Reality of our conversion.

John Calvin was a French Theologian who lived between 1509 and 1564. He is known for his writing of his “Institutes”. Calvin described his institutes in this way;

“The whole sum of godliness and whatever it is necessary to know about saving doctrine.

In short, Calvin’s Institutes were aimed at providing an explanation on the reformed doctrines, established by Luther and the Reformers. He wrote about everything from what it meant to know to God to Civil Governments. It was a mammoth work that should hold a central place on any Theological library.

Some of you may never have heard of these men. History says that these men never met and as far as I am aware Calvin was not even aware of Jacob Arminius. However, history has placed these two men, and the theology they present, at odds against each other.

Within the pages of the Institutes is what has come to be known as Calvinistic doctrine. Central to Calvinistic doctrine is Calvin’s understanding of God’s absolute sovereignty in the salvation of humanity.

I do not want to enter into a debate this morning regarding these two men, but we must spend some time considering the theological implications of Paul’s description that these believers were “chosen” by God. Throughout Christianity, there would be few who deny that God has a select people chosen by him, whom he refers to as His elect.

Paul’s statement “For we know, brothers and sisters loved by God, that he has chosen you” is the central statement for this text. This section can be dissected even more to provide us with clarity;

As we read through the Scriptures, we cannot escape the repeated description that believers are referred to as God’s elect. Historically, we see Israel, a nation among nations who was chosen by God to be his “chosen people”. They were special, set apart to be God’s representatives on earth.

For many, the only thing that is know about Calvin is the acronym T.U.L.I.P which some believe sums up his entire theology.

This same picture is transferred to that of Christian believers.

Paul asks the question in ; “Who can bring an accusation against God’s elect?” Speaking of the end times, Mark’s gospel declares that God will send out his angels “and gather his elect from the four winds”.

“For we know” reveals a total and absolute understanding of what Paul is about to assert. This is not a mere passing understanding, but an established knowledge that the following is true.

The elect are a people chosen by God. Specifically, the elect are God’s chosen people who will receive the blessings of salvation.

The Scriptures are clear that God does not choose everyone. Irrelevant on whether we believe that we choose God or he chooses us, we know that not all people are chosen. Any mentions of people suffering in hell, to which there are many, and we recognise that God’s elect are a specific group of people.

To help us understand this concept, let us consider what Paul writes to the church at Ephesus regarding God’s choice of them;

Paul presents a sequence of events that begins with God’s foreknowledge of his elect through to their

Christian Standard Bible Chapter 1

3 Blessed is the God and Father of our Lord Jesus Christ, who has blessed us with every spiritual blessing in the heavens in Christ.f 4 For he chose us in him, before the foundation of the world, to be holy and blameless in love before him.C,f 5 He predestined us to be adopted as sons through Jesus Christ for himself, according to the good pleasure of his will, 6 to the praise of his glorious graceg that he lavished on us in the Beloved One.h

7 In him we have redemptioni through his blood, the forgivenessj of our trespasses, according to the riches of his grace 8 that he richly poured out on us with all wisdom and understanding.D 9 He made known to us the mystery of his will,k according to his good pleasure that he purposed in Christl 10 as a plan for the right timeE—to bring everything together in Christ,m both things in heaven and things on earthn in him.o

11 In him we have also received an inheritance,F because we were predestinedp according to the plan of the one who works out everything in agreement with the purpose of his will, 12 so that we who had already put our hopeq in Christ might bring praise to his glory.r

13 In him you also were sealed with the promised Holy Spirits when you heard the word of truth,t the gospel of your salvation, and when you believed. 14 The Holy Spirit is the down paymentu of our inheritance, until the redemption of the possession, to the praise of his glory.

“Brothers and sisters loved by God” indicates the group of people that Paul is referring to. While we will come back to the love of God, it is the identifier that this is the group that Paul “knows” about, who will be the recipients of what Paul knows.

3 Blessed is the God and Father of our Lord Jesus Christ, who has blessed us with every spiritual blessing in the heavens in Christ. 4 For he chose us in him, before the foundation of the world, to be holy and blameless in love before him. 5 He predestined us to be adopted as sons through Jesus Christ for himself, according to the good pleasure of his will, 6 to the praise of his glorious grace that he lavished on us in the Beloved One.

7 In him we have redemption through his blood, the forgiveness of our trespasses, according to the riches of his grace 8 that he richly poured out on us with all wisdom and understanding. 9 He made known to us the mystery of his will, according to his good pleasure that he purposed in Christ 10 as a plan for the right time—to bring everything together in Christ, both things in heaven and things on earth in him.

What does Paul know of these people? For we know… “that he has chosen you”. That is Paul’s central statement and therefore requires some clarification.

11 In him we have also received an inheritance, because we were predestined according to the plan of the one who works out everything in agreement with the purpose of his will, 12 so that we who had already put our hope in Christ might bring praise to his glory.

13 In him you also were sealed with the promised Holy Spirit when you heard the word of truth, the gospel of your salvation, and when you believed. 14 The Holy Spirit is the down payment of our inheritance, until the redemption of the possession, to the praise of his glory.

I repeated to him that Mum had gone out for a while but that she would be home soon. I have to admit that this was near the longest hour of my life.

Nothing could ease the pain that he felt as he thought that his Mum had in one sense abandoned him. He was not in his happy place and needed reassurance that the one who he loved, still loved him, even in their absence.

The first aspect is the Spiritual Reality of their conversion. In a very basic sense, we believe that the gospel provides salvation because the Bible, the word of God, tells us that this occurs. And we hold to this truth because we know that the source of this truth is God himself and God cannot lie.

The Spiritual Reality is the unseen work of God in the words and works of the gospel presenter. While we may not see it, we can know that it is occurring each time the gospel is preached.

I want to ask you this question; Do you believe that people are going to get saved when you share the gospel, or are you simply hoping?

1 Corinthians 15:3–8 CSB

3 For I passed on to you as most important what I also received: that Christ died for our sins according to the Scriptures, 4 that he was buried, that he was raised on the third day according to the Scriptures, 5 and that he appeared to Cephas, then to the Twelve. 6 Then he appeared to over five hundred brothers and sisters at one time; most of them are still alive, but some have fallen asleep. 7 Then he appeared to James, then to all the apostles. 8 Last of all, as to one born at the wrong time, he also appeared to me.

Only a few years earlier than Paul writes this letter to the Thessalonians, he had gone to this group of people and had share with them the saving gospel of Jesus Christ. He preached that they were sinners who were in desperate need of a Saviour, and that Jesus Christ was that Saviour. Paul had preached that this Jesus, who had died for their sins, had also risen from the dead to show he had power of sin. He also taught them that because of Jesus sacrifice, God would accept them into His family and they would spend eternity with Him in heaven.

, they are hesitant to believe anything less.

Paul describes that his message did not come “in word only”. Yes, it was primarily in the form of words, but the resulting action was not merely an acceptance of the words spoken.

This is true, however, for many aspects of humanity. We are more likely to believe something because we have seen tangible evidence that simply taking someone at their word. Simply put, people can say anything that they like, and yet this doesn’t make it true.

After some time, I was able to speak into his pain. He finally came to understand that Mum was going to come home to him and that he would see her soon. His entire demeanour changed as this reality captured his mind.

Only a few years earlier than Paul writes this letter, he had gone to this group of people and had share with them the saving gospel of Jesus Christ. He preached that they were sinners who were in desperate need of a Saviour, and that Jesus Christ was that Saviour. Paul had preached that this Jesus, who had died for their sins, had also risen from the dead to show he had power of sin. He also taught them that because of Jesus sacrifice, God would accept them into His family and they would spend eternity with Him in heaven.

And that is what they accepted. The issue arose, however, that along with the wonderful news of their new salvation, came the reality of persecution, trial and tribulation. I’m not sure how our ‘health, wealth, prosperity’ preachers would have gone convinces these people of the reality of their salvation in the midst of their trials.

The Spiritual Reality is that it is only the gospel of Jesus Christ that can bring salvation to any person. As Peter expressed to the assembly in Jerusalem; “There is salvation in no one else, for there is no other name under heaven given to people by which we must be saved” (). In short, these believers had accepted the gospel that Paul had presented to them.

So, Paul presents to us four aspects of this Spiritual Reality in the presentation of the gospel. Four aspects that provide the reassurance that if we have accepted the message, we have salvation. The four aspects he outlines are the word, in power, the Holy Spirit, and full assurance.

Paul outlines four marks of a true gospel. Four aspects that provide the reassurance that if we have accepted the message, we have salvation. The four aspects he outlines are the word, in power, the Holy Spirit, and full assurance.

There is something deeply ingrained in the human psyche that desires the knowledge of love and acceptance. Greater than that, this desire is fulfilled only when we come to a point when we can know with a high degree of certainty that this love and acceptance is real, true, and most of all secure.

The first way that Paul knows that these people are loved and chosen by God is because of the gospel that he preached. Paul begins by saying that he knows they are chosen because he has shared the saving gospel with them. There is no other message that can be shared with someone by which they can be saved.

The gospel of Jesus Christ is the central message in the work of salvation. A gospel of grace alone, through faith alone, in Christ alone is the only message that truly saves. And this is the message that Paul relies on for the certainty of his assertion.

Paul states that the gospel, the good news of Jesus sacrifice, did not come to you “in word only”. What he means here is that the message came in speech, but not only in speech. For the gospel to be understood and accepted, it must first be communicated. John Stott reminds us; “For it is only through the preaching and receiving of the gospel that God’s secured purpose comes to be revealed and known”.

Paul’s ministry clearly displayed his understanding of the need for the gospel to be communicated. Consider what he writes in Romans chapter 10;

I remember on one occasion I was having a conversation with a group of friends. Somehow the conversation turned to spiritual things. As we were talking, someone in the group made a statement that we don’t always have to tell people about the gospel as they could be saved through hearing a Christian song on the radio. I can remember an awkward silence in the group. Not sure if this was just people thinking or whether we didn’t really know what to do with the statement. Could someone be saved through hearing a Christian song on the radio? I made the statement that although I believed it was possible, I didn’t think that I had heard any song that clearly outlined the gospel to provide what people needed to hear. In reality, apart from a couple of older hymns, I still haven’t heard a Christian song that sufficiently outlines what a person needs to know to be saved.

Could someone be saved through hearing a Christian song on the radio? If

Paul’s message was not accompanied by “error, impurity or an intent to deceive” (Vs. 5) but by “in power, in the Holy Spirit, and with full assurance”.

Verse 5: We never used flattering speech… or had greedy motives.

Verse 6: We didn’t seek glory from people.

For people to be saved, the gospel must be preached.

Paul’s ministry clearly displayed his understanding of the need for the gospel to be communicated. Consider what he writes in Romans chapter 10;

14 How, then, can they call on him they have not believed in? And how can they believe without hearing about him? And how can they hear without a preacher? 15 And how can they preach unless they are sent? (Romans 10:14-15)

Here lays an expectation that the Lord places on His church; we are to communicate the gospel. That is, people cannot believe the gospel if no one takes the time to share it with them. Coffee with our friends and neighbours is great, but at some stage, someone needs to open their mouth and share with them the truths of the gospel. Unless we communicate the words, they have nothing to accept.

That is our responsibility and what a wonderful privilege it is that God would give us such a great responsibility. We, as the communicators of God’s gospel, are given the opportunity to minister with Him with the aim of bringing more people to salvation.

When Paul says that the word did not come in “word only”, we are forced to consider what else is necessary for this message to have it’s saving capabilities. Paul goes on to outline three further aspects to a gospel message that are necessary to see the saving power of the gospel.

In the text they are designed to be viewed in equal status and because of this, should be viewed as being inseparably linked.

Paul knows the spiritual reality expressed through the word because the gospel came not only in word, but in word with power.

Paul tells us in Ephesians that non-Christians are “dead in their trespasses and sins”. In Romans he tells us that non-Christians “do not seek after God”. In Paul tells us that “the god of this age has blinded the minds of the unbeliever”. With all of this, when we share the gospel with someone, we are preaching to a spiritually dead, blind and non-interested individual. No exactly what we would call fertile soil.

This is why Paul says that the gospel does not come simply in word, but also in power.

Interestingly, Paul has separated out the idea of the word coming in power with it coming also in the Holy Spirit. While I believe we could combine these two facets, Paul has separated them for a reason.

The same word can mean both power, like dynamic power, or miracles. Most commentators indicate that the meaning in context would lend more towards a power outside of the individual.

Consider what we read in Ephesians 1;

Ephesians 1:18–20 CSB

18 I pray that the eyes of your heart may be enlightened so that you may know what is the hope of his calling, what is the wealth of his glorious inheritance in the saints, 19 and what is the immeasurable greatness of his power toward us who believe, according to the mighty working of his strength. 20 He exercised this power in Christ by raising him from the dead and seating him at his right hand in the heavens—

Therefore, maybe we should view that this power, although ultimately through God, is a dynamic power of God that empowers the Logos, the very words of God, to be effective in salvation. The words themselves carry a supernatural power.

Ephesians 1:19–20 CSB

19 and what is the immeasurable greatness of his power toward us who believe, according to the mighty working of his strength. 20 He exercised this power in Christ by raising him from the dead and seating him at his right hand in the heavens—

This then enables us to understand that when we share the gospel with a non-believer, we are not simply reciting some ancient document, but a collection of words that are empowered by the same force that raised Jesus from the dead. In a sense, it is needed to achieve the same thing; this time it is raising the spiritual dead and giving them new life.

The third aspect to Paul “knowing” that the Thessalonians were truly chosen by God is the supernatural work of the Holy Spirit in saving a non-believer.

Paul knows that the very words of the gospel are empowered through the Holy Spirit of God. They are not mere words spoken by a broken and sinful communicator. They are the words of God, spoken through the mouths of His spokesperson, to a lost sinner who needs to find their way back to the Father.

The Spirit’s work is two-fold in the presentation of the gospel; In the first instance, He is working in the preacher, empowering them with boldness and clarity. He is giving them the confidence, even in their fear, to speak into the darkness of this world with the message of hope. Listen to Paul’s very words;

1 Corinthians 2:3–5 CSB

3 I came to you in weakness, in fear, and in much trembling. 4 My speech and my preaching were not with persuasive words of wisdom but with a demonstration of the Spirit’s power, 5 so that your faith might not be based on human wisdom but on God’s power.

The preacher is empowered by the Spirit of God. That is the first aspect. The second is this; the Holy Spirit of God is also, at the same time as we preach, working in the life of the unbeliever. When we are speaking to a spiritual dead, blind and disinterested party, we need desperately the work of the Holy Spirit to open their Spiritual eyes and ears to the gospel message. Without it, our preaching is in vain.

Michael Martin provides this insight; “The Spirit’s power to call, convict, enlighten, transform, assure, and comfort far more effectively than mere words alone distinguishes the coming of the gospel from the arrival of eloquent conjurers. In this sense, the work of the Spirit is the guarantor of truth.” The 1974 Lausanne Covenant puts it like this, “without his witness, ours is futile”.

The final aspect to the Spiritual reality behind the gospel is that it comes with “full assurance”. Some versions replace the term assurance with “conviction”. In what sense is Paul assured that these believers are chosen by God and included in the people of God?

The ESV describes it as “deep conviction”

The assurance is tied directly with the preceding two points. The gospel, communicated through words, is empowered by the Holy Spirit of God and intended to bring new life to the recipient. We can be assured that any gospel shared, and empowered through the Spirit is fully capable of creating this life change.

The NASB describes it as “full conviction”

The first is the assurance of Paul and his message. He knows that the gospel that he preached to them was the truth about Jesus Christ as their Saviour. He knows that it was spoken through the power of the Holy Spirit. He knows that the Holy Spirit is also working in the hearts and minds of the recipients.

The four aspects Paul refers to are from the preacher’s perspective which would indicate that the assurance is an assurance, not of himself, but of the medium through which the gospel was shared.

As the presenter, Paul’s assurance

Every time that we open our mouths to share the gospel with someone, we can do so with the same assurance that Paul does that the words we are speaking are empowered by the Spirit of God, and are capable if God wills to bring a person to salvation. Therefore, we should not preach with fear of failure, but in the knowledge that the words we speak are the words of God’s gospel empowered through God’s Spirit.

In this, there is a Spiritual Reality that is occurring each time the gospel is shared. We cannot see directly the work of the Holy Spirit and the power of God in our gospel presentation, but we can know that it is there. Paul could “know” that the Thessalonians were saved because he knew the true power of the gospel message and he is imploring these believers to understand and know the same thing.

The assurance of Paul and his colleagues regarding the Thessalonians

This can sometimes be the reality for Christians when, in the face of persecution or trial, that the reality of our faith gets overshadowed by the reality of our circumstances.

Paul’s confidence, however, in the spiritual rebirth of the Thessalonians wasn’t limited however to his understanding of the supernatural work occurring as he had preached. He also “knew” because he could see the Experiential Reality in the lives of these believers.

The assurance of the Thessalonians in the hope they have in the gospel

The assurance of Paul in the gospel alone

I believe that the Scriptures direct us to accepting aspects of all three options.

Can you remember what it is like to observe someone’s response to the gospel when you have shared it with them? You see their response and you have this feeling of assurance that their faith is true and they are truly a child of God.

Or, what about you own understanding of the assurance of your salvation within the gospel of Christ. The Scriptures are crystal clear that once we are saved, we are guaranteed our inheritance of our spiritual home. There is such assurance in the security of our faith.

The third option, and one that I don’t believe we think about much is our assurance in the gospel message itself.

While the Spiritual Reality is more focused on the communicator of the gospel, the Experiential Reality is that of the gospel recipient. In verse 4, Paul had begun with “For we know”. This led us into the Spiritual reality that formed the foundation for their knowledge. Then here in verse 5, Paul shifts the focus to, “You know”.

This morning, we are continuing in our study of Paul’s first letter to the Thessalonians. As Peter outlined last week, this letter was written by Paul to express his pride in their resilience in the face of severe persecution.

Paul knew that their Christian faith was real because he understood the source from which it was birthed. Now, he turns the attention to the Christian and in essence says, “You can be absolutely confident in your salvation because I know the source was the truth, and you have responded rightly, and are living the Christian life”. Not only can the communicator know for certain the reality of true saving faith, but so too can the recipient.

Paul now takes some time to refocus the Thessalonian believers to pause for a moment and see the reality of the Spirit of God working in their lives. He wants them not only to believe what he says, but to see the evidence of what he has seen in their lives.

In Policing, there is a saying regarding evidence in court of the “CSI complex” or “CSI effect”. Who here has ever watched the TV show CSI? The ‘CSI complex” is the phenomenon that juries are hesitant to believe that an event occurred unless they can view CCTV footage, or have a fingerprint lifted, or have a DNA sample proving an individual committed a specific act. While you can present them with compounding evidence, because they have seen a TV show where every inch of the world is covered by a CCTV camera that can capture every event, or that every person who will ever commit a crime has a DNA or fingerprint sample in the database, they are hesitant to believe anything less.

In our passage this morning we continue to examine Paul’s expression of thanksgiving towards this group of believers. Turn with me to ;

This is true, however, for many aspects of humanity. We are more likely to believe something because we have seen tangible evidence than simply taking someone at their word. Paul is encouraging these people that he has seen the evidence in their lives that supports the statement of faith that they have made.

1 Thessalonians 1:4–6 CSB

4 For we know, brothers and sisters loved by God, that he has chosen you, 5 because our gospel did not come to you in word only, but also in power, in the Holy Spirit, and with full assurance. You know how we lived among you for your benefit, 6 and you yourselves became imitators of us and of the Lord when, in spite of severe persecution, you welcomed the message with joy from the Holy Spirit.

Paul went to many places and preached the gospel with no response. He was preaching the same words with the same belief and yet there were times when he found no recipients. It is during these times that we need to accept that salvation is of the Lord and we are merely given the privilege of sharing the message. What God does with that is up to Him.

It is only when we can know for certain that our position before God is secure that we will ever truly live out our Christian faith with confidence and boldness. It is only when we know for certain that all the gospel promises are as true on this day as it was the day we heard the gospel and gave our lives to the Lord.

When the gospel finds roots, however, we are then in the situation of Paul when he can say categorically, “Salvation has come to this house” and we can see its effects.

Paul presents two aspects of the gospel recipient that provides us with the assurance that the gospel has found it’s home and that there is new birth.

CSB

4 For we know, brothers and sisters loved by God, that he has chosen you, 5 because our gospel did not come to you in word only, but also in power, in the Holy Spirit, and with full assurance. You know how we lived among you for your benefit, 6 and you yourselves became imitators of us and of the Lord when, in spite of severe persecution, you welcomed the message with joy from the Holy Spirit.

The first sign of true gospel transformation is a change in the way that people live their lives. Paul said to these believers, “You became imitators of us and of the Lord”. When we find ourselves in a new environment we will seek to imitate those around us. Think about when you became a Christian and you first came to church. For many people, even bowing their heads in prayer is new and different. We look around… they’re bowing their heads, therefore so should I. The first Christian example that the Thessalonian church has had was Paul, and therefore the first person they copy is him.

It is only when we can know for certain that our position before God is secure that we will ever truly live out our Christian faith with confidence and boldness. It is only when we know for certain that all the gospel promises are as true on this day as it was the day we heard the gospel and gave our lives to the Lord.

This is a natural thing to do and Paul saw it in this context. And so he should. As believers, we are changed and we want to continue to change. Our desire should be to be like, to imitate those whom we see as living Godly lives.

Paul says in that we are a “new creation”. Paul describes in of the “previous way of life” they lived as unbelievers. He said they would carry out “the desires of the flesh”. But then, “God, who is rich in mercy, because of his great love that he had for us, made us alive with Christ...” The new believer has been given a new life and it should in many ways look new. Not perfect, but new.

Paul’s message to the Thessalonian church through these verses seeks to express this very fact.

There should be a desire to live more like our Lord. In the case of true conversion, we should see a decrease in our sinful desires and an increase in the fruits of God’s Holy Spirit; love, joy, peace, patience, kindness, goodness, faithfulness, gentleness, and self control.

Paul had seen and heard of these changes in the lives of the Thessalonian believers. It is these changes that evidenced the saving power of the gospel that he had shared with them and he wants them to see it in themselves.

Paul begins our passage this morning by establishing that this knowledge is ever present. Paul begins, “We know, brothers and sisters loved by God, that he has chosen you”. We know… and we want you to know.

We want you to know so that you can be secure that no matter what is going on in life, no matter what the persecution that you are facing, no matter what others may be saying about Paul or them as a church… you can know that you are accepted and loved by God.

Doing Christian isn’t being Christian. The words of the great singer songwriter Keith Green, “Going to church doesn’t make you a Christian any more than going to McDonalds makes you a hamburger”. People can do church. People can also do Christianity. They do the right things, say the right things, go to the right places. And yet, they are not imitating, but faking.

“We know” is Paul’s expression that what he is about to say is not a passing assumption. It is not a loose understanding. There is an assurance that Paul expresses with these words “We know”.

Sadly, there are many in the church who present a form of godliness while not truly knowing the Saviour. Jesus told us that in the last days there will be many who will call Him Lord, boast in their own spirituality and expect His acceptance and will be told, “Depart from me, I never knew you”.

He then identifies the group about which he knows this information. “We know, brothers and sisters loved by God...”

While a transformed life is a guarantee for a new believer, without trial and persecution, a person can present the Christian life without truly living the Christian life. However, it is when we find ourselves in the midst of trials that the reality of our faith is truly tested. It is this testing that provides the final evidence for the legitimacy of the saving faith of the Thessalonian believers.

This is a key expression for these people. In the midst of their trial, Paul reminds them that they are part of the family of God and are “loved” by Him. Is there any greater knowledge in life that to truly know that the creator of the universe loves you? When Paul expresses that these people are loved by God, he is describing a perfect action which can never change.

Paul says, “You welcomed the message in the midst of severe suffering with the joy given by the Holy Spirit”.

We cannot lose the love of God once we have it. It is not a momentary expression from God, but an established state of being. As a “child of God”, you are loved by God… unwavering and unending.

Let us not confuse joy with happiness. I am pretty confident that the Thessalonians were overly happy with their treatment. When Paul says in Philippians to “rejoice in the Lord always”, I am fairly confident that being stuck in the poor conditions of his prison cell, that he found himself in bought constant happiness. But he always had joy.

Happiness is a subjective response to our current circumstances while joy is the knowledge that no matter what our circumstances, the sovereign God of the universe has all things under His control and in the end, all things will work out for the good. That is true joy and true Christian joy never fades.

But that is not the key statement that Paul is trying to make here. The “brothers and sisters loved by God” is merely introducing them as the recipients of what he is wanting to say. “For we know, brothers and sisters loved by God, that he has chosen you.”

It was their willingness to respond to the gospel in light of immense persecution that evidenced the truth of the gospel in their lives. It is easy to accept the gospel when their is no real cost. It is another thing when there is fear of death, or at the very least rejection and persecution.

A Christian will have joy in their salvation. We will accept God’s saving message with delight. No matter what the circumstances we find ourselves in, the truth of God’s sovereign rule over our lives should always be enough to bring joy , as it did with the Thessalonian believers.

It was how the Thessalonians responded to Paul’s message that provided the Experiential Reality to what Paul already understood as the Spiritual Reality. It is because of these signs that Paul uses to encourage these believers that no matter what they are going through, God is still at work in their lives.

It was how the Thessalonians responded to Paul’s message that provided the Experiential Reality

It was how the Thessalonians responded to Paul’s message that provided the Experiential Reality to what Paul already understood as the Spiritual Reality. It is because of these signs that Paul uses to encourage these believers that no matter what they are going through, God is at work in their lives.

How encouraged must they have been when they paused for a moment to consider that the message Paul preached to them was one empowered by the Holy Spirit of God. That they had accepted that message with joy in the midst of trial and that Paul, the great Apostle of God, had seen the reality of true Christian conversion in their lives. How good must they have felt.

How much confidence would that have given them to continue in the fight and to take whatever the world was to throw at them. In the midst of severe trial, the reality of the saving gospel of God was shining forth from the lives of these believers.

How are we to understand this phrase that they are chosen? It means “to choose out, to select, to elect”. It expresses that the believers in Thessalonica, as an example of Christian believers everywhere, have been chosen, elected, selected, by God.

Isn’t this portion of Scripture so incredibly encouraging for us as believers? The same reality that Paul is presenting to these first Century believers is also true for us. So, how should we respond to this understanding?

The chosen are those who have heard and believed the gospel of Jesus Christ, and subsequently have the promise of eternal life.

Firstly, I believe that it should revolutionise our gospel outreach. Consider the truths that we have just learned;

Every time that you open your mouth to share the gospel, you are sharing the very words of God that carry the power to bring salvation to someone’s lives. You don’t need to create them, you simply need to share them. However, we also know that the words we speak are not simply words. Each time we reach out with this saving words, we know that they are empowered by God to bring change. We should expect them to bring change. But more than that. Not only are the words themselves empowered to bring change, but the Holy Spirit of God is working simultaneously in the recipients life at the same time He is working in yours. He is taking His own words, spoken through your mouth, and embedding them into the heart and mind of the recipient. This is not your doing; this is the power of God in salvation.

This is the reality every time we take the time to share the gospel with someone. Therefore, as the communicator of the gospel, we have a new found confidence in the power of the word.

The second thing is the confidence that this will bring in our own lives. The Scriptures are extremely clear that when we have believed the gospel of Jesus Christ and repented of our sin that the Spirit of God is going to come into our lives and bring new life. He is going to come and empower us to say “no” to ungodliness and to live lives worthy of our Lord. More than that; the Spirit is given as a guarantee of our inheritance in heaven ().

Just like the Thessalonian believers would have been overjoyed when they read of the evidential truth of God working in their lives and the security that this brings, we too can leave this place knowing that the Christian life that we live isn’t driven from our own desires and strength, but from the supernatural power of the Spirit that strengthens us through all aspects of life.

As Christians, just like the Thessalonian Christians, we have both the Spiritual Reality of the gospel that we accepted and the Evidential Reality of the Spirit living through us to show that we too can know that we are loved by God and chosen by him. What great joy this should bring to us this morning.

I want to finish by sharing this final word of encouragement from Paul in Philippians 1;

Philippians 1:27–28 CSB

27 Just one thing: As citizens of heaven, live your life worthy of the gospel of Christ. Then, whether I come and see you or am absent, I will hear about you that you are standing firm in one spirit, in one accord, contending together for the faith of the gospel, 28 not being frightened in any way by your opponents. This is a sign of destruction for them, but of your salvation—and this is from God.

This is the essence of the gospel; .

John 3:16 CSB

16 For God loved the world in this way: He gave his one and only Son, so that everyone who believes in him will not perish but have eternal life.

The chosen are those who have believed the gospel message and have inherited eternal life. Let us not miss Paul’s point here however; the knowledge that he has regarding this group of believers is that “God has chosen you”. Salvation is a work of the Lord towards the sinner.

CSB

16 For God loved the world in this way: He gave his one and only Son, so that everyone who believes in him will not perish but have eternal life.

The chosen are those who have believed the gospel message and have inherited eternal life. Let us not miss Paul’s point here however; the knowledge that he has regarding this group of believers is that “God has chosen you”. Salvation is a work of the Lord towards the sinner.

God’s choice of us is not based on merit, but on His sovereignty and his love. Consider how he explained this truth to His chosen nation of Israel. ;

Deuteronomy 7:7–8 CSB

7 “The Lord had his heart set on you and chose you, not because you were more numerous than all peoples, for you were the fewest of all peoples. 8 But because the Lord loved you and kept the oath he swore to your fathers, he brought you out with a strong hand and redeemed you from the place of slavery, from the power of Pharaoh king of Egypt.

Is there anything greater than knowing that we are children of God, saved from sin, and destined to spend eternity with our Lord in heaven? Is there anything better? I would proclaim this morning that there is nothing that comes close to the absolute knowledge of knowing that we are secure in the love and salvation of Christ.

CSB

“The Lord had his heart set on you and chose you, not because you were more numerous than all peoples, for you were the fewest of all peoples. But because the Lord loved you and kept the oath he swore to your fathers, he brought you out with a strong hand and redeemed you from the place of slavery, from the power of Pharaoh king of Egypt.

Is there anything greater than knowing that we are children of God, saved from sin, and destined to spend eternity with our Lord in heaven? Is there anything better? I would proclaim this morning that there is nothing that comes close to the absolute knowledge of knowing that we are secure in the love and salvation of Christ.

This is the point of Paul’s letter; that the Thessalonian believers could know with certainty that they are truly loved by God and are chosen members of his family.

To do this, Paul is going to present two aspects of the gospel that evidence the fact of true salvation. These two aspects, when seen together, provide absolute assurance to both the gospel communicator and the gospel recipient.

The first aspect is the power of the gospel message itself. This is the unseen work of God in the words and works of the gospel presenter. While we may not see it, we can know that this power is at work each time the gospel is preached.

Only a few years earlier than Paul writes this letter he had visited this group of people and had shared with them the saving gospel of Jesus Christ. He preached that they were sinners who were in desperate need of a Saviour, and that Jesus Christ was that Saviour. He had preached that this Jesus, who had died for their sins, had also risen from the dead to show he had power over death. He also taught them that because of Jesus’ sacrifice, God would accept them into His family and they would spend eternity with Him in heaven.

And that is what they accepted. The issue arose, however, that along with the wonderful news of their new salvation, came the reality of persecution, trial and tribulation.

So, Paul then breaks this down into four features that are present each time a person believes the gospel of Christ. Four features that provide the reassurance that if we have accepted the message, we have salvation.

The first feature of a God empowered gospel message is the presentation of the gospel itself. Paul begins by linking his knowledge of their salvation with the message that he preached to them. Paul knows that there is no other message that can be shared with someone by which they can be saved.

The gospel of Jesus Christ is the central message in the work of salvation. A gospel of grace alone, through faith alone, in Christ alone is the only message that truly saves.

Paul states that the gospel, the good news of Jesus sacrifice, did not come to you “in word only”. While it did not come in “word only”, it did come in word. For the gospel to be understood and accepted, it must first be communicated. John Stott reminds us; “For it is only through the preaching and receiving of the gospel that God’s secured purpose comes to be revealed and known”.

Paul’s ministry clearly displayed his understanding of the need for the gospel to be communicated. Consider what he writes in ;

Romans 10:14–15 CSB

14 How, then, can they call on him they have not believed in? And how can they believe without hearing about him? And how can they hear without a preacher? 15 And how can they preach unless they are sent? As it is written: How beautiful are the feet of those who bring good news.

Here lays an expectation that the Lord places on His church; we are to communicate the gospel. That is, people cannot believe the gospel if no one takes the time to share it with them. Coffee with our friends and neighbours is great, but at some stage, someone needs to open their mouth and share with them the truths of the gospel. Unless we communicate the words, they have nothing to accept.

14 How, then, can they call on him they have not believed in? And how can they believe without hearing about him? And how can they hear without a preacher? 15 And how can they preach unless they are sent? ()

Here lays an expectation that the Lord places on His church; we are to communicate the gospel. That is, people cannot believe the gospel if no one takes the time to share it with them. Coffee with our friends and neighbours is great, but at some stage, someone needs to open their mouth and share with them the truths of the gospel. Unless we communicate the words, they have nothing to accept.

That is our responsibility and what a wonderful privilege it is that God would give us such a great responsibility. Consider “Long Story Short”!

When Paul says that the word did not come in “word only”, we are forced to consider what else is necessary for this message to have its saving capabilities.

Paul describes that the gospel words the Thessalonians accepted were not merely words, but words that came with power.

The Scriptures tell us that non-Christians are “dead in their trespasses and sins”. They “do not seek after God”. And that “the god of this age has blinded the minds of the unbeliever”. With all of this, when we share the gospel with someone, we are preaching to a spiritually dead, blind and non-interested individual. Not exactly what we would call fertile soil.

This is why it is essential that our gospel presentation is not reliant on the artistry of the speaker, but the truth of the gospel message of Christ. It is only these words that will carry the power that Paul is describing here.

Interestingly, Paul has separated out the idea of the word coming in power with it coming also in the Holy Spirit. We are therefore considering a power within the words themselves.

Consider what we read in ;

Ephesians 1:18–20 CSB

18 I pray that the eyes of your heart may be enlightened so that you may know what is the hope of his calling, what is the wealth of his glorious inheritance in the saints, 19 and what is the immeasurable greatness of his power toward us who believe, according to the mighty working of his strength. 20 He exercised this power in Christ by raising him from the dead and seating him at his right hand in the heavens—

Therefore, maybe we should view that this power, although ultimately through God, is a dynamic power of God that empowers the Logos, the very words of God, to be effective in salvation. The words themselves carry a supernatural power.

CSB

18 I pray that the eyes of your heart may be enlightened so that you may know what is the hope of his calling, what is the wealth of his glorious inheritance in the saints, 19 and what is the immeasurable greatness of his power toward us who believe, according to the mighty working of his strength. 20 He exercised this power in Christ by raising him from the dead and seating him at his right hand in the heavens—

Therefore, maybe we should view that this power, although ultimately through God, is a dynamic power of God that empowers the Logos, the very words of God, to be effective in salvation. The words themselves carry a supernatural power.

This then enables us to understand that when we share the gospel with a non-believer, we are not simply reciting some ancient document, but a collection of words that are empowered by the same force that raised Jesus from the dead. In the same way, they raise the dead and giving them new life.

The third feature to a powerful gospel is the source of the gospel itself. The Thessalonians can know the certainty of their salvation because they accepted a message that came not only in word, but words empowered by the Spirit of God Himself.

The Spirit’s work is two-fold in the presentation of the gospel; In the first instance, He is working in the preacher, empowering them with boldness and clarity. He is giving them the confidence, even in their fear, to speak into the darkness of this world with the message of hope. Listen to Paul’s very words ;

1 Corinthians 2:3–5 CSB

3 I came to you in weakness, in fear, and in much trembling. 4 My speech and my preaching were not with persuasive words of wisdom but with a demonstration of the Spirit’s power, 5 so that your faith might not be based on human wisdom but on God’s power.

The second way that the Holy Spirit is at work when the gospel is shared is in the life of the unbeliever. The gospel doesn’t simply convince a person of their need for a Saviour, but performs a supernatural work in the life of the individual so that the dead, blind, disinterested person is capable of understanding and accepting the message.

CSB

3 I came to you in weakness, in fear, and in much trembling. 4 My speech and my preaching were not with persuasive words of wisdom but with a demonstration of the Spirit’s power, 5 so that your faith might not be based on human wisdom but on God’s power.

One of the other members at our table raised this with her, challenging her Christian claims with the lifestyle that she lived. As you can imagine, the air was quite heated at this time. It was her response that stood out as tragically disappointing. She said, “No one can tell me how I am to live my life. I’ll live it just the way I want”.

The second way that the Holy Spirit is at work when the gospel is shared is in the life of the unbeliever. The gospel doesn’t simply convince a person of their need for a Saviour, but performs a supernatural work in the life of the individual so that the dead, blind, disinterested person is capable of understanding and accepting the message.

It was clear from this woman’s lifestyle and attitude that God had no more control in her life than I do over my rabbit.

When a person accepts the gospel, they immediately receive the Holy Spirit of God. He is the one who enables them to receive the message and He is the one who will work to bring spiritual renewal in their lives. This is the reality of a true conversion.

Michael Martin provides this insight; “The Spirit’s power to call, convict, enlighten, transform, assure, and comfort far more effectively than mere words alone distinguishes the coming of the gospel from the arrival of eloquent conjurers. In this sense, the work of the Spirit is the guarantor of truth.” The 1974 Lausanne Covenant puts it like this, “without his witness, ours is futile”.

The final feature of our gospel is that it comes with “full assurance”.

The assurance is tied directly with the preceding two points. The gospel, communicated through words, is empowered by the Holy Spirit of God and capable of bringing new life to the recipient. That is the base of our assurance.

Every time that we open our mouths to share the gospel with someone, we can do so with the same assurance that Paul does. That the words we are speaking are empowered by the Spirit of God and are capable if God wills to bring a person to salvation. Therefore, we should not preach with fear of failure, but in the knowledge that the words we speak are the words of God’s gospel empowered through God’s Spirit.

When we have the powerful words of the gospel accompanied by the rejuvenating work of the Holy Spirit, we have a message that not only can save, but does save. We may not see directly the work of the Holy Spirit and the power of God in our gospel presentation, but we can know that it is there.

Paul’s first encouragement to the Thessalonian believers was that they had accepted a message of salvation that was empowered by God Himself.

Our confidence in the gospel should not merely be limited to the preacher of the message. While Paul was an Apostle of God, he carried no authority of an individual’s sinful state. Paul, like us, was merely the communicator of the saving message.

Paul could confidently claim that the Thessalonians were secure in their relationship with God because they had accepted a true, Holy Spirit empowered gospel message. While this knowledge may have provided some assurance to the Thessalonian believers, Paul shifts his attention away from the gospel message itself to the way the message was received.

I remember sitting at a previous work dinner one night and the topic of religion came up. To my surprise, my friends partner stated that she was a Christian. This came as a surprise, not only to me, but also to others sitting around the table. You see, this particular woman was quite active in the party scene with all that went with it. Her partner was a non-believer and their relationship was far from “Christian”.

One of the other members at our table raised this with her, challenging her Christian claims with the lifestyle that she lived. As you can imagine, the air was quite heated at this time. It was her response that stood out as tragically disappointing. She said, “No one can tell me how I am to live my life. I’ll live it just the way I want”.

It was clear from this woman’s lifestyle and attitude that God had no more control in her life than I do over my rabbit.

When a person accepts the gospel, they immediately receive the Holy Spirit of God. He is the one who enables them to receive the message and He is the one who will work to bring spiritual renewal in their lives. This is the reality of a true conversion.

In verse 4, Paul began with “For we know”. Then here in verse 5, Paul shifts the focus to, “You know”. He is shifting the attention away from the objective truth of the word to the subjective reality of how it had revealed itself in their lives.

Paul now takes some time to refocus the Thessalonian believers on the reality of the Spirit of God working in their lives as a result of them accepting the gospel. He wants them not only to believe what he says, but to see the evidence of what he has seen in their lives.

Paul is encouraging these people that he has seen the evidence in their lives that supports the statement of faith that they have made.

Having revealed four features of a powerful gospel message, he now presents two aspects of legitimate acceptance of that gospel.

The first sign of true gospel transformation is a change in the way that people live their lives. Paul said to these believers, “You became imitators of us and of the Lord”. When we find ourselves in a new environment we will seek to imitate those around us.

I remember when I was playing rugby in Dunedin. I was fortunate enough to play with All Blacks Tony Brown and Keas Mews. The competition was amazing. One week you would be playing standard club players and the next a Highlander, or even worse, an All Black would be standing in front of you.

I remember thinking this first day that I really didn’t want to make an egg of myself so I would copy everything that Corky did. I began to write in my

It was their presence within our team that stood out to me the most. When they were there, they set a standard, and we wanted to rise to that standard. You would find that training was sharper. Whether we knew it or not, we all wanted to ensure we did our best to play our part in the team.

I found that I would watch these guys to see how they did things. It was quite pathetic really. I would copy how they set up their kit, and how they did their preparation. Why? Because these guys were the best and if I wanted to be the best, then I need to copy them.

Imitating a mentor can be the best way to perform to the best of your ability.

Think about when you became a Christian and you first came to church. For many people, even bowing their heads in prayer is new and different. We look around… they’re bowing their heads, therefore so should I. The first Christian example that the Thessalonian church had was Paul, and therefore the first person they copied was him.

This is a natural thing to do and Paul saw it in this context. As believers, we are changed and we want to continue to change. Our desire should be to be like, to imitate those whom we see as living Godly lives. Paul was known to encourage his disciples to “imitate him as he imitated Christ”.

Paul and his colleagues had lived amongst these believers, modelling to them the reality of the Christian walk. It was their willingness to adopt the same devotion to Christ that Paul had modelled that evidenced the reality of their conversion.

In the life of a true believer, there should be a desire to live more like Jesus. In the case of true conversion, we should see a decrease in our sinful desires and an increase in the fruits of God’s Holy Spirit; love, joy, peace, patience, kindness, goodness, faithfulness, gentleness, and self-control.

Paul had seen and heard of these changes in the lives of the Thessalonian believers. It is these changes that evidenced the saving power of the gospel that he had shared with them and he wants them to see it in themselves.

Paul has reminded these believers that they had accepted a God empowered gospel that had changed the way they lived. However, that was not all. To really encourage these struggling believers, he takes them right back to the moment that he preached the gospel of which they accepted.

How a person responds when they have received salvation through the gospel is a reality of the change in their lives. The truth that has occurred is that the person has gone from death to life. From being an enemy of God to a friend and child of God. That is the reality of being saved.

Paul says, “You welcomed the message in the midst of severe suffering with the joy given by the Holy Spirit”. It was not in the quiet of peace that the Thessalonian Christians responded to the gospel, but in “the midst of severe suffering”.

It was their willingness to respond to the gospel in light of immense persecution that evidenced the truth of the gospel in their lives. It is easy to accept the gospel when there is no real cost. It is another thing when there is fear of death, or at the very least rejection and persecution.

Do you see the connection that Paul makes in this verse regarding the Holy Spirit. It is the Holy Spirit that empowers the gospel message to bring salvation, and it is the Holy Spirit that empowers the believer, even in the midst of great trial, to have Christ centred joy.

A Christian will have joy in their salvation. We will accept God’s saving message with delight. No matter what the circumstances we find ourselves in, the truth of God’s forgiveness will always be enough to bring joy, as it did with the Thessalonian believers.

It was how the Thessalonians responded to Paul’s message that provided the experiential reality to the power Paul knew the gospel could have in the lives of unbelievers. It is these signs that Paul uses to encourage the believers that no matter what they are going through, God is still at work in their lives just as He had been in the beginning.

How encouraged must they have been when they paused for a moment to consider that the message Paul preached to them was one empowered by the Holy Spirit of God. That they had accepted that message with joy in the midst of trial and that Paul, the great Apostle of God, had seen the reality of true Christian conversion in their lives. How good must they have felt?

How much confidence would that have given them to continue in the fight and to take whatever the world was to throw at them. In the midst of severe trial, the reality of the saving gospel of God was shining forth from the lives of these believers.

Isn’t this portion of Scripture so incredibly encouraging for us as believers? The same reality that Paul is presenting to these first Century believers is also true for us. So, how should we respond to this understanding?

Firstly, I believe that it should revolutionise our gospel outreach. Consider the truths that we have just learned;

Every time that you open your mouth to share the gospel, you are sharing the very words of God that carry the power to bring salvation to someone’s lives. You don’t need to create them, you simply need to share them. However, we also know that the words we speak are not simply words. Each time we reach out with this saving words, we know that they are empowered by God to bring change. We should expect them to bring change. But more than that. Not only are the words themselves empowered to bring change, but the Holy Spirit of God is working simultaneously in the recipient’s life at the same time He is working in yours. He is taking His own words, spoken through your mouth, and embedding them into the heart and mind of the recipient. This is not your doing; this is the power of God in salvation.

This is the reality every time we take the time to share the gospel with someone. Therefore, as the communicator of the gospel, we have a new-found confidence in the power of the word.

The second thing is the confidence that this will bring in our own lives. The Scriptures are extremely clear that when we have believed the gospel of Jesus Christ and repented of our sin that the Spirit of God is going to come into our lives and bring new life. He is going to come and empower us to say “no” to ungodliness and to live lives worthy of our Lord. More than that; the Spirit is given as a guarantee of our inheritance in heaven ().

Just like the Thessalonian believers would have been overjoyed when they read of the evidential truth of God working in their lives and the security that this brings, we too can leave this place knowing that the Christian life that we live isn’t driven from our own desires and strength, but from the supernatural power of the Holy Spirit that strengthens us through all aspects of life.

Just like the Thessalonian Christians, we can know with certainty the reality of our salvation before God as we examine the gospel we accepted and the knowledge of the Holy Spirit empowering us daily. What great joy this should bring to us this morning.

The Dynamic Gospel

The Dynamic Gospel

It’s great to be chosen

It’s great to be chosen

Knowledge is key

The doctrine of God’s election

The Spiritual Reality

In word

In power

In the Holy Spirit

In the Holy Spirit

In full assurance

Marks of a true gospel convert

The Experiential Reality

You imitate the Master

Knowledge is key

You suffer with joy

Conclusion

Conclusion

The power of the gospel message

The gospel comes in word

The gospel comes in power

The gospel comes in the Holy Spirit

In full assurance

The response of the gospel recipient

You imitated the Master

You welcomed the message with joy

Conclusion

The Dynamic Gospel

The Dynamic Gospel

It’s great to be chosen

It’s great to be chosen

Knowledge is key

​

The doctrine of God’s election

The Spiritual Reality

In word

In power

In the Holy Spirit

In the Holy Spirit

In full assurance

Marks of a true gospel convert

The Experiential Reality

You imitate the Master

Knowledge is key

You suffer with joy

Conclusion

Conclusion

The power of the gospel message

The gospel comes in word

The gospel comes in power

The gospel comes in the Holy Spirit

In full assurance

The response of the gospel recipient

You imitated the Master

You welcomed the message with joy

Conclusion