Let us once again turn to the Word of God in the chapter we were considering this morning 1 Thessalonians 1 and reading at verse 5 reading from verse 5 through to the end of verse 6

1 Thessalonians 1 For our gospel came not unto you in word only, but also in power, and in the Holy Ghost, and in much assurance, as ye know what manner of men we were among you for your sake. And ye became followers of us and of the Lord, having received the word in much affliction, with joy, of the Holy Ghost.

Here then in 1 Thessalonians 1 and verses 5 and 6.

This morning we were considering more particularly verses 4 and 5 where he speaks in verse 4 of election and then in verse 5 he speaks of calling. And so in a sense, continuing really from where we left off this morning, this morning I sought to say something in particular with regards to those two great truths, those great doctrines, high doctrines, God's eternal election, and then the efficacious grace of God in the effectual calling of his people.

Now I want to say something with regards to what is involved in receiving the gospel, which is really the emphasis that we have in the sixth verse. I said this morning, there's a sense in which the proof, the evidence of eternal election is to be discerned in effectual calling.

Interestingly, the language that's employed by the Apostle here, having made that great statement in verse 4, knowing brethren, knowing brethren, beloved your election of God, or as the Margin says, knowing brethren, beloved of God, your election, how could he say that? How did he know that they were elect?

Well, he says in verse 5, 4, and the strength of that word, literally, because our gospel came not unto you in word only, but also in power, and in the Holy Ghost, and in much assurance.

Election belongs to God's secret purpose. When Peter exhorts, he says, give diligence to make your calling and election sure. That's the order in which he speaks. He doesn't say give diligence to make your election and your calling, sure, but he reverses the order, because election is that that has taken place in eternity, and effectual calling is that that takes place in time. It's that that is experienced by the grace of God. The secret things belong unto the Lord our God. The things that are revealed belong unto us and to our children. God's election is secret to himself. The Lord knoweth them that are his.

But effectual calling is something that is so evident. When a person experiences the grace of God and there is that blessed change in their lives. And this is what Paul is speaking of here in verses 4 and 5.

and then he goes on to declare in verse 6 and he became followers of us and of the Lord having received the word in much affliction with joy of the Holy Ghost

and so to say something this evening with regards to the manner in which they were receiving the gospel they received the message that he was proclaiming and preaching and teaching

and as we consider their reception of the gospel I want us to consider it simply in a two-fold sense first of all the man-wood aspect of it and then secondly the God-wood aspect

first of all then the man-wood aspect and what he is saying here in this fifth verse how the Gospel came. Our Gospel came not unto you, he says, in word only but also in power and in the Holy Ghost and in much assurance. You see the preaching that he proclaimed there in Thessalonica and we read in the Acts in that 17th chapter of his ministry amongst the Thessalonians, that message was such that it demanded a response on their part. And that is always the case wherever the Gospel is preached.

When God's Word is opened and the Word is read and then that message that is contained in the scripture is proclaimed and the word of God is being expounded and preached the response is necessary no man can be the same after hearing the gospel of God's grace the great Puritan divine John Owen made that observation no man is ever the same having once heard the gospel

The Word of God, in a sense, always judges the man. And the Puritan, of course, is only really echoing the Word of the Apostle, the teaching of Paul himself. Remember what Paul says there in 2 Corinthians 2. In 2 Corinthians 2, and the end of that of that chapter verse 15 he says we are unto God a sweet saver of Christ in them that are saved and in them that perish to the one we are the saver of death unto death and to the other the savour of life unto life.

And who is sufficient for these things? For we are not as many which corrupt the word of God, but as of sincerity, but as of God. In the sight of God speak we in Christ." He proclaims the word as an ambassador of the Lord Jesus Christ. And as he preaches this word, it comes to some a sweet savour of Christ, brings the great message of salvation. They accept the message. They believe the one who is being preached. But to others, it's the savour of death, because they reject the message. The person can never be the same.

Now, there might be a response, but how about that response? Is it a right response? Is it a spiritual response? Is it just a natural response? Is it a response of faith? We have to recognize that there might be a mere natural faith and not a spiritual faith. Not all faith is true faith, not all faith is saving faith. There is a faith that we can say is but natural and there are two aspects to it in a sense.

A person can have faith in the sense that he is a theist. He's a believer in God. Not all men are atheists. In fact, I would dare to say I doubt that the majority of men would declare themselves to be atheists and completely deny that there is a God. Twice in Scripture we have those words of the Psalmist, Psalm 14 and verse 1, then Psalm 53 and verse 1, The fool hath said in his heart there is no God. The folly of atheism.

Men might have a natural belief and recognize that there is a supreme being who has created things. Their understanding might be very hazy. They couldn't really give an explanation, but they're not so foolish as to imagine that matter is eternal. But somehow or other, there must be one who has created things. And some might go even farther with their natural beliefs. They might believe in the Word of God, in the sense that they would accept the general truth of it, that the Word of God is true. in what it says, certainly concerning the person, the work of the Lord Jesus.

John says in his first general epistle in chapter 5 and verse 10, He that believeth not God hath made him a liar, because he believeth not the record that God hath given of his son. There are those who would say, well I believe the record, I accept the record, I accept in general what He said concerning this person, Jesus of Nazareth. We have the words of the Lord Jesus Himself in the course of His own ministry in the Gospel. Look at what Christ says there in the 15th of John, verse Twenty-two following. He says, If I had not come and spoken unto them, they had not had sin. But now they have no cloak for their sin. He that hateth me, hateth my Father also. If I had not done among them the works which none other man did, they had not had sin. But now they have both seen and hated, both me and my Father.

The following you see. of those who wouldn't believe the message that was being spoken by the Lord Jesus and those words that we have previously in the third chapter of John he that believeth on him we're told is not condemned he that believeth not is condemned already because he hath not believed in the name of the only begotten Son of God and this is the condemnation that light is coming to the world and men love darkness rather than light

but when he came to these Thessalonians when he came to the message that they had heard as it's recorded there in the 17th chapter of Acts their response was one of saving faith, surely it was they had more than an intellectual understanding and an intellectual sense as we read in the opening verses of that chapter

in the previous chapter we have Paul in Philippi and how he's persecuted, he's thrust into the inner prison and he's miraculously released. There are conversions of Philippian jailer and Lydia but then he must leave Philippi. And so we're told, aren't we, how they pass through Amphipolis and Apollonia and they come to Thessalonica and here is a A synagogue, and as was his woes. This is what Paul would often do, he goes to the synagogue. This is the manner of his ministry on these journeys. The time will come of course when he turns away from the Jews. But initially he's going amongst the Jews. And what does he do? He reasons with them out of the Scriptures. We're told there at the end of verse 2. three Sabbath days, he reasoned with them out of the Scriptures, opening and alleging that Christ must needs have suffered and risen again from the dead, and that this Jesus, whom I preach unto you, is Christ. Jesus of Nazareth is the Christ, the Son of God, and he must needs have suffered and died and risen again,

And some of them believed, and consorted with Paul and Silas, and of the devout Greeks a great multitude, and of the chief women not a few." They had faith, did these people. They truly believed. As he says here in chapter 2 and verse 13, they received the gospel. In verse 13 of the second chapter, For this cause also thank we God without ceasing, because when ye received the word of God which ye heard of us, ye received it not as the word of men, but as it is in truth the word of God, which effectually worketh also in you that believe.

Oh, what was their faith? It was saving faith. Our Gospel came not unto you in word only, not in word only. It wasn't just a matter of intellectual ascent to the truth. It was more than that. It came with power and it entered into their souls. It really took hold of them. The Kingdom of God, says the Apostle to the Corinthians, it's not in word but in power. That's how the Word of God must come. if we're going to be those who are really receiving it. And this was the case with these people. As with all in those various churches that were established as a result of the ministry of the Apostle Paul. He writes to these churches, they're made up of real believers. What does he say to those in the church at Ephesus? What of their faith? What sort of faith was theirs? It was saving faith. Doesn't he speak of the exceeding greatness of God's power to us who do believe? According to the working of his mighty power which he wrought in Christ when he raised him from the dead, and set him at his own right hand in the heavenly places. The same power that was there when Christ was raised from the dead, is the power that came into the souls of those who were dead in trespasses and sins, in order that they might believe the message. That's what he's saying.

And as I've said many, many a time, the language of Paul, there in Ephesians 1.19, he speaks not just of power, he speaks not just of great power, He speaks of the exceeding greatness of His power. Real Pauline language, piling the words together to convey to us something of the mighty work of God in the faith of those who have real faith. The exceeding greatness of His power to us, we do believe. according to the working of his mighty power, after the same fashion, in the same manner of that power that was in the resurrection of Christ.

"'For thy dead men shall live,' says Christ. "'Together with my dead body shall they arise.'" That's saving faith. No easy believism, as we said this morning. if we are those who are truly receiving the Gospel.

Verse 6 He became followers of us and of the Lord, having received the word in much affliction with joy of the Holy Ghost. He cost them, you see, He cost them. Again at verse 2 in chapter 2, even after that we had suffered before and were shamefully entreated as you know at Philippi. Remember in chapter 16 of Acts tells all about Philippi and then he's just come from Philippi to Thessalonica.

even after that we had suffered before and were shamefully entreated as you know at Philippi we were bold in our God to speak unto you the gospel of God with much contention there's always opposition he has to contend for the truth does this man and those who believe his message how soon find themselves in the same contest as Paul was continually in he tells those Philippians at the end of the first chapter of their epistle unto you it is given in the behalf of Christ not only to believe on him but also to suffer for his sake where there is saving faith there are sufferings and the sufferings cannot be avoided there was opposition oh there was opposition there at Thessalonica and it was It was immediate, and even leaving Thessalonica doesn't mean that you escape the sufferings.

Remember what we read there at verse 5, The Jews, which believed, not moved with envy, took unto them certain lewd fellows of the base of sort, and gathered a company, and set all the Sitchon in uproar, and assaulted the house of Jason, and sought to bring them out to the people. These unbelieving Jews, how they are opposed to what Paul is preaching and what these people are believing. And the brethren, they immediately send away Paul and Silas by night unto Berea. They are obviously fearful for their safety.

And the Bereans, why they are far more noble and honorable than those of Thessalonica. They search the scriptures to see if these things are so. But then they get wind of these things back at Thessalonica. Verse 13, When the Jews of Thessalonica acknowledged that the word of God was preached of Paul at Berea, they came thither also and stirred up the people. This message, it stirs up opposition. It's inevitable.

Interesting, isn't it, what comes with saving faith? Of course, saving faith never comes alone. There's always repentance with saving faith. We know that. Repentance accompanies saving faith. It was the case with these Thessalonians. What did they do? They had to turn from their idols. It wasn't just the Jews who would be opposing them. Their fellow Gentile citizens would oppose them surely.

He says here at verse 9, They themselves show of us what manner of entering in we had unto you, and thou ye turned to God from idols. to serve the living and true God and to wait for His Son from heaven, whom He raised from the dead, even Jesus, which delivered us from the wrath to come."

In a sense, the turning from idols is that other aspect, you see, their repentance. They turn from their old manner of living. Their lives are being turned about. There's been such a fundamental change their lives have been turned upside down now.

But this is the message that Paul is preaching all the time, testifying both to the Jews and to the Greeks. Repentance toward God and faith toward the Lord Jesus Christ, he says to the Ephesianaldus in Acts 20. That was his message. Repentance toward God. Faith towards Our Lord Jesus Christ. It's a message that we see him preaching later in that 17th chapter, is it not? He has to move on again and we next see him there at Athens.

The end of chapter 17, verse 29, he's preaching now at Mars Hill. What's the message? Well, verse 29, for as much then as we are the offspring of God, he says to the Athenians, we ought not to think that the Godhead is like unto gold or silver or stone, graven by art and man's device. And the times of this ignorance God winked at, but now commandeth all men everywhere to repent. 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.

In the Old Testament God winged at the idolatry of the Gentile nations. You only have I known of all the families of the earth, He says to Israel. but no more now the nations that had turned from their idols just as the Thessalonians had turned from their idols to the living God and this is the same message you see God now commands all men everywhere repentance all the sorrow of repentance there is a repentance that's not saving, that's not evangelical remember to the Corinthians Paul can speak of godly sorrow that worketh repentance of salvation not to be repented of but he says the sorrow of the world worketh death and of course we have the sad example of the repentance or the remorse really of Esau Jacob's twin brother, the older brother, the one who would have the inheritance but he despised his birthright and now we have the sad account there in the twelfth of Hebrews and he finds no place at all for true repentance Hebrews 12 16 there said be any fornicator or profane person as he saw who for one morsel of meat sold his birthright his God was his belly lest there be any fornicator or profane person as he who for one morsel of meat sold his birthright for you know how afterward he would have inherited the blessing he was rejected for he found no place of repentance so he sought it carefully with tears."

His sorrow centred only in himself it didn't centre in in God It didn't center in God. It wasn't godly sorrow. It was self-centered sorrow. It was what he had lost. It wasn't the grief that he felt towards God and the goodness of God. There is a sort of legal repentance that doesn't bring salvation. Heart says, law and terrors do but harden, all the while they work alone, but a sense of blood would pardon. Soon dissolves the heart of stone. All there is to be with repentance, faith, and faith has a priority. And faith always centres in the person and work of the Lord Jesus Christ. The two go together. You cannot separate them. And yet, faith has that principal place. It's that looking to Christ, it's that seeing things in the light of Christ, and the sufferings of Christ. It's evangelical in that sense. The joy of faith.

What does it say here in verse 6? Having received the words in much affliction with joy of the Holy Ghost. That's how they received it. Oh yes, there was affliction, there was opposition. There was a turning from their idols. There was all that. But there's the joy of the Holy Ghost as he comes as the Spirit of Christ and reveals the things of the Saviour.

Again, the hymn writer says of that real evangelical repentance, Nor is it such a dismal thing as is by some men named a sinner may repent and sing, rejoice and be ashamed. We're ashamed of our sin, but we rejoice. We rejoice in all that Christ is, all that Christ has done.

This is how they received the gospel then, these people. They received it into believing hearts. And it wasn't just a matter of intellectual assent. It was that that took hold of their very souls. Eternal election then is evidenced here. in their receiving of the gospel of the grace of God. And as they received it, so it sounded out from them. As he goes on to say at verse 8, for from you sounded out the word of the Lord. Not only in Macedonia and Achaia, but also in every place your faith to God is spread abroad, so that we need not to speak anything Others knew of these things, were aware of these things.

All the man-wood aspect. Then also the God-wood aspect of this. Your faith to God-wood, it says in verse 8. Your faith to God-wood. Well, what was that? What was that? Well, it's those things really that we touched on, we mentioned this morning. How the words of the gospel came to them. It was power, wasn't it? It came with power. Not word only, but power. The Lord Jesus says at the end of his own ministry, power is given unto me in heaven and in earth go ye therefore and preach the gospel to every creature what is that power? well the word that's used there at the end of Matthew is the word that literally means authoritative Christ has all authority in heaven and in earth the day in which we're living this gospel day it's that day in which Christ has mediatorial power, he has authority he is building his church and he has said the gates of hell shall not prevail against it, that's our comfort that's where we're to rest at times we might become very fearful, we're so full of unbelief of course but Christ is the one who has authority

And how does he exercise that authority? Well, we're told again, aren't we, there in the opening chapter of John at verse 12, As many as received him, to them gave he power to be called the sons of God. And that's words In that verse is that same word, authority. Those who believed Him, He gave them authority to be called the sons of God. He is the eternal Son of God, the only begotten of the Father, eternally begotten, the eternal generation of the Son, but they are the adopted sons and their adoption is rooted in his eternal sonship and he gives them authority to be called the sons of God but in verse 5 of course it's a different word really It's a different word that's being used. It's a word, I said this this morning, it's a word, dunamis. Our gospel came, not unto you in word only, but also in power. Well, that's in the sense of might. Not so much authority here. It's a different word. The same word as we have in Romans 1.16, I'm not ashamed of the gospel of Christ because it's the power of God unto salvation, the might of God unto salvation to everyone that believe us. Where the word of a king is there is power, mighty power.

This is why they received the Gospel, because God's power was demonstrated in and through the preaching of the Apostle. But it's not just power, as we said this morning, it's also the Holy Ghost. The Spirit is there, and the Spirit is working mightily, effectually. How is the Spirit working? He's working in regeneration. Christ says, except a man is born again he cannot see the kingdom of God there must be new birth spiritual birth the sovereign work of the Spirit the wind bloweth where it listeth thou hearest the sound thereof but canst not tell whence it cometh nor whither it goeth so is every one that is born of the Spirit the mysterious circuits the windings of the wind

Well, it's an illustration of the sovereign workings of the Spirit, how the Spirit works strangely, mysteriously. His sovereign operations in the souls of sinners. How He works conviction, how He brings reproof when He has come. Christ said He'll reprove the world of sin, of righteousness, of judgment. There's a work of conviction. The sinner is made to see what he is. In the light of the Lord of God, he's a transgressor. By the law is the knowledge of sin. He's fallen short. All the terrors of God's holy law.

But he doesn't just bring conviction and reproof, he also brings comfort. Because he reveals Christ. He doesn't just come to convict, does he? He comes with all those consolations. He doesn't speak of himself. He hides himself, really. He's so self-effacing. He takes of the things of Christ. He testifies of Christ. He shall take of mine, says Christ, and show it unto you. What a blessed ministry is that of the Spirit when he comes as the Spirit of the Lord Jesus Christ. He's God. He's equal to the Son. He's equal to the Father. He's that one who eternally proceeds from the Father and the Son. There's no inferiority amongst any of the persons in the Godhead. God is one. And God is three. God is Father, Son and Holy Ghost.

And yet, in the economy of grace, the outworking of the covenant of grace, how the Spirit is pleased to hide himself, to reveal Christ. to sinners. And then Paul speaks also of much assurance. I said this morning how he goes on in chapter 2 at verses 8 and 9 to speak of the gospel of God. He calls it the gospel of God, doesn't he there? What he imparted unto them was the gospel of God. we preached unto you the gospel of God he said but it was more than that to Paul it was made Paul's own gospel that's what he says here in verse 5 our gospel so it's not my gospel it's also the Thessalonians gospel He embraces them, you see. It's as much theirs as it is His. Because they believe the message. I don't want to repeat all that I said this morning. We looked at those verses in Galatians chapter 1 verses 11 and 12 and 15 and 16. The gospel that Paul preached, he didn't receive it of men, it was a revelation from God. And so they must have received it in the same manner, although Paul was the instrument that God made use of. Oh, the wonder, you see, of what it means to be those who are receiving the gospel of the grace of God. Are we those who can in any measure enter into these things? That's the question that we have to ask ourselves.

These are high doctrines, aren't they? Eternal election, effectual calling. They're high doctrines. But they're the very doctrines of grace, because grace, to be graced, must always be free and sovereign grace. And they're full of so much comfort, because we see that salvation is altogether of the Lord.

for our gospel came not unto you in word only but also in power and in the Holy Ghost and in much assurance as you know what manner of men we were among you for your sake and ye became followers of us and of the Lord having received the word in much affliction with joy of the Holy Ghost.

Oh the Lord be pleased to so bless His word and the gospel of His grace to each and every one of us that we might know these things, not only because we see them here and read them on the page of Holy Scripture, but because God the Holy Spirit has Himself written these truths in the very depths of our souls.

May the Lord be pleased to thus bless His word to us. Amen.