Open your Bibles if you would,
the first Thessalonians. The name of the message is identifying
marks of God's people. First Thessalonians, chapter
2. We'll read verses 1 all the way to 16. Again, Paul's
writing to the church at Thessalonica, and several commentators have
said it's a young church, a young church when he's writing this. For yourselves, brethren, know
our entrance in unto you, that it was not in vain, but 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. For our exhortation
was not of deceit, nor of uncleanness, nor in guile. But as we were
allowed of God, and God is the one who allows the gospel to
go forth. God is the one who allows, is
the one who makes the word effectual. But as we are allowed of God
to be put in trust with the gospel, even so we speak, not as pleasing
men, but God, which trieth our hearts. For neither at any time
used we flattering words, as you know, nor a cloak of covetousness,
God is witness. Nor of man sought we glory, neither
of you, nor yet of others, when we might have been burdensome
as the apostles of Christ. But we were gentle among you,
even as a nurse charith her children, so being affectionately desirous
of you, we were willing to have imparted unto you not the gospel
of God only, but our own souls, because you were dear unto us. For you remember, brethren, our
labor and travail, for laboring night and day, because we would
not be chargeable unto any of you, we preached unto you the
gospel of God. ye are witnesses, and God also,
how wholly and justly and unblameably we behaved ourselves among you
that believe. As you know, how we exhorted
and comforted and charged every one of you as a father doth his
children, that ye walk worthy of God, who hath called you into
his kingdom and glory. For this cause also we thank
God without ceasing, because when you received the word of
God, which ye heard of us, ye received it not as the word of
man, but as it is in truth, the word of God, which effectually
worketh also in you that believe. For ye, brethren, became followers
of the churches of God, which in Judea are in Christ Jesus,
for ye also have suffered like things of your own countrymen,
even as they have of the Jews, who both killed the Lord Jesus
and their own prophets, and have persecuted us, and they please
not God, and are contrary to all men, forbidding us to speak
to the Gentiles, that they might be saved, to fill up their sins
always, for the wrath is come upon them to the uttermost. We see in these verses here that
God's preachers are sent to preach the glorious gospel of the Lord
Jesus Christ. And each time I step into this
pulpit, I tell you about the only Savior of sinners, the only
Savior of sinners, the Lord Jesus Christ. And I tell you how He's
God in man. Our Creator, He's the second
person of the Blessed Trinity. He's equal with God in essence,
in power, and in purpose. And God's preachers also declare
the unconditional electing grace of God the Father in choosing
a particular people in Christ before the foundation of the
world. Because that's what the scriptures say. So we declare
it. We also declare with joy that
the word of God, the second person of the Trinity, our creator,
became a man. And his name is the Lord Jesus
Christ. And as a man, he, by the supreme
sacrifice of himself, purged all the sins of His people. Purged
them all. Not one left. And He purged them
from where? From God's sight forever. Forever. Thereby assuring that God's born
again people. Thereby assuring us that God
will remember our sins no more. No more. And this is what gospel
preachers preach and proclaim. And God's preacher also declares,
each time we have the privilege to proclaim the gospel, that
God's chosen blood-bought children are delivered from the prison
house of sin and unbelief. We're delivered. We're delivered. By the life-giving power of God
the Holy Spirit. It's He who regenerates us. And there is not one of God's
sent preachers that will ever give any sinner any reason to
think that finite, sinful, hell-deserving sinners had anything to do with
the salvation of God's elect. Salvation is of the Lord. Period. All by His mercy and grace. all
by His mercy and grace. And we proclaim that salvation
is of Him, of the Lord Jesus Christ, and is by His grace.
And we proclaim that we, who are His people, we have obtained
mercy. We've obtained mercy. And just
as Lazarus was raised physically from the dead, the Lord Jesus
Christ raises us from the dead. Because we're born dead in trespasses
and sins, and we are made alive. We're born again, we who are
His people, by the Holy Spirit of God. And the word very plainly,
very plainly proclaims that we were born dead in trespasses
and sins, physically alive and yet spiritually dead. And this
is what God's preachers preach. This is what we proclaim. And
we proclaim that the Holy Spirit of God is the one who's quickened
us. He's the one who's quickened us. He's the one who gives us
eternal life. And that eternal life is only found in Jesus Christ,
our Lord, only in him. And it is the responsibility
of those who assemble together for public worship to search
the scriptures to see if these things are so. To search the
scriptures to see if these things are so. To make sure that what
you're hearing is the word of God. To be Bereans. To search the scriptures. And
God's preachers are gentle and loving, patient, We're waiting
for God, the Holy Spirit, to make his gospel effectual. We
preach and proclaim the word of God, and the Holy Spirit takes
those words, and he makes them effectual. He makes them effectual. His word will not return unto
him void. Now, we who believe the gospel
of God's free grace, we believe that only God can grant life.
Only he can give life to the spiritually dead. And we believe
also that man's works has absolutely nothing to do with our salvation.
We are made willing in the day of His power. Man's works has
nothing to do with the salvation of God's people. We also know
that there's some identifying marks which evidence that one
is truly born again by the Holy Spirit of God. Turn to chapter
1 of this book. Chapter 1. 1 Thessalonians chapter
1. We see that the people of God
here, their faith is evidenced. Let's start in verse 1. Paul and Silvanus and Timotheus
unto the church of Thessalonians, which is in God the Father and
in the Lord Jesus Christ. Praise be to God. He is the head
and we are the body. Grace be unto you and peace. Do you notice that grace always
precedes peace in these salutations? It does. No grace, no peace with
God. The grace of God being given
to us, we have peace with God. We have peace with God in and
through the Lord Jesus Christ. Grace and peace be unto you and
peace from God our Father. We've been reconciled to the
Father, haven't we? Oh my, how? Through Christ. Grace
be unto you and peace from God our Father in the Lord Jesus
Christ. We give thanks to God always for you, making mention
of you in our prayers. God's people give thanks for
God's people. And we pray for one another.
Remembering without ceasing your work of faith and labor of love
and patience of hope in our Lord Jesus Christ in the sight of
God and our Father. Now remember, several commentators
have said that this is an early church, a young church. Look what Paul's already talking
to them about. Knowing, beloved, your election of God. That means
chosen. That word in the Greek there
means to choose, your election of God. For our gospel came not
unto you in word only. If my words are the only words
you hear, then it's for naught. But the Holy Spirit takes the
words of the preacher and makes them effectual to God's people,
and makes them effectual to the lost sheep of God. And that's
our prayer. If you do not know Christ, that
he would make these words effectual, that the Holy Spirit would regenerate
you, that you'd be born again. Look at this, for our gospel
came not unto you in word only, but also in power, in the power
of God, by the power of God, and in the Holy Ghost, with much
assurance, as you know what manner of man we were among you. And
look at, now, what's some identifying marks of now them being believers?
And you became what? Followers of us. Well, they're
following Christ, aren't they? And of the Lord, having received
the word in much affliction. Well, they're an afflicted people.
But they have joy, with joy of the Holy Ghost. So that you were
examples to all that believe in Macedonia and Achaia. Do you
know that before I came here, I was told by several grace preachers
how gracious you all were? And it's true. As a matter of
fact, there was one, well, it's John Claude. He said, this is
one of the churches that he feels most at home in, in America. Cuz God's people are gracious
people, aren't they? And look what it says here, they made
examples to all that believe in Macedonia and in Achaia. For
from you sounded out the word of the Lord. Well the gospel
goes forth from this place, doesn't it? It goes forth. Not only in Macedonia and in
Achaia, but also in every place your faith to God's word is spread
abroad, so that we need not speak anything. for they themselves
show of us what manner of entering in we head unto you, and how
you turn 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." So
we see that their salvation was evidenced in verse 3 by their
labor of love and their patience of hope in the Lord Jesus Christ.
And knowing their walk before others was also a walk before
God. And we see that their salvation
was evidenced in verse 6 as they became followers of the Lord
Jesus Christ. They became followers of the
Lord Jesus Christ. They looked to the one who God's preachers
pointed them to. They were given spiritual eyes
to look to them. to look to the risen, exalted
God-man, the Lord Jesus Christ, who had redeemed them with His
own precious blood." Then we see that their salvation was
evidenced in verse 7, as they became examples, not only to
those in their own city, but to other Christians in other
cities. And then in verse 8, their salvation
was evidenced as they declared the same gospel truths that the
preacher had told them. Some of them became evangelists
and took the gospel to other cities for the glory of the Lord
Jesus Christ, their Savior, and to the delight of God's saints
in places like Macedonia and in Archaea. And look what it
says in verse 8, so that we need not speak anything. They went forward. We also see
that their salvation was evidenced in verse 9. Look what they did. They turned away from their false
gods. The false gods of their sinful
imaginations to the true and living God. For they themselves
show us of what manner of entering in we head unto you and how you
turn to God from idols. To serve the true, the living
and true God. And we know they were turned,
don't we? We know they were turned by God,
but they turned and they ran right to God, didn't they? So
this is evidence of their salvation in Christ, evidence that they're
born again. And they suffered much affliction for the glory
of the blessed Redeemer from their friends and their loved
ones who were still dead in trespasses and sins. See, they're no different
than us, are they? They're no different than us.
So we've seen some identifying marks of the believer in those
verses there. But let's go back to verse 13 of 1 Thessalonians
2. And as one commentator said,
we have here one of the greatest identifying marks of God's born-again
children. Those who are called the sons
of God. Those who are the beloved of
God. We have here one of the greatest identifying marks of
them. And this is recorded for our
learning, beloved. This is divinely inspired. Paul
is writing under divine inspiration. And look what he says in verse
13. For this cause also we 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 man, but as it is in
truth. the Word of God which effectually
worketh also in you that believe." One preacher of old said this,
the preaching of the true gospel of God's sovereign grace through
the merits of Jesus Christ alone is the most identifying mark
of a preacher sent from God. Now we see these verses that
the Thessalonian believers believed God. They believed God. They received the Word of God.
They received it. They believed the Gospel of salvation
in Christ alone, which we know is the Gospel of God's grace.
They received it. And remember this, the saints
that Paul is writing this letter to, they're born again by the
Holy Spirit of God. They've been granted faith and
repentance before God. To believe on the Lord Jesus
Christ. to receive the words of the preacher, to receive the gospel of God's
free and sovereign grace in Christ. And this is the most important
identifying mark of God's born-again people. Now it's the responsibility of
every believer in Christ to examine the doctrine that you're hearing
from the pulpit. We're to be Bereans, aren't we?
We're to be Bereans. And if the man you're listening
to is God's preacher, and the way you examine the preacher
is by the gospel of God's holy word, the gospel of the Lord
Jesus Christ. Is he preaching what is clearly
set forth on the pages of scripture? And it's the responsibility of
every believer to examine ourselves. To examine ourselves. to determine
if you're a true follower of the Lord Jesus Christ. The Apostle
Paul wrote this to the Corinthian church. He said, examine yourselves,
whether you be in the faith. Prove your own selves. Know ye
not your own selves, and how that Jesus Christ is in you,
except ye be reprobates. So he tells God's people to examine
yourself. Here's a question. Do you believe that salvation
is holy in Christ and Him alone, by the grace of God alone? And
do you believe that the works of man has nothing to do with
true saving faith? Do you believe that? I believe that. I know God's
people believe that. We believe it. And this is what
God's people believe. We believe that true saving faith
is based upon the works of the triune God, the Father, the Son,
and the Holy Spirit. Just as the scriptures declare,
salvation is of the Lord. It's of the Lord. We are but
receivers of the mercy and grace of God. Paul wrote, and you've
heard me say this, and you're probably gonna hear me keep saying
this, Paul wrote, I've obtained mercy. I've obtained it. I didn't seek it. It was given
to me. And every believer says the same
thing. One grace preacher says, we're
mercy beggars. We're just begging the Lord to
save us. And he has, by his grace, hasn't he? We who are his people. We've obtained mercy. So examine yourself. God's preachers encourage the
saints to walk daily as children of light. To be kind to one another. To be tender hearted. To forgive
one another. Even as God for Christ's sake
has forgiven us. We encourage believers to walk
in love as Christ also has loved us. and hath given himself for
us, and offering him a sacrifice to God for a sweet-smelling savour. But God's preachers will never
encourage our hearers to put any faith in themselves. Not
at all. Not at all. And God's preachers
will never encourage you to put any faith in your works. Not
at all. But God's preachers will tell
you to put your faith and trust in Christ alone. Because He's
the only hope for sinners. It is He who came to save His
people from their sins. It is He who has accomplished
our salvation. It is Christ alone who has redeemed
His people and purchased our salvation with the shedding of
His own precious blood. It's Him who did it all. Now
here's something for you to consider. These saints that Paul's writing
to are Gentiles. They're Gentiles, just like you
and I. They're Gentiles. He's writing to this church and
Thessalonica, they're Gentile, and they did not have Bibles
in their hands. They did not have Bibles in their
hands. The majority of them were probably
not even acquainted with the Old Testament scriptures, which
the Jews had. They were Gentiles. With that in our minds, let's
turn to Romans chapter 10. Romans chapter 10. We know what
Peter, John, and Paul all preached from. They preached from the
Old Testament, because they didn't have the New Testament. Right? They all preached from the Old
Testament. And these Gentile believers probably didn't have
copies of those Old Testament scriptures. Because they had turned from
idols, remember? And I was thinking about this this morning. I was
thinking about this. How All the world around Israel were Gentiles, idol worshipers. And the Jews had the scriptures.
But all them other places, they were just... They were worshiping stones and
rocks and trees in utter darkness. And they would have no care They
would have no care for the holy scriptures. They wouldn't have
any care at all for them. They were worshiping stones.
And idols of their own hands. Look at this in Romans 10 in
light of all that. In light of knowing that these
believers that Paul's writing to, they received the word of
God, right? We know by the power of God.
By the power of God. And Paul wrote that, he said
he didn't receive it as the words of man, but as the word of God. Look at this now, Romans 10,
verse 8. But what saith it? The word is
nigh thee, even in thy mouth and in thy heart, that is the
word of faith which we preach. That if thou shalt confess with
thy mouth the Lord Jesus, and shalt believe in thine heart
that God hath raised him from the dead, thou shalt be saved. For with the heart man believeth
unto righteousness, and with the mouth confession is made
unto salvation. For the scripture saith, Whosoever
believeth on him, that being Christ, shall not be ashamed.
For there's no difference between the Jew and Gentile, for the
same Lord over all is rich unto all that call upon him. Now we're
all sinners, Jews and Gentiles, right? And anyone who calls upon
the name of the Lord, whether they be Jew or Gentile, shall
be saved. Shall be saved. For whosoever shall call upon
the name of the Lord shall be saved. How shall they call on
him in whom they've not believed? He must be born again. And how
shall they believe in him of whom they've not what? Heard. Paul and the apostles were preaching
Christ from the Old Testament Scriptures. So these Gentile
believers, they didn't have copies of them, but they were hearing.
Right? They were hearing. And how shall
they hear without a preacher? And how shall they preach except
they be sent? God's preachers are sent preachers.
As it is written, how beautiful are the feet of them that preach
the gospel of peace and bring glad tidings of good things. But they have not all obeyed
the gospel, but Elias saith, Lord, who hath believed our report?
Look at this. So then faith cometh by what?
Hearing. Now remember, Paul's writing
to the Romans, some more Gentiles. Oh my! Faith cometh by hearing,
and hearing by what? The Word of God! They heard the
Word of God. It was preached to them. Christ
has proclaimed to them from the Old Testament Scriptures. And God made it effectual, beloved.
He made it effectual. But I say, have they not heard?
Yea, very, their sound went out into all the earth, and the words
unto the ends of the world. But I say, did not Israel know? For first Moses saith, I will
provoke you to jealousy by them that are no people, and by a
foolish nation I will anger you. But Isaiah is very bold and saith,
look at this, I was found of them that sought me not. Did
you seek the Lord before he saved you? I didn't. He sought me and He sought you.
And look what it says here though. It says here, I was found of
them that sought me not. Now we know about Christ. Now
we've been given hearing ears and seeing eyes to look to Christ.
And look at this, I was made manifest unto them. Now we know
that it's a revelation from God that we know about Christ, isn't
it? He must reveal himself to us.
Look at this, I was made manifest unto them that ask not after
me. We did not ask after the Lord
before he saved us. That verse is spectacular. Absolutely
wonderful. I was found of them that sought
me not, I was made manifest unto them that asked not after me.
Now these Gentiles, they turned from idols, beloved, to serve
the living and true God. They believed, they believed
the words that they heard. Because God manifested Himself
to them. Through the preaching of the
Gospel. They are born again by the Holy Spirit of God. And so
these Thessalonian believers who were Gentile church may have
heard about the God of Israel and his almighty power to live
in his chosen people from the Egyptian bondage, but they didn't
have the scriptures, they were Gentiles. They were Gentiles. And we know, again, we know that
all of God's preachers through the apostolic age, they preached
from the Old Testament. Again, they didn't have, we have
a whole Bible. They didn't have that. But they preached and proclaimed
Christ all through these books, beloved. All through these books
of the Old Testament. They just proclaimed Christ.
My. And that's what God's preachers
do, don't we? Old and New Testament, we preach Christ and Him crucified.
Oh my. And it says they received. Let's
read verse 13 again. For this cause also we thank
we God without ceasing, because when ye received the word of
God which ye heard of us, remember they preached it, ye received
it not as the word of man. They didn't just receive it as
Paul's words. No. But as it is in truth. This is the truth. These scriptures
are the truth, beloved. And God's people receive it in
truth. received it in truth, the word
of God, which effectually worketh also in you that believe. Again, so the Gentiles believers
didn't have a complete Bible like we do. Again, they being
Gentiles wouldn't have had the scriptures as the Jews did. But it here declares in the scriptures
that they received the word. They received that which they
had heard. And they received it not as the
word of Paul or Timothy or Savannas, they received it as the word
of God. How was this possible? Well,
we know only by the enlightening power of God, the Holy Spirit. It is He who makes the gospel
truths which are preached effectual for God's people, for every believer
in Christ. It is He who makes the Word of
God effectual. And the Scriptures declare, here
not speak of Himself, here guide us into all truth. And we know
who the truth is, don't we? It's the Lord Jesus Christ. And
Him alone. And that's who He'll guide us
to. That's who He'll guide us to.
Now we live in a generation, and many generations before us,
When we assemble for public worship, we have Bibles in our hands,
and we can read the Bible at home, the complete Bible. But
even with the Bible in your hands, even while you follow God's preachers
as they read the truths in the Holy Word of God, the fact is
that no one will believe on the Lord Jesus Christ unless God,
the Holy Spirit, makes the Word of God effectual. And this is what we pray. We
pray that God would make it effectual. If you do not know Christ, we
pray that he'd make it effectual. Because we were all there who
are saved. And he made it effectual one
day for us, didn't he? And now we just love to hear
the word of God preached and proclaimed. We love to hear about
the things of Christ. You must be born again. You must
be. And then you believe on the Lord
Jesus Christ. Then you have repentance before
God. But who is the Lord Jesus Christ? Well, He's God Almighty. He's the Sovereign Creator, beloved. The very same Jesus who was crucified
by wicked hands of sinful unregenerate man was God incarnate in the
flesh. Wonder of wonders, beloved. Wonder of wonders. The Lord Jesus
Christ was the great majestic God. The second person of the
Trinity called the Word of God manifested in the flesh. Why?
To save His people from their sins. Praise be to God, He did
it. Crying it is finished. Hallelujah! For the believer
in Christ. Oh, what a Savior! What a Savior! Turn, if you would, to 1 Timothy
3, verse 16. What a mystery this is! The mystery
of godliness! That God was manifest in the
flesh. 1 Timothy 3, verse 16. And without controversy, grave
is the mystery of godliness. This is not a thing to be argued
about. This is truth. Grave is the mystery
of godliness. God was manifest in the flesh. He was manifest in the flesh.
His name is the Lord Jesus Christ. It says here, He was justified
in the Spirit, seen of angels, preached unto the Gentiles, and
believed on in the world, and received up to glory. Now note
there, it says believed on in the world. God's saints believe
on Him, don't they? I ask you who are here, or anyone
who will hear this message, do you believe God? Do you believe God? Do you believe
what His Word says here? If not, then you deny His Word. God's people believe what God's
Word says. We believe it. Turn, if you would, to Hebrews
chapter 10. Hebrews chapter 10. Why did the Word of God, the
Second Person of the Trinity, the Creator of all things, visible
and invisible, why did He humble Himself by coming to this sin-cursed
world? By becoming a man, fully God
and yet fully human? Subjecting Himself to the hateful
rejection of these very men He created? Why? Why did He do this? Well, beloved, we know that He
came to do the Father's will. He came to ransom His bride, the one He loves with His perfect,
eternal love. Those who are His bride, those
who were given to Him by the Father in eternity. And the Word
of God becomes a man to suffer, to bleed, and to die, to satisfy
the holy justice of God by burying the sins of His people in His
own body on the cruel, cruel cross, and suffering the complete
wrath of God, the complete wrath of God that was due us as His
people. Dying in their place is the perfect
spotless Lamb of God. And God's preachers declare that
Jesus Christ is our only Savior. The only Savior of sinners. And
God's children believe that. We believe that. Let's read Hebrews
10, verses 7-18. And look at this wonderful truth
set here before us. And remember that we're granted
faith to believe these truths. Hebrews 10, verses 7-18. Then said I, Lo, I come in the
volume of the book it is written of me to do thy will, O God.
That's why Christ came, to do the will of the Father. And it
was the will of the Father that Christ should save his people
from their sins. Isn't that marvelous? That's
wonderful. Above, when he said sacrifice
and offering and burnt offerings and offering for sin, thou wouldest
not, neither hadst thou pleasure therein, which are offered by
the law. Then said he, Lo, I come to do
thy will, O God. He taketh away the first, that
he may establish the second. By the which will we are sanctified
through the offering of the body of Jesus Christ once for all.
Now let's read verses 14 to 18. For by one offering, he, that
being Christ, hath perfected forever them that are sanctified.
Now we're still sinners, aren't we? And we know we're sinners. But the believer is clothed in
the perfect spotless righteousness of Christ. And God looks upon
us and doesn't see our sin. He sees Christ. Whereof the Holy Ghost also is
a witness to us, for after that He said before, this is the covenant
that I will make with them after these days, saith the Lord. I
will put my laws into their hearts, and in their minds will I write
them, and their sins and iniquities will I remember no more. No more. Now where the remission of these
is, there is no more offering for sin. Now let's go back to
our text with that in our mind. Knowing that the Lord has given
us a new heart, that hungers and thirsts after rights, knowing
that we're born again of the Holy Spirit of God. And let's
read these words again that Paul wrote to the Thessalonica, the
believers in Thessalonica. Look at this, in verse 13, chapter
2. For this cause also think Thank
we God without ceasing, because when you received the word of
God, which you heard of us, you received it not as the word of
man, but as it is in truth, the word of God, which effectually
worketh also in you that believe. Now why did God thank Paul, or
why did Paul thank God without ceasing? Boy, I got that turned
around, didn't I? Why did Paul thank God without
ceasing? Well, Paul knew that those who had received Christ
and his glorious gospel, he knew that they received it as a result
of the effectual working of God and all by God's power. He knew
that. He knew that the Holy Spirit
had regenerated them and that God had purposed this to be so.
He knew that. And he knew that this had all
been done for the glory of God before the foundation of the
world. And so therefore he gives thanks to our great God for the
fact that these believers, these saints of God, these Gentiles,
had received the word of God. Not as Paul's words, not as Timotheus'
words, not as Savannah's words, but as God's word. They had received
the preaching of the gospel of the Lord Jesus Christ. And God
works by his word. And when His Word is heard in
power as the Word of God, it works effectually to the quickening
of dead sinners and the enlightening of our dark
minds that are dead in trespasses and sins. And then men cease
to argue Scripture. When the Lord says this, we cease
to argue Scripture. We hear the Word of God and we
receive it with gladness. with gladness. Now we won't understand
everything. Brother Scott Richards said we're
just scratching the surface. Just barely scratching the surface.
And he preached for I think 45 years I had heard when he said
that. Just scratching the surface. And he also said, one of these
days I'm gonna learn how to be a preacher. I love that. That's just, because
we will never arrive. We will always be learning the
wondrous things about Christ. And then it just keeps us in
awe, doesn't it? It keeps us in awe. And we receive the word
of God. We don't receive it as the word
of men. We receive it as the word of God. Because we've been
born again by the Holy Spirit of God. So Paul thanked God without
ceasing. Because he knew that God the
Father had purposed the salvation of those who had received the
Word. And he purposed that in eternity. In eternity. And Paul knew that the Lord Jesus
Christ had fulfilled all the conditions of the eternal covenant
of grace in the room and place of his people. So Paul thanked God without ceasing
because he knew that under the preaching of the true gospel
of God's free and sovereign grace, that the chosen blood-bought
children of God are delivered from the power of darkness. If you're a believer, you've
been delivered from the power of darkness, translated into
the kingdom of God's dear Son. All by the power of God. And
Paul knew this. So he thanked God. He thanked
God. He thanked God the Father, he
thanked God the Son, and he thanked God the Holy Spirit. Now let's read that verse one
more time. We'll read verse 14 with it. But we are bound to
give thanks always to God for you, brethren, beloved of the
Lord, because God hath from the beginning chosen you to salvation
through sanctification of the Spirit and belief of the truth. I'm sorry, I'm in the wrong.
Turn to 2 Thessalonians 2. 2 Thessalonians 2. I'll read verse 13 here again.
For this cause also we thank God without ceasing, because
when you received the word of God, which ye heard of us, you
received it not as the word of man, but as it is in truth the
word of God, which effectually worketh also in you that believe.
Now, look at this in 2 Thessalonians 2, verses 13 and 14. But we are bound to give thanks
always to God for you, brethren, beloved of the Lord. Now beloved
again is there is divinely loved ones, divinely loved ones. Because God from the beginning
chosen you to salvation through sanctification of the spirit
and what? And belief of the truth. God's people believe the word
of God. Where unto he called you by what? Our gospel. Now
remember, Paul's writing to the same Gentiles. They received the Word. To the
obtaining of the glory of our Lord Jesus Christ. My, so beloved of God, divinely
loved ones, wherever you find the children
of God, whether in Judea, Thessalonica, America, they have these things
in common. They agree on the depravity,
inability, and sinfulness of the flesh. We agree that we all
fell in line. We have no ability or power to
save ourselves. They ascribe all the glory for
salvation and providence to God alone. We give Him all the glory. We couldn't save ourselves. We
know that He works all things out according to His sovereign
providence and sovereign will. Third thing is they rest in the
person and work of Christ alone for all things. He alone is our
salvation. He alone is our shepherd. He
alone is the one who keeps us. And one day we'll see Him face
to face. The fourth thing is, their only rule for faith and
conduct is the Word of God. This Word is a lamp unto our
feet and a light unto our paths, beloved. It's filled with instruction,
but most of all it points us to Christ and Christ alone. It
tells us of our blessed Redeemer in the pages of the Old Testament
and in the pages of the New. and it proclaims what He's done
for us. And the fifth thing is Christ
is the object of our faith. He's the object of our faith.
Our faith doesn't save us, it's Christ who saved us, right? But
our faith has one object, and that's Christ, and Christ alone. And that faith is given to us
as a gift by God. We give Him all the glory, All
the glory. And the last thing is we endure
persecution and ridicule from the world of unbelievers, both
in religion and in the world. And sometimes the persecution
is heavier from people in religion than it is from people in the
world. Although I've seen it pretty bad from people in the
world, too. And I think everyone of us who believe on the Lord
Jesus Christ. But we just keep looking to Christ,
don't we? We just keep looking to Him. So we've seen then that the most
important identifying mark of God's born-again people is that
we believe the Word of God. We believe what the Word of God
says. Again, it says here, for this cause also thank we God
without ceasing because when you receive the Word of God which
you heard of us, it was preached to them, they received it. You
received it not only as the word of man, but as it is in truth,
the word of God, which effectually worketh also in you that believe."
And that's happened to every believer in Christ. Praise His
mighty name. Praise His mighty name. We say
that salvation is by grace alone, with no merit in us. Again, we
are but mercy beggars, beloved. mercy beggars before our great
God and we give him all the glory and we will continue to give
him all the glory as he is the one who is worth he's the one
who's worth of all glory honor and praise heavenly father we
thank you for your goodness and mercy and grace which you have
shown your people all Lord there was a time when we didn't
receive your word or more but now We who are born again receive
your word with gladness. We bow to thy word, O Lord. And
we proclaim you, Lord Jesus, as the only savior of sinners.
Glory to your name, Lord, for revealing yourself to us. Glory
to your name for the Holy Spirit regenerating us. Glory to your
name, Father God, choosing us in Christ before the foundation
of the world. All glory, honor, and praise
is yours. And it's in Jesus' precious name
we pray. Amen.