In 1 Thessalonians chapter 1,
if you would turn there, Paul says to the Thessalonians, and
I find this to be such an amazing statement, 1 Thessalonians chapter 1 verse
4, "'Knowing, brethren, beloved, your election of God." That's
quite a statement, isn't it? Knowing that you are God's elect. Now, Paul didn't have access
to the Lamb's Book of Life with the names of the elect written
there. Now, there is a Lamb's Book of
Life, that's why I read that passage of Scripture, with all
the names of God's elect written there. I want to be in that book,
don't you? Now, Paul could look at these
people and say, I know your names are written in the Lamb's Book
of Life. And he goes on to give seven
evidences of their personal election of God. Now, I've entitled this
message, Seven evidences of being elect. Now, I want to know if
I have these evidences myself. If I'm one of God's elect, I
personally will have all of these evidences. I'll see them. And I say that cautiously. I've
been asking myself all day long, do I really see these evidences?
Do I really see these evidences? I know this. Election is true. The elect love election. And the reason the elect love
election is because it's a reminder to them that God is God indeed.
and that salvation is all of grace. That's why the elect love
election, but I want to know if I give these evidences that
Paul speaks of in this chapter. Verse 1, Paul and Silvanus and
Timotheus unto the church of the Thessalonians, which is in
God the Father and in the Lord Jesus Christ. What a blessed
place to be in God the Father, in the Lord Jesus Christ. Grace
be unto you and peace from God our Father and the Lord Jesus
Christ. We give thanks to God always
for you all, making mention of you in our prayers, 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, I love the way he mentions
your work of faith, your labor of love, and your patience of
hope." Now, you remember there in 1 Corinthians 13, 13, where
Paul said, now, abideth faith, hope, charity, these three? Now,
this is what all of God's elect possess. Now, this is not one
of my points, this is not one of those seven evidences, but
this is the coming after that, where he says, knowing your election
of God forward, and then he gives these things. But I do know this,
all of God's people possess these three things, faith, hope, and
love. But notice he speaks of the work
of faith, and the labor of love, and the patience of hope. Where
there's faith, hope, and love, there's also a work of faith,
and there's a labor of love, and there's patience of hope.
And if these things are absent, the words are just academic.
Nothing more than that. Just academic. But he speaks
of their work of faith, and labor of love, and patience of hope
in our Lord Jesus Christ, in the sight of God and our Father,
knowing, brethren beloved, and there the word beloved is actually
a verb, knowing, brethren, having been loved by God. having been
loved by God knowing your election of God now remember this God
didn't elect the people to make a way for him to love he elected
the people because he did love them God's love in Christ Jesus
knowing brethren beloved your election of God now I hope I
don't have to Tell everybody what election means, but I'm
going to go ahead and do it anyway. Election is God's ancient choice
of His people before time began. Turn to Ephesians chapter 1. It's called the election of grace. And let me say this, with regard
to election, you cannot preach the gospel and not preach election.
Now you can just write that down. Now you can preach some form
of election and not preach the gospel, there's no doubt about
that, but you can't preach the gospel and not preach the holy
doctrine of election. I've heard people say, well,
is it essential to preaching the gospel? Well, is the glory of
God essential to preaching the gospel? God called it His glory. Remember when Moses said, show
me your glory? He said, I'll make my goodness
to pass before you. I'll proclaim my name before you. I'll be gracious
to whom I will be gracious. And I'll show mercy on whom I
will show mercy. There's a lection right there.
And it's essential to preaching the gospel. Ephesians chapter
4 or 1 verse 4, According as He hath chosen us in Him, before
the foundation of the world, that we should be holy and without
blame before Him, in love having predestinated us unto the adoption
of children by Jesus Christ to Himself, according to the good
pleasure of His will, to the praise of the glory of His grace,
wherein He hath made us accepted." in the beloved. Now that's election. Who chose who? He chose us. When
was this choice made? Before the foundation of the
world. Why? To the praise of the glory of
His grace. How? In Christ. And this is what makes
me confident. He didn't choose me and put me
in Christ. I've always been seen in the
Beloved. Always accepted in the Beloved. Now that is election. Thank God for election. Now here's the big question.
Paul, if you've never seen in the Lamb's Book of Life, how
can you say to these people, I know your election of God? Now there are people here that
I know your elect. I know it. I've not seen in the
Lamb's Book of Life, but I know your elect. And you know, I got
to thinking about this. I want to say this carefully.
I want to say this the way it ought to be said. But you can't
honestly say that about everybody who professes to be a believer.
Now, how many times, listen real carefully, how many times have
you heard somebody say, well, after maybe you do something
bad or something wrong, they say, well, I thought you were
a Christian. Don't say that. Don't say that. Don't use religion
to try to whip people like that. Thought you was a Christian.
Thought you was a Christian. Well, don't say that. Now Paul did say, when he was
speaking to the Galatians, he said to the Galatians, I stand
in doubt of you. Said that, didn't he? I stand
in doubt of you." He said, O foolish Galatians, who have bewitched
you that you should not obey the truth? Now when I stand wondering
about somebody, now if somebody falls, if somebody acts like
an idiot, if somebody acts like an unbeliever, you hate it, you
hate it when you do it, you hate it when they do it, But it does
make you think, well, they must not be saved if they do something
like that. If you think that way, you're thinking wrong. You're
just thinking wrong. When Paul stood and doubted the
Galatians, it was because of an unsoundness in the gospel.
He said, I marvel that you're so soon removed from him that
called you to the grace of Christ unto another gospel. Now that's when I get scared.
When I see someone saying things that are contrary to the gospel
of God's grace. And that's when you start thinking,
well, I don't know. Well, here is where evidence of divine election
is. Verse 4, knowing brethren beloved
your election of God for, here's the first thing, for our gospel,
the gospel that saved me. The gospel we glory in the gospel
of God, the gospel of His grace, the saving gospel. For our gospel
came not unto you in word only, but also in power, and in the
Holy Ghost, and in much assurance." Now here is the first evidence
or mark of someone being one of God's elect. He said, our
gospel didn't come unto you in word only. but in power, and
in the Holy Ghost, and in much assurance." Now, what does it
mean to have the gospel in word only? That you have the truth. He said, our gospel came to you
not in word only. With some people, the gospel
comes in word only. Now, when does the gospel come
in word only? Well, I thought of three things,
all of which are related. The Gospels come to you in word
only when you're not hearing as a sinner. Now, I want you
to think about that. The only way you can hear the
Gospel is as a sinner. If you hear it to critique, if
you hear it to see whether or not you agree with it, if you
hear it to see how well it's being spoken, That's hearing
in word only. The only way you can hear the
gospel is when you hear as a sinner. And then the gospel comes to
you in power. It's good news to a sinner. Now you hear the gospel in word
only. when you don't hear the gospel as a sinner. May God deliver me from ever
losing my sinnerhood. And I'm not proud of being a
sinner in any way. I'm not saying that in any light.
But it's just that it's as a sinner that I need the Savior. It's
when I have absolutely no righteousness that His righteousness is precious
to me. When I'm a sinner, how precious
is the freeness of His grace. You hear the gospel in word only? When you don't hear it, it's
the absolute truth. When it's the preacher's opinion, when
it's a denominational distinctive, when it's what that church believes.
Turn across the page to 1 Thessalonians 2, verse 13. For this cause also thank we
God without ceasing, because when you receive the word of
God, which you heard of us. You 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." That's how you receive the Word
of God. Not as the Word of man, not as man's opinion, but as
the very truth of God. Now you hear the gospel as word
only when you don't hear it as good news. Now what do I mean
by that? I used this illustration the
other day, I'll just use it again. Let's just go to Sunday afternoon. I'm a sports fan, you know that. When the Cincinnati Bengals beat
the Pittsburgh Steelers, I was one happy camper. I was so happy.
I was glad. I told Linda it would make my
day. Before it happened, I'd be so
happy if that happened. The Bengals were happy. But you
know who wasn't happy? The Steelers fans, they weren't
happy about that. It wasn't good news to them.
Now, the exact same thing. The Bengals won. There's the
message. The Bengals won. I'm happy. Somebody else is pretty
upset. Same message, but good news is
always relative, isn't it? It's relative. I tell you what,
if you're a sinner, the message of sovereign grace comes as good
news. If you're totally depraved, you
love unconditional election. It ain't just a doctrine. It
opens the door of mercy. You love Christ's effectual redemption
for His people. You love the fact that His grace
is invincible and irresistible and you can't say no to it. You
love the fact that He preserves you. You see, the Gospel comes
as good news. Now, Paul said back in our text,
our Gospel came not to you in word only, but also in power. What's that mean? Look at the
next word. In the Holy Ghost. Now the only
way the Gospel can come in power is if it comes in the power of
God the Holy Spirit. That's when you hear. You know,
you can't hear and I can't hear unless God the Holy Spirit enables
us to hear. We need God the Holy Spirit just
to hear the gospel. I mean, hearing the gospel will
be dry to us, it will be nothing to us, unless God the Holy Spirit
empowers the Word to our heart. And we hear in power and in the
Holy Spirit. And here's what happens when
you hear it in the Holy Spirit, in much assurance. That's what
he says, in much assurance. Now, that's not talking about
personal assurance of salvation. It's really not. You know, I
was thinking about this. There are a lot of people who
had full assurance that they were saved, and when they died,
they woke up in hell. That's a scary proposition, isn't
it? I don't want that to happen to me. Now, when he's talking
about full assurance, he's not talking about full assurance
of personal salvation, although you ought to have full assurance
if you're a believer. If you don't have full assurance, that
means you're looking to yourself at that time, doesn't it? If you
look to Christ, you have full assurance, don't you? I mean,
when you know that what He did is all you need, you have full
assurance. It's when we look within. That's
when the assurance starts getting questionable. But when He says
full assurance, He's talking about this. You have full assurance
that this is God's gospel. You have full assurance that
this is the truth. You're fully assured that this
is the message of the gospel. Now that's what it is to hear,
not in word only, but also in power, in the Holy Spirit, and
in much assurance. Now look what he says next, verse
5. For our gospel came not unto
you in word only, but also in power, and in the Holy Ghost,
and in much assurance. Secondly, and you know what manner
of men we were among you for your sakes, and you became followers
of us, and of the Lord." You became followers of us, and of
the Lord. Now, somebody says, I don't follow
any man. I just follow Christ. I don't
follow a man, I follow Christ. That's religious, pious, mumbo-jumbo. That's all that is. It's not
even so. You can't follow Christ and not follow a man who is following
Christ. It can't be. If God has called
me to preach the gospel, and I'm preaching the gospel, You'll
follow me if you believe the gospel. Follow me as I follow
Christ. Now, that's the only way I say
that. Follow me as I follow Christ. But Paul says to these people,
you became followers of us and of the Lord. Now, am I putting
a preacher on a pedestal? No. A preacher is a sinful man.
You know how sinful you are? That's how sinful I am. That's
how bad I am. However bad you are, that's how
bad I am. Maybe worse. But I know that I preach the
Gospel. And if I'm following the Lord,
you'll follow along with me as I follow the Lord. He said, you
became followers of us and of the Lord. Let me show you this
in the Scripture. Turn to Luke chapter 10. Luke the 10th chapter. Verse 16, He says to His disciples,
He that heareth you, heareth Me. And he that despiseth you, despiseth
Me. And he that despises, belittles,
sets it not, me, despises him that sent me." Now this is what
Paul gives as an evidence of election. You became followers
of us and of the Lord. Let me tell you, I love this
passage of Scripture. Turn to 1 John chapter 4. And I can almost see people gnashing
their teeth on John for saying this. But he says in verse 6,
we are of God. 1 John chapter 4 verse 6. We are of God. He that knoweth
God, heareth us. And he that is not of God, heareth
not us. That's pretty simplistic, isn't
it? Hereby know we the spirit of
truth and the spirit of error. And I say the same thing. He
that's of God. Here's what I'm saying, because
I am preaching the gospel. I know I am. And he that is not
of God, heareth not us." Now back to 1 Thessalonians chapter
1. Here's the third evidence of being elect. First, the gospel didn't come
in word only, but also in power and the Holy Ghost and much assurance.
And then second, he became followers of us and of the Lord. Here's
the third thing, having received the Word in much affliction. with joy of the Holy Ghost, having
received the Word." Now here, when you receive the Word, you
know what the Word means? It means you welcomed it. It came as good
news. That's what you do when you receive
the Word. If you give me something, I receive it. If you give me
something that is of value to me, I receive it joyfully. And that's what it is to receive
the Word. You receive it joyfully. You receive it in much affliction,
but here's the point. Whatever God says, whatever God
says, you receive it. You bow to it. What does a man
have to believe to be saved? Everything God says, without
any exception. That's what believers do. They
believe. They receive all that God says. Whatever God says to me about
myself, I receive it. If He says I'm nothing but sin,
I agree. I'm in agreement with Him. If
He says He's in absolute control, I agree. I receive it. I receive
everything He says. Now, he said, you received it
in much affliction. Read Acts chapter 17 about the
founding of the church at Thessalonica. Paul was ran out of town and
these people continued believing the gospel. Paul had to leave
because there was a riot. There was fighting going on.
He said, you received the word in much affliction and in joy
in the Holy Ghost. Now, turn to Romans chapter 14. Verse 17, For the kingdom of God is not
meat and drink, Now, in the context, some were saying, if you refrain
from food or meat that was sacrificed to idols and certain drink, you'll
be more pleasing to God. And some said, no, that doesn't
make any difference. And Paul says, for the kingdom
of God is not meat and drink, but righteousness. Just forget
about the meat and drink. Righteousness. That means that
I have the very righteousness of Jesus Christ. That's the only righteousness
there is. You believe that? That's the only righteousness
there is. The kingdom of God is not meat and drink, but righteousness.
And what comes out of that? Peace. If Jesus Christ is my
righteousness before God, you know what I feel? Peace. God's pleased with me. And you
know what I feel when I feel peace? Joy. Joy in the Holy Ghost. Righteousness, peace, and joy. While you're there in Romans
14, look in Romans chapter 15, verse 13. Now the God of hope fill you
with all joy and peace. Now there's two great feelings. They're both feelings, aren't
they? I mean, joy is a feeling. Peace is a feeling. Somebody
says, what? Faith's not about feeling. Well, it may be, but
I wouldn't want to have a faith that didn't have any feelings,
would you? What good would that do you, to have just a dead faith
that doesn't move you? Oh, the joy and peace of what? Believing. believing that Jesus
Christ is the only righteousness there is, and His righteousness
is your righteousness before your God. Oh, what joy and what
peace is there. Now, he said, when you receive
the Word, back to our text, in 1 Thessalonians chapter 1, When you receive the word that
you heard from us in much affliction and in joy in the Holy Spirit,
in the Holy Ghost, verse 7, here is the fourth mark of election. So that you were examples, patterns,
to all that believe in Macedonia and Decai. You became examples
and the word is literally a form or a mold or a pattern. You become what some people would
call a cookie cutter Christian. Now what do I mean by that? You
became forms. You became molds. You became
patterns. We're all very unique individuals. I'm looking at some very unique
individuals. Ain't nobody like you. Ain't
nobody like me. I like it being that way. I mean,
I'm glad there's not another, I guess you're, probably a lot
of people are glad there's not another Todd Nyberg, but I mean,
we're all unique individuals and that's good. I'm glad the
Lord's made us that way. I mean, we have different likes,
different dislikes, different personalities, have different
raisings. I mean, all kinds of stuff has
been put together to make us different people. That being said, if we're saved,
We've been saved the exact same way. You know, Paul called himself
a pattern, didn't he? Remember, Christ Jesus came into
the world to save sinners of whom I am chief, howbeit for
this cause. God showed me mercy that I might
be a pattern to them which should hereafter believe. Now think
of Paul. Think of Paul. Was there anybody who was least
likely to be saved than Paul? Was there anybody who deserved
less to be saved than Paul? Not seeking Christ like Paul.
I mean, all he wanted to do was kill people who believed. I mean,
he's the last person that you would have thought would be saved.
Really. Paul would have been the last person. That's the person
God saved. And He saved him to make him
a pattern. Now you think of the pattern.
Turn to Acts chapter 22. If you're saved, you've been
saved the same way. Verse 6, "...and it came to pass,"
he's giving his testimony, his conversion experience, "...and
it came to pass that as I made my journey, and was come nigh
into Damascus about noon," now he was going there to arrest
people, to have them put to death. He wasn't seeking the Lord. "...and
it came to pass that as I made my journey, and was come nigh
into Damascus about noon, suddenly there shone from heaven a great
light round about me." It began with light. The light. Now John, what you said to me
the other day, light doesn't, light exposes. Light exposes. The brighter the light, the more
you're exposed, the more you see. And what happened? I fell
to the ground. You hit the dirt when you have
light. I fell to the ground. I heard a voice singing to me,
Saul, Saul, why persecutest thou me? You hear the voice of the
Lord Jesus Christ. You know it's His Word. You know
it's His truth. You may not hear it audibly,
but you know it's His Word. And I answered, Who art thou,
Lord? He said, I'm Jesus of Nazareth whom thou persecuted. And they
that were with me saw indeed the light, and they were afraid,
but they heard not the voice of Him that spake to me. They
heard not that this is the voice of God. And I said, What shall
I do, Lord? And the Lord said unto me, Arise,
go into Damascus, and there it shall be told thee of all things
which are appointed for thee to do. And when I could not see,
for the glory of that light being led by the hand of them that
were with me, I came into Damascus, and one Ananias, a devout man
according to the law, having a good report of all the Jews
which dwelt there, came unto me, and stood, and said unto
me, Brother Saul, receive thy sight. And the same hour I looked
upon him, and he said, The God of our fathers hath chosen thee,
that thou shouldst know his will, and see that just one, and shouldst
hear the voice of his mouth. For thou shalt be his witness
unto all men of what you have seen and heard. And now, why
tarryest thou? Rise and be baptized, and wash
away thy sins, calling on the name of the Lord." Now, what
Ananias said to Paul, The God of our fathers had chosen me.
Don't you know that if you're saved, it's because God chose
you to be saved? Don't you know that? You know that, don't you?
The God of our fathers had chosen. First thing Paul heard, that
you should know His will. And he's not talking about his
will of command, because Paul already knew that. He's talking
about his will of redemption. This is the will of him that
sent me, that of all which you have given me, I should lose
nothing, but raise it up again at the last day. If you're a
believer, you know his will. It's the will of God for everybody
that Christ died for to be saved. See that just one. You see how
God can be just and justify you through the just one. And you
hear the voice of His mouth, the gospel. You hear it's God's
gospel. If somebody doesn't follow that
pattern, then they're not one of God's elect. Now, when it's
talking about examples, examples, it's not really talking about,
well, I have such an exemplary example. We ought to have exemplary
examples. Don't get me wrong when I'm saying
that's not important. That's not what it's talking
about. You follow the pattern. Now, back to our text in 1 Thessalonians
1, the fifth thing, 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 were to spread abroad,
so that we need not to speak anything of you. Here's how I know you're God's
elect, from you sounded out the Word of God." Now that word,
sound out, means to sound as a trumpet. To sound as a trumpet. To thunder forth. You weren't
ashamed of the Gospel. Now, what is it someone believes?
What they say they do. What they say they do publicly.
I love what the Lord said when they came up and asked him if
it's doctrine. He said, why are you asking me? Ask them that
heard me. You know what a man believes not by asking him, but
asking the people who hear him. They can tell you what he believes.
And I know what a man believes by what he wants to identify
himself with. Do you want to identify yourself
with the gospel? The place where the word of God
is sounded out. That's what a believer wants,
is identification with that. And notice how Paul said, we
didn't need to say anything about you. They know from what you
say. What do others say about me? What do I mean by that? Well,
let's say I'm a follower of Jesus Christ. I'm a preacher of the
gospel. I stand for the gospel of God's grace. Well, that's
one thing to say it, but would somebody else say that about
me? Would somebody else say that? It's one thing for me to make
statements about myself. It's another thing for somebody
else to. Now, he said, I didn't have to say anything about you.
From you sounded out the word of the Lord everywhere. Now,
here's the sixth thing, verse 9. For they themselves shall of
us what manner of entering in we had unto you, how that you
turn to God from idols to serve the living and true God. You
turn to God. Now notice the order. He didn't
say you turn from your idols and then turn to God. No, you
turn to God. And then when you turn to God,
He turned to you and you turn to Him. What's the evidence He's
turned to you? You turn to Him. And when you
turn to the living and true God, you saw your idols for what they
were. Idols. You saw the falseness of where
you'd been. You turn to God from idols to
serve the living and the true God. He that doesn't reject the
false does not love the truth. Have you ever seen that your
old religion was idolatry and nothing more? And that's what
he says to the Thessalonians. You turn to God from idols to
serve the living and true God. And here's the last thing he
says in verse 10. This is how I know you're elect
of God. I know you're elect of God because our Gospel came to
you in word only, but also in power. I know you're elect of
God because you became followers of us and of the Lord. I know
that you're elect of God because you fit the mold, you're example
to all that believe in Macedonia and Chai. I know that you're
elect of God because from you sounded out the Word of the Lord.
I know that you're the elect of God because you turn to God
from idols to serve the living and true God. And I know you're
the elect of God because, verse 10, you wait for His Son from
heaven, whom He raised from the dead, even Jesus, which delivered
us from the wrath to come. Now, first thing I want to say
about that is look how he identifies the Lord Jesus Christ. He says
He's the one that God raised from the dead. Why did He die? What did He accomplish
in His death? Why did God raise Him from the
dead? Because He justified everybody He died for. And notice, I love
the way this is spoken. To wait for His Son from heaven,
whom He raised from the dead, even Jesus, which delivered us.
Not who will deliver us, but He's already done it. There's
a coming wrath. Don't kid yourself, there's a
coming wrath. There's such a thing as the wrath of God. But He delivered
us from that coming wrath. He already delivered us. He delivered
us. But notice this phrase, to wait
for His Son. Listen to this scripture, Romans
8.26, For we're saved by hope, but hope that's seen is not hope.
For what a man seeth, why doth he yet hope for? But if we hope
for that which we see not, then do we with patience wait for
it. Now there's one reason you wait
for somebody. You believe they're coming. You
believe they're coming. Now if you believe they're coming,
you'll wait however long it takes. You'll wait if you believe they're
coming. Now turn to Hebrews chapter 9. Here's waiting for Christ. Verse 24, for Christ is not entered
into the holy places made with hands, which are the figures
of the true, but into heaven itself, now to appear in the
presence of God for us. Isn't that a wonderful thing
to think about? Right now, He's appearing in
the presence of God for us. Nor yet, verse 25, that He should
offer Himself often. as the high priest entered into
the holy place every year with the blood of others. For then
must he have often suffered since the foundation of the world.
But now, once, in the end of the world, hath he appeared to
put away sin by the sacrifice of himself." And he did it, beloved.
He did it. And as it's appointed unto men
once to die, but after this, the judgment. So Christ was offered
to bear the sins of many, and into them that look for Him shall
He appear the second time without sin unto salvation. Now when my name is called on
Judgment Day, you know what I'm going to do? I'm going to wait
for Him to answer for me. I'm going to be looking for Him.
When Christ... How does that go? Duane, you
quote it. When Christ... Eternal questions. Oh, when it's
time for you to stand before God's judgment throne, will you
stand in Christ complete or will you stand alone? Here's what
I'm looking for. Will Christ stand when your name
is called and for you say, I'm here. Father, I'm here. Now that's what it is to wait
for Christ. You wait for Him. to answer for you. Now that's
what God's elect do. They wouldn't dare do anything
else. They wait on the Lord Jesus Christ,
that one who was raised from the dead, the one who actually
delivered us from the wrath to come. He did it. He did it. And we wait to have Him answer
for us. May God cause us to have all
of these evidences of being elect. Let's pray together.