Have a message for you taken
from the book of 1st Thessalonians chapter 1 entitled six marks
of saving grace I Think you'll find this most interesting But
I would like for you to open your Bible to 1st Thessalonians
chapter 1 we're going to begin with verse actually verse 2 and
Go through verse 10 and the subject is six marks of saving grace
Now, the Apostle Paul wisely ascribes all things to God. In
verse 2 of this first chapter of Thessalonians, 1 Thessalonians,
he says, We give thanks to God always. We give thanks to God
always for you all. Now, Paul had ministered to these
people. They were special to him. He
loved them. He had actually been God's instrument
to bring them to a saving knowledge of Jesus Christ. He had preached
the gospel to these people, and they had heard the gospel from
Paul and believed it, and they had been saved by God's grace.
But Paul, he takes no credit or praise. He gives all thanks
to God. He says, we give thanks to God
always for every one of you, old and young, rich and poor,
black and white. We give thanks to God for you.
Our Lord Jesus Christ said to his disciples, you didn't choose
me. I chose you. You didn't choose
me. And again, Paul wrote these words.
We are his workmanship. We're his workmanship created
in Christ Jesus. And then he said, it is God that
worketh in you both to will and to do his good pleasure. Of him
are you in Christ Jesus, who of God is made unto us wisdom,
righteousness, Sanctification and redemption so Paul had every
reason to give thanks to God because all things are of God
All things are of God. So he begins this passage of
Scripture with these words. We give thanks to God always
For you all over in 1st Thessalonians. I believe it's chapter 5 verse
18 or 19 It says in everything give thanks now everything there
is It's good things and bad things. Everything, in everything, give
thanks. Always to God. For this is the will of God for
you. It's not hard for us to give thanks for good things,
is it? It's rather difficult for us to praise and thank God
for trials and tribulations and heartache and these things. But
he says in everything give thanks. So here the apostle begins this
passage of scripture with these words, I give thanks to God. Always for all of you and then
he says I pray for you. I Remember your work of faith
Now it's because you believe that you work in the master's
vineyard You don't work in the master's vineyard in order to
receive his favor It's because you're an object of his favor
that you do work. It's because you believe that
you do work He calls your work a work of faith work of faith
and then he says I Remember your labor of love. It's because you
love him that you labor in the service of others Because you
love and then he says I remember your patience of hope It's because
you have a good hope in Christ that you are patient in trial
You see Abraham's trial did not produce faith it revealed faith
God didn't send Abraham through these trials to see if he had
faith. It was to prove his faith. It
was to reveal his faith. So because we have faith, we
work. Because we love Christ, we labor
in service of others. And because we have a certain,
sure, steadfast hope in the Lord Jesus Christ, then we can be
patient under trials. For all things work together
for good to them who love God, to them who are called according
to his purpose. We know that, then we can have
patience. Patience is built upon that foundation,
the foundation of hope. All right, see where we are now.
Paul opens the chapter, and he says, Paul, Silas, and Timothy
all send their greetings to the church at Thessalonica. And they
said, grace be, mercy, peace be unto you from God the Father
and from our Lord Jesus Christ. We give thanks to God for you.
We don't take the praise and the credit for you, or for your
faith, or for your steadfastness, or for your loyalty, or for your
salvation. We don't take the credit. We
don't brag about the fact we won you to the Lord. We give
thanks to God for you. And we pray for you. I don't
know of anything that we can say about or to one another that
carries more meaning than this. I pray for you. I call your name
in prayer. I make mention of you in prayer
every day. For I remember your work of faith. I remember your labor of love. I remember your patience of hope. Now look at verse 4. And Paul
said, brethren, I know that you're God's elect, knowing, brethren,
beloved, your election of God. I know that you're God's elect. Now, first of all, Paul knew
that God had an elect people. Over in Romans 11, verse 5, the
Apostle Paul says, even so, even so at this present time, there
is an election according to grace, not of works, but according to
God's sovereign grace. Even so at this time, there is
an election according to grace. What made him say this? Well,
there was a prophet by the name of Elijah who was all alone,
he thought. He had battled the prophets of
Baal on Mount Carmel. He had battled wicked Queen Jezebel
and King Ahab. All the people were turned against
him. He just said, Lord, why don't you kill me? I'm the only
one left. Why don't you just kill me and
take me out of this world? I'm the only one left. And God
said, Elijah, you're not the only one. I have reserved unto
myself 7,000 I have reserved to myself 7,000
men who have not bowed their knee to Baal." And that's when
Paul said, even so, at this present time, there's a rendement according
to the election of grace. So Paul knew God had an elect
people. It doesn't matter how dark the
day, God has an elect people in this day. Out of every tribe,
kindred, nation, and tongue unto heaven. That's why we're exhorted
to go into all the world and preach the gospel there. every
creature, because God has a people in every tribe and nation under
heaven. And Paul knew not only that God
had an elect people, but he knew that those elect people must
and will hear the gospel and believe that gospel. He says
the preaching of the cross is foolishness to them who are perishing,
but to them who are being saved, it's the power of God, it's the
wisdom of God. And God hath chosen by the foolishness
of preaching to save them that believe. For faith cometh by
hearing, and hearing by the word of God. And our Lord said, He
that heareth my word and believeth on him that sent me hath everlasting
life." Are you with me? Paul knew God had an elect people. He knew that. He knew that those
people must and will hear the gospel and believe it. And he was willing, thirdly,
to endure all things that those people might hear that gospel.
He was willing to endure stoning and shipwreck, imprisonment,
hatred, suffering, whatever. He says in 2 Timothy 2.10, therefore
I endure all things for the elect's sake that they may also obtain
that salvation which is in Jesus Christ our Lord. One time Paul
was abused and mistreated and hated in a certain in a certain
city and he was just about to leave He was leaving there and
the Lord came to him and said to him Paul Don't be afraid No
man's going to do you any harm You stay here and pray. I have
much people in this city and Paul stayed there for how long
was it a year and a half? And God saved many people. I
have much people in this city. So don't leave. Stay around.
So Paul was willing to endure whatever persecution or hatred
or humiliation or whatever in order that God's elect might
hear the gospel. And then Paul rejoiced and praised
God when he found those who heard believed and embraced the gospel. He wrote in 2 Thessalonians 2.13,
we're bound to give thanks always to God for you, beloved of the
Lord. Because God has from the beginning
chosen you to salvation through sanctification of the spirit
and belief of the truth. I had a man say to me one time,
I don't believe in election. I said, you don't? Are you a
Christian? He said, yes. I said, you're a believer? Yes.
You don't believe in election? No. I said, answer three questions
for me. Will you answer three questions
and answer them from the Bible? Don't answer them from the top
of your head now answer them from God's Word number one. Did
you choose God or did he choose you? Well, he said God God chose
me and I said secondly, when did he choose you? Well, he said
when I believe And I said that's not what the Bible says Well,
he said he chose me before the foundation of the world. That's
what the Bible says I said why did choose you? Why why you? And he said, according to the
good pleasure of his own will. I said, my friend, any man who
believes the Bible, who believes God, has got to believe in election. The word used too many times
is God's word. God shall send forth his angel
and gather his elect. He said, the Antichrist shall
deceive many if it were possible to very elect. For the elect's
sake, those days shall be shortened. We can just go right on through
the word. Elect according to the foreknowledge of God through
sanctification of the spirit and belief of the truth. And
then here in 1 Thessalonians 1 verse 4 Paul said, Bradman,
thank God for you. Pray for you. I remember your
work of faith. And he said, I thank God that
you're one of his elect. And he gives six reasons. He
gives six reasons why he believes that these people were elect
people, were God's chosen people, were God's special people. You
know, the scripture calls them a holy nation, a royal priesthood. It calls them God's jewels the
Lord Jesus Christ called them my sheep and many named the brethren
and a holy nation But here are six reasons Paul gives for believing
these people at Thessalonica were the elect of God number
one verse five you see it He said knowing brethren beloved
your election of God verse five now for our gospel Came not,
not to you in word only, in word only. Now that's the way that
most men hear the gospel. In fact, that's the way that
every man hears the gospel. That's the way every man has
to hear the gospel in what words are vehicles of thought. There's
no way that you can know what I'm thinking if I don't tell
you. I've got to either write the word or speak the word. But if I just stand before this
camera And look into this television set and never open my mouth.
You're not going to know what I'm thinking. Words are vehicles
of thought. So everybody who hears the gospel
hears it in words. You have to hear it that way.
Our Lord said, go into all the world and preach the gospel to
every Christian. Preach the gospel to every Christian.
You've got to hear it in words. But he says to these people,
the elect of God hear it another way, another way. besides just
words. How's that? He says they hear
it in power. They hear it in power. They hear
it in the Holy Ghost. They hear it in much assurance.
The word of faith we preach to you is a word that you hear with
a heart, with a heart. Now the gospel is called a mystery
in the word of God. There's a difference in hearing
words and doctrines and truths with the natural ear and hearing
the Holy Ghost teach the gospel with the heart. There's a difference.
And when you hear the Holy Ghost speak in power, you find out
who God is. You find out the attributes of
God, the glory and character of God, and the power and wisdom
of God. You find out the condition of
man by nature, his fall, his inability, his sinfulness. You find out who Christ is. He
came into this world that God gave Christ to come into this
world to redeem sinners You find out about the active and passive
obedience of Christ. You say what's that preacher?
Our Lord in his active obedience Fulfilled the law of God and
the Word of God. He met it head-on and Obeyed
it and fulfilled every jot and tittle of the law. He actively
engaged in fulfilling a righteousness for us and then he allowed himself
to be crucified. Passive, he submitted humbly
and passively to the wrath and death and condemnation of the
cross. You learn those things the Holy
Spirit teaches them. You find out about his intercessory
work and his priestly work. He said, I know your election
because you didn't just hear the gospel in words and doctrines,
you heard it in power. You heard it in the Holy Ghost,
and you heard it in much assurance. Now look at the second mark of
saving grace. He said, I know you're God's
elect because, first of all, you heard the gospel in power
in the Holy Ghost. And then he said, verse 6, you
became followers of us and the Lord. You became followers of
us and the Lord. Our Lord Jesus Christ, in describing
his sheep in John chapter 10, said, my sheep hear my voice
and they follow me. They follow me. You see, salvation
is not just hearing, not even just hearing with the heart,
but salvation is following Christ. It's a committal to Christ. The
Apostle Paul said, I know whom I have believed. I am persuaded
he's able to keep that which I've Committed I've committed
intelligently willingly consciously. I've committed myself to Christ
If I shall confess me before me and I'll confess you before
the father in heaven You deny me before me in Christ said I'll
deny you before my father's which is in heaven Believers are identified
with Christ. They follow him They follow him. So Paul said I know your election
you heard the gospel with your heart not in word only but in
with the Holy Ghost and power and assurance, and you became
followers of the Lord. And not only followers of the
Lord, but believers follow and are identified with one another. With one another. They love other
believers. They like to be with them. They
like to encourage them. They like to exhort them. They like to worship with them.
They enjoy the fellowship of other believers. They're not
happy with those who do not love their Lord. They do not enjoy
the comradeship or companionship of people who do not love Christ.
They love them, they wish them well, but they'd rather be with
those who know the Savior. So this is the second mark of
saving grace. First, you hear the gospel with
the heart and believe it and understand the wisdom and Glory
of God in the redemptive person and the redemptive character
of Christ and then you follow the Lord now thirdly look at
verse 7 quickly He said in verse 7 and you were examples the word
there's examples, but in the King James, but that's examples
you were examples to all that believe in Macedonia and Achaia
Now no believer professes to be perfect We don't claim perfection
either inwardly or outwardly We can all say with the Apostle
Paul. I'm not perfect. I have not arrived. I have not
apprehended I've not laid hold upon that for which I've been
laid hold of by Christ Jesus, but I'm telling you this if any
man's in Christ Jesus If any man's in Christ by faith by the
power of God by the new-born He is a new creature He's a new
person. He is an example. He's an example
to others. I didn't say he was a perfect
example. I didn't say he was without fault. But he is an example. He said you became examples to
your friends and to your family and to your neighbors. Examples
of love. You love one another. And people
know that you do. They detect that spirit of love
in your heart and in your words and your actions. You're an example
of humility. You're an example of honesty.
You're an example of grace. You're an example of forgiveness.
You don't hold grudges and seek vengeance. You're an example
in giving. You're an example in faithfulness.
You're an example in perseverance. You walk and talk like believers. You're an example. You became
an example. That's a mark of saving grace. All right, here's the fourth
one. Now let's look at them again briefly. He said, I know brethren
your election of God because you heard the gospel in the power
of the Holy Spirit. And you became followers of the
Lord. You identified yourself. You declared yourself. You committed
yourself. You openly identified yourself
with the master. And you became examples to people
around the Baptist. They saw something happened in
your heart, in your life. Something had taken place. You
were changed. You were different. You were
not the same person. And then he said you became witnesses.
He said the word of God sounded out from you. In Macedonia, Achaia,
and in every place. In other words, you became a
witness of Christ. Our Lord said, ye shall be witnesses
unto me, and ye are my witnesses. True believers can't help but
tell others about Christ. I hear grandmothers and grandfathers
sitting around talking about their grandchildren. You just
can't get them to be quiet. They demand equal time to talk
about their grandchildren. Why? They love them. They love
them. I believe if a man loves Christ and loves the gospel,
he's going to talk about it. I was down in Mexico last week
visiting with some missionaries, and I had the privilege of preaching
in several pueblos there, and I went out to one little village,
a two or three-hour drive over a dirt, rough, rocky road. And there were some people living
like their ancestors did a thousand years ago, grinding their corn
with rocks and cooking on rocks outside, living in little mud
huts with fat roofs and dirt floors and sleeping in hammocks.
But they had a group of believers there, a church. I preached to
70 or 80 people there in that little church that they built,
not with American dollars, not with somebody putting the church
up and financing it. They did it themselves. It took
them four years to do it. But they built every, laid every
rock and every stone and every piece of roofing. They did it
themselves. And I talked to these different men through an interpreter.
I preached through an interpreter. But there was Marcello and Magdaleno
and Cantanilo and Gustavus and Ephraim and these men I talked
to. And they were going. to other villages telling about
Christ, preaching the gospel. They were going to Tabi and Kis-ka-ka-tu-yu
and Ti-lo. They were going to these villages
and one of them was six hours walk, one way. They walked six
hours one way to pray. And six hours back, they asked
us to help them get a motorcycle so they wouldn't have to walk
so far. They said, but whether you get the motorcycle or not,
we're going on and telling men about Christ. We can't help but
tell men about the Lord. He's done so much for us. We're
so grateful for his grace and mercy. We love his word. And
these men, five of them, seven of them in all, were walking
for six hours to preach every week in this village and walking
two or three hours another way and walking two or three hours
another way, barefooted some of them and on old sandals to
tell men about Christ, witnesses. That's a mark of saving grace.
You must tell others about him whom you love, if you love him.
And then here's the fifth mark of saving grace, verse 9. He
said, you turn from your idols to serve the living God. You
turn from your idols to serve the living God. Now, my friend,
our God is not dead. We're not worshiping a Christ
lying in a coffin. We're not even worshiping a Christ
hanging on a cross. We don't worship Christ hanging
on a cross. We're not worshiping a dead Christ.
We're worshiping a living Lord. You turn from your idols to serve
the living Lord. He died for our sins, but he
lives. He reigns. He's seated at the
right hand of God. Because I live, ye shall live.
So therefore, God is not a statue. God is not a picture. And God
is not an idol. God is a living God. David said,
as the deer panted for the water brook, so panteth my soul after
thee, the living God. Jesus Christ, our Lord, said
in John 17, verse 3, this is eternal life, that they might
know thee the only true and living God. Our Lord said to the woman
at the well in John 4, 24, God is a spirit. They that worship
him, worship him in spirit, not in picture, not in picture, in
spirit and in truth. You turn from your idol. And
my friend, we, just like those folks in Mexico, they're persecuted
when they turn to Christ. When they turn from these big
cathedrals and turn from these old stone cathedrals with their
three-foot thick walls and burning candles and statues and pictures
and all these things and start worshiping God in spirit and
truth, they are persecuted. But they no longer, they tell
me, they can't worship idols and worship the living God. The
Lord Jesus Christ doesn't dwell in temples and cathedrals made
by men's hands with ivy growing on the walls and moss growing
on the inside and dampness everywhere. He lives. He lives in our hearts.
We worship him in spirit and truth. You turn from your idols
to serve the living God. Our Lord lives. But now some
people's idols are not all just religious idols. Idols of fame
and idols of pride and idols of self-glory and how we make
idols out of our children we make Idols out of a lot of things
we idolize people And we're just all the same. We're one in Christ.
We're brethren There's no high and low and rich and poor and
male and female bond and free and barbarian city and so forth
It's one in Christ Christ is all we're nothing. He's everything
And then the sixth mark of saving grace, he says in verse 10, you
turn from your idols to serve the living 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. Now, my friends, let
me tell you something. I don't, you don't, nobody else knows
when the Lord's coming. And I don't you don't nobody
else knows what's gonna take place when he comes a lot of
people think to do but they don't they're just making money on
these Propositions and making money on books and other things
hooksters merchandisers of men Forecasting the future prophesying
the future. We don't know what's going to
happen when Christ comes I just there's some things I do know
number one. He's coming back. He said so he said I go to prepare
a place for you And if I go and prepare a place for you, I'll
come again His and his ascension the angel said to the disciples
ye men of Galilee this same Jesus Which is taken up in you from
you into heaven shall so come in like man as you've seen him
go And John closed the Bible with these words even so come
Lord Jesus. He's coming back He's coming
back to this earth and he said his rewards with him and I know
this when he comes back today It'll be raised and the living
will be changed When he comes back, we're going to be seeing
him as he is we're going to be made like him But until he comes
back, I'm going to wait for his coming, and I'm going to continue
to preach the gospel of his redeeming grace. I'm more interested in
the reign of Christ in your heart right now than the reign of Christ
on a literal kingdom in Jerusalem so many years from now.