How to Recognize God's Elect

I want you to open your Bibles
this morning to the book of 1 Thessalonians, chapter 1, verse 4. Now, will
you follow in your Bibles? I'm going to speak to you on
this subject, how to recognize God's elect. Now, this is going
to be interesting, and I'd like to have your undivided attention.
It's an important message, how to recognize God's elect. Now look at 1 Thessalonians 1,
verse 4. Verse 4 and 5 we're going to
read. Paul said, Knowing, knowing, brethren, beloved, your election
of God. I know you're one of God's elect.
For our gospel came not unto you in word only, but also in
power, and in the Holy Ghost, and in much assurance. Now the
people who heard this man Paul preach, they heard a true minister
of God. They heard a true prophet of
God. They heard a true ambassador
of Christ. They heard a man who knew and
preached God's glory and God's grace. Paul was a true servant
of God. He was sent of God. He wasn't
a man who ran on his own and delivered his own message for
his own glory and for his own prophet. but he represented the
Lord of Glory. They heard a man of God. He called
the gospel my gospel. That's right. He said it's my
gospel. It's my gospel because God committed
it to my trust. I've been entrusted with the
gospel. He called it my gospel because
he'd been saved by it. It's pretty hard to preach something
you haven't experienced. It's pretty hard to tell what
you don't know. And Paul had experienced the saving power
of this gospel, and he called it my gospel. He had experienced
it in his heart, not just in his head. The gospel to Paul
was not a doctrine only, it was an experience. He believed because
he experienced it. A man doesn't really believe
anything until he experiences it in his heart. He may profess
it, he may even preach it, but he doesn't believe it until he's
experienced it in his heart. And then he called it my gospel
because he was going to share in the ultimate glory of that
gospel. They heard a man who knew the
gospel. These people heard a man who had experienced the gospel. These people heard a man who
in his heart knew the gospel and called it my gospel. And
they heard a man who was determined to preach the truth of God's
word and the gospel at all costs. He said, I kept back nothing.
that's profitable unto you. He said, I have not shunned to
declare unto you the whole counsel of God. Do I seek to please men
or God? Now, if I please men, I am not
the servant of Christ. If I preach what I think you
want to hear, if I preach what I think you will support, if
I preach what I think you will pay for, I'm not the servant
of Christ. I've got to please God, not men. Woe unto you if all men speak
well of you, the Master said. Paul said, I'm not only ready
to be bound, but I'm ready to die at Jerusalem for the glory
of Jesus Christ. They said, don't go to Jerusalem,
they'll put you in jail, they'll put you in chains. He said, I'm
not only ready to be put in chains, I'm ready to die at Jerusalem
for the glory of Jesus Christ. Sirs, I believe God. And I am
determined to know nothing among you save Jesus Christ and him
crucified." Let others court the praise of the religious world. Let others covet the filthy lucre
of the religious world. Let others seek to build their
kingdoms and followers. He said, I am determined to know
nothing among you save Jesus Christ and him crucified. God
forbid that I should glory save in the cross. of Jesus Christ,
my Lord, by whom the world is crucified unto me, and I unto
the world. I'm not interested," he said,
in the world. The world's dead. The world's been crucified as
far as I'm concerned, and I don't want them to have any claims
on me or any investment in me. The world's dead as far as I'm
concerned. They heard a man of God. They knew they'd heard a
man of God. They heard a man God sent. They
heard a man who knew the gospel. They heard a man who'd experienced
the gospel. They heard a man who coveted no man's silver gold. He didn't covet anything anybody
could contribute or add to him. He didn't seek their approval.
He sought only the gospel of the glory of Jesus Christ. That
was all that was in his mind. That was the object, the sole
object of his ministry was the glory of Jesus Christ. He called
the gospel the gospel of God's glory. And I'll tell you, if
our gospel doesn't glorify God, it's not of God. If our gospel
does not glorify Christ, it is not of Christ. Whatsoever you
do in word or deed, do all for the glory of the Lord Jesus Christ. So these people to whom Paul
is writing, they had heard a true servant of God. They had heard
a prophet of God. And then secondly, Paul knew
that God had an elect people. This servant of God, whom God
had sent, to whom God had committed and entrusted this gospel, he
knew he didn't run in vain. He knew that he wasn't sent on
a useless mission. He knew that his errand would
meet with success. He knew God had a people. Paul
wasn't going out there hoping somebody would believe what he
preached. He knew somebody was going to believe it. Why, he
said in Romans 11, 5, "...even so at this present time." There
is a remnant according to the election of grace. And if it
be of grace, it's not of works. There is a remnant. There's a
handful. God has a people. I know that,
Paul said. I don't run in vain. I'm not
just beating the air. I'm sent on a mission. God's
got a people. Paul said also in Acts 18, he
said, Lord spoke to me in a vision one night. He said, I was about
to leave this place. And God came to me and spoke
to me in a dream and in a vision. He said, Paul, don't you be afraid,
but you speak and hold not your peace, for I'm with you and no
man shall hurt you, for I have much people in that city. You
know where that's found? Acts 18, 9 through 10. Now you
just stay where you are. He stayed there two years more.
Just stay where you are, Paul, don't leave. Why, Lord? Because
I've got much people in that city. God has a people. Paul knew that. I know that.
Somewhere out there listening to me, there's somebody whom
God has set his love upon. There's somebody out there upon
whom God Almighty has set his everlasting affection, who belongs
to Jesus Christ. Our Lord said, All that my Father
giveth me shall come to me, and him that cometh to me I'll in
no wise cast out. God has a people. And Paul knew
this. He knew that these people must
hear the gospel. Because the gospel is the power
of God unto salvation. Because God hath begotten us
again unto a living hope through the word of God. Because we are
born again, not of corruptible seed, but of incorruptible seed
by the word of God which liveth and abideth forever. And because
whosoever shall call upon the name of the Lord shall be saved,
but how shall they call on him in whom they have not believed?
And how shall they believe in him of whom they have not heard?
And how shall they hear without a preacher? So Paul knew they
had to hear the gospel. He knew God had an elect people.
Paul knew that. There's no doubt about that.
Our Lord's got a people. Read John 17. Six times he talks
about the people whom thou hast given me, those whom thou hast
given me. Christ prays for those whom thou
hast given me. He has a people, and Paul knew
they had to hear the gospel in order to be saved, because faith
cometh by hearing, and hearing by the word of God. And a man
cannot be saved without faith. Without faith it's impossible
to please God. He that cometh to God must believe
that he is. And then Paul was willing, this
man of God, this servant of God, this gallant gospel preacher,
he was willing to endure whatever he had to endure that these elect
people might hear the gospel and come to faith and come to
Christ. He said in 2 Timothy 2.10, Therefore I endure all
things. imprisonment, bondage, chains,
stoning, shipwreck, hatred, persecution. I endure all things, weariness,
pain, journeying. I endure all things for the elect's
sake that they may also obtain that salvation which is in Christ
Jesus with eternal glory." Paul was a servant of Christ. Paul
knew God had a people. Paul knew they had to hear the
gospel. And Paul was willing to go wherever he had to go,
suffer whatever he had to suffer, endure whatever he had to endure,
put up with whatever he had to put up with, that those elect
people might hear this gospel and come to faith in the Lord
Jesus Christ. Now, when he was blessed with
success, and he was, he was, God honored his ministry, God
blessed his ministry, and when he was blessed with success,
He didn't brag on himself. He didn't publish his report
in the newspaper. He didn't send out a magazine
telling everybody how many thousands he'd won to the Lord to send
him a little more money because he could win a soul for every
$2.31 that you send him. No, sir. Paul didn't brag on
himself. He didn't seek the praise of
men. When he was honored with success, he thanked God. That's right, he thanked God.
He said in verse 2 of 1 Thessalonians 1, we give thanks always to God
for you. And then in 2 Thessalonians 2.13,
he said, We're bound to give thanks unto God, 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. He said, I'm nothing. I plant and apolish waters, but
God giveth the increase. So then he that planteth is nothing,
and he that watereth is nothing, but God giveth the increase.
I'm not one whip behind the chief apostle, but I am less than nothing,
less than the least of all the saints, the chief of sinners.
By the grace of God, I am what I am. I thank God. When God's
pleased to save one, when God's pleased to call one out, when
God's pleased to open the heart, when God's pleased to raise up
a people, the apostle Paul didn't receive the facts of the people,
the praise of the people. All turn their eyes toward the
throne of grace, from which all blessings come. Come thou fount
of every blessing, tune my heart to sing thy praise. Strings of
mercy never ceasing, call for songs of loudest praise." They
said, thank God. Thank God. Thank God. All right,
he said, I know your election. He's writing back to this church
at Thessalonica, and he said, I know your election. How do
you know it, Paul? Well, there's several marks,
several ways to recognize the elect. Here's the first one.
He said, because our gospel came not to you in word only, but
it came to you in power. It came to you in the Holy Ghost.
It came to you in much assurance. In other words, these people
heard the gospel, not just in word only. Not just in word only. The same gospel is preached to
all men. Our Lord said, go into all the
world and preach the gospel to every creature. I'm preaching
the gospel. And there are literally thousands who are hearing this
gospel this morning, out yonder, in Virginia, in West Virginia,
in Ohio, in Kentucky, and they're hearing it in word only. That's
the way all men hear. That's the way you gotta hear
first. You gotta hear it in words. If I weren't speaking some words,
you wouldn't hear anything. There'd be silence on this telecast.
But you're hearing it in words. But Paul said these elects, they
didn't just hear the gospel in words. Not just in words. But they heard the gospel in
power. Not just as an argument, not just as a doctrine, not just
as a theory. That's the way a lot of people
hear it. That's the way most people hear it. But there's some, bless
God, who hear it with their heart. They hear it in power. They hear
it in a threefold way. First of all, they hear it in
the power of understanding. I understand. Oh, I understand
my sins. I understand my guilt before
God. When you heard my message last Sunday morning on how man
can be justified with God, some of you wrote in and said, I understand
my sin. I see my sin. And then I understand
something of the holiness of God, of the righteousness of
God. I understand how in Jesus Christ, now I understand how
God can be just and justify the ungodly. I understand. You heard
it with power, the power of understanding. I see. You heard it in the power
of faith, I believe. One lady wrote to me and she
said, I've been going about for 40 years, laboring to establish
my own righteousness. But now by the grace of God,
I see Christ is my righteousness and Christ is my hope. I see,
I see. She heard the gospel in power. in the power of understanding,
in the power of faith. I believe. I believe that God
has given all things to us in Christ. I believe that in Christ
we have wisdom, righteousness, sanctification, and redemption.
And I receive Him willingly as my Lord and Savior. That's the
power of understanding and the power of faith. You heard the
gospel. I know you're one of God's elect,
he said, because you've heard the gospel, not just as a doctrine
and a theory, and words of argument and debate and differences between
so many denominations, but you heard it in power. And you heard
it in the Holy Ghost. It came to you in the Holy Ghost.
The Holy Ghost is the author of the new birth. The Holy Ghost
is the author of spiritual life. The Holy Ghost is the author
of the new heart. The Holy Ghost is the author
of the resurrection from a spiritual grave and from darkness. The
Holy Ghost reveals Christ. That's his office work. That's
what he was sent to do. Christ said, when he, the spirit
of truth, is come, he will guide you into all truth. He shall
not speak of himself, but he shall take the things of mine
and show them to you. He shall glorify me. Oh, the
gospel came to you in power. It came to you in the Holy Ghost.
It came to you in much assurance. You were assured and persuaded
of the truth of that gospel. There can't be any other way.
And you were assured and persuaded of your interest in that gospel.
I know you're one of God's elect, he said, because our gospel came
not to you in word only. It came to you in power, in the
Holy Ghost, and in much assurance. Secondly, I know you're one of
God's elect, he says, in verse 6. Read verse 6. We read 4 and
5. Now read verse 6. And you became followers of me,
of us. and of the Lord. This is what
our Lord said of his sheep. My sheep hear my voice, and they
follow me. Those two things. Paul said,
I know you're one of God's elect because you've heard the gospel
in power, in the Holy Ghost, in much assurance, and you became
followers of the Lord. The Pharisees came to him. Read
that in John 10, verse 24 through 28. The Pharisees came to the
Lord, and they said, now if you be the Christ, Why don't you
tell us plainly?" And the Lord said, I told you. The works that
I do in my Father's name, they bear witness of me. I told you. But you believe not, because
you're not of my sheep. My sheep hear my voice. They hear with power, with the
Holy Ghost, with assurance. And they follow me. They follow
me, and I give them eternal life, and they shall never perish,
neither shall any man pluck them out of my hand. My Father which
gave them me is greater than all, and no man can pluck them
out of my Father's hand." God's elect. How to recognize God's
elect? They're recognized by the fact they follow Christ.
They're identified with Christ. They're not secret disciples.
They're not off somewhere hiding in the bush and come out of the
woodwork maybe once a week and light a candle and act like a
Christian and go back into the jungle. They follow Christ. They're identified with him as
he was identified with him. He said, I'm not ashamed to call
you brethren. And we're not ashamed to call
him Lord. They follow, they're identified with him. First, they're
identified with him in public confession. He said, if you'll
confess me before me, and I'll confess you before my Father,
which is in heaven. If you deny me, I deny you. They
confess him in baptism, which identifies us with Christ in
his death, burial, and resurrection. We're publicly identified with
Christ. We follow him in baptism. And then we're identified with
Christ in the gospel, in faith. We believe the gospel. Paul said,
I'm not ashamed of the gospel. I'm not ashamed of it. Why do
you speak in subdued tones when you talk about the Lord and his
gospel? Why do you speak in embarrassed tones? You can talk, like, with
a loud mouth about everything else. Why do you speak in such
subdued tones about the Lord of glory and his cross and his
gospel? Are you ashamed of Christ? Ashamed of Jesus? Can it be?
A mortal man ashamed of thee? Ashamed of thee whom angels praise? whose glory shine through endless
days. Ashamed of Jesus, yes I may,
when I've no guilt to wash away, no tear to wipe, no good to crave,
no righteousness to claim, no soul to save, but till then,
nor is my boasting vain, till then I'll boast the Savior's
slain, and oh may this my eternal glory be, and he's not ashamed
of me. Identified with Christ, publicly,
Identified with his gospel. Identified with his people. With
his people. Identified with his cause. Identified
with his reproach. He said, Marvel not, my brethren,
that the world hate you. It hated me before it hated you,
and the servants not greater than his Lord. Now if they love
me, he said, they'll love you. But if they don't love me, don't
expect them to love you. Because we're going to partake
of the sufferings of the Lord. Must Jesus bear the cross alone
and all the world go free? No, there's a cross for everyone
and there's one for me. I know your election, Paul said.
I can recognize God's elect. They hear his voice. And they
follow him. Now watch the next statement,
verse 7 and 8. And you became examples to others. And you became witnesses in every
place. You became examples. Peter was
sitting there by the fire. This is interesting. He was sitting
there by the fire warming his hands. They'd arrested the Lord,
and Judas had sold him out and betrayed him, and he was taken
off yonder somewhere to be mistreated. And Peter was sitting by the
fire. All these people were around, and somebody came up and said,
well, you're one of his disciples. No, he said, I'm not. Oh, yeah,
I saw you with him. No, you didn't see me with him.
And a little girl came up and she said, you're one of his disciples.
I can tell by the way you talk. You speak the truth. And brother,
I tell you, there's a whole lot there. You're one of God's elect. I can tell by the way you talk. Believers talk spiritually. Their foundation is built upon
Christ, and they like to talk about Christ. They love to talk
about Christ. They love to talk about his glory,
his sacrifice, his bloodshed. They shed blood because their
hopes in him. And believers talk scripturally. Their foundation
is the word of God. They don't prove anything but
what they think, because they know their thoughts are not God's
thoughts, and their ways are not God's ways. And there's a
way that seemeth right unto man, and so forth. But they talk scripturally.
They say, I don't understand this. This is what God says.
And that's what I believe. That's where believers are. I
can tell by the way you talk, you're one of God's elect. Because believers
talk spiritually, they love to talk about the Lord. They don't
avoid the issue, skirt the issue, they'll talk with you about the
Lord. And then they'll talk scripturally. They don't prove anything by
what the Baptists believe, or the Methodists believe, or anybody
else believe, but because God says it. They get back to the
Word. This is our foundation. And then
believers talk humbly. You don't hear them bragging
about what they're doing for God. Not a believer, not a true believer.
He says, I am what I am by the grace of God. I'm nothing. But
whatever I am, it's because of God's grace. He talks humbly.
He's not bragging on his holiness, and bragging on what he gave
to the church last year, and bragging on how many souls he
won, and bragging about what a big church they've got, and
bragging about this, that, and the other. No. He's nothing. He knows it. I can tell you a
believer by the way he talks. And then a believer talks submissively.
He doesn't say, I'm going to town this week, and I'm going
to build a new business, and we're going to do this, that,
and the other. He says, the Lord willing, I'm going to do this. Because
I can't take another breath without his grace. I can't raise this
hand without his grace. I won't see another sight without
his grace. God willing, God willing, I can
tell, the little maid said, you're a believer by the way you talk.
And I can tell God's elect by the way they, and by the way
they walk. We walk not after the flesh, but after the Spirit.
Enoch walked with God. Now, the believer will walk with
you if you're walking with God, but if you're not walking with
God, you can't walk together. He's walking with God. And then
the fourth place, verse 9. Paul said, I know you're one
of God's elect. You heard the gospel. Power, Holy Ghost, much
assurance. You followed the Lord. And then
you became an example to others. You became a witness. The gospel
went out from you to other places. And then you turned from your
idols, verse 9, to serve the living God. You turn from your
idols. These Thessalonians turned from
their idols. You say, Preacher, we don't worship
idols. We don't have any idols. They
may have idols over there in those foreign countries, but
we don't have idols in America. I don't know about that now.
Now, you may not be worshipping the calf of gold, but maybe you're
worshipping gold in another form. Hmm? How about the dollar? America's
bowing at the shrine of the dollar. That's right. Those who do not
worship gold may worship the idols of honor, fame, praise
of men. Preachers are guilty of this,
the praise of men. They love the praise of men more
than the praise of God. We may worship our children.
You talk about idols of stone, how about idols of clay? That's
what those children are, clay. Husband, wife, children, loved
ones, these too can become idols. We may as well worship bees.
Worship these idols of clay if I love anything or anyone more
than God. It's an idol If there's anything
I can't give up willingly for the glory of God. It's an idol
If it's anything I seek more than the glory of God. It's an
idol God's elect turns on their idols They crucify the flesh
they do it every day They take the family out to the graveyard
and bury them And they say, Lord, they're yours. Now, if you take
them, they're already dead. My business, my income, my loved
ones, they're already dead. I've already buried them. So
when it takes place, Lord, they'll just already be gone. The Lord
give us and the Lord take us away. Blessed be the name of
the Lord. And then Paul said, last of all, you're waiting for
his son from heaven. You're waiting for the Lord Jesus
to come again. I know you wanted God's elect.
Because you're waiting for the coming of the Lord. You're waiting
for him with persevering faith. You're continuing in the faith.
You're waiting for him to come and change your vile body into
the likeness of his glorious body. You're waiting for him
to come so that you can see him and be like him. You're waiting
for him to come to take you home to your eternal inheritance. I know you're one of God's elect.

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How to Recognize God's Elect

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