The Victory of Faith

I Thessalonians. 1:1-10

November 25, 2007

BACKGROUND
The book of I Thessalonians is most likely the oldest book in the New Testament being the first of Paul’s writings, even predating the gospels.
Paul was writing to commend them for remaining steadfast and their growth in the faith, and also to teach them about the second coming of Christ.

V. 4...THEIR ELECTION
The free will of man and the election of God will never be fully understood this side of Heaven, but remember the Bible teaches both.
"How do we reconcile these two truths?" a man once asked Spurgeon. "I never try to reconcile friends. They are not contradictory, but complementary."
ILLUS...Like rails on a railroad track running parallel, but meeting in the distance at the vanishing point on the horizon.
To the Father...we were saved when He chose us in Christ before the world began, Eph. 1:4
To the Son...we were saved when He died on the cross for us
To the Holy Spirit...we were saved when we repented of our sins and placed our faith in Christ alone.

I believe in election because the Bible teaches it.
Jesus, John, Peter, and Paul all spoke on the subject.
Some call it Calvinism, but that’s just a nickname.
John Calvin didn’t come up with the doctrine, nor did Paul.
(Besides Calvin was no friend of Baptists)

I’m not a Protestant or Reformed Baptist, I am a Historical Baptist
All the founders of our denomination, the Southern Baptist Convention, and the founders of The Southern Baptist Theological Seminary, to a man, believed in and preached the doctrine of election as it is taught in the New Testament, and they were evangelistic.

I believe in and love the doctrine of Election because without it no one would ever be saved.
Jn. 6:44...God puts the desire in our hearts to be saved, then He draws us to Himself in conviction.
Jn. 6:37...No one is predestined to Hell. If you die and go to Hell, you’ll have no one but yourself to blame. But if you go to Heaven, you will have no one but God to thank.
So then, why be evangelistic and missionary? Because we are commanded to be, Mk. 16:15.
We are called to preach the gospel to as many people as we can, and leave the results to God.
We get off track when we try to do the Holy Spirit’s job Him. If the Holy Spirit can’t move someone after they have heard the gospel, I figure I have no business trying.
I cannot say that I understand all about election, but neither do I understand allabout the virgin birth, the Holy Trinity, and the hypostatic union, but I believe them all.

V. 5...THEIR EVIDENCE
The evidence was spelled out in v. 3:
Jn. 6:29...Their work of faith, labor of love, and the patience of hope that was evident in their lives.
II Peter 1:10...It was how they made their calling and election sure.
The Word came to them in power and assurance by the Holy Spirit. It gave them the power to change their lives and assurance to persevere in trials and temptations.

II Thess 2:13,14...Election also enables us to spot a true believer from a make believer
ILLUS...A Muslim man from Pakistan was in the congregation in a revival service where I was preaching. He was very attentive, and at the end of the service he shook my hand and said, "I enjoyed your lecture very much!" He had listened attentively, but to him it was just a lecture and not the Word of God coming in power and assurance.
Preaching is not a lecture, an address, or a speech,...it is a sermon. It is God speaking His Word through an individual.
A true gospel sermon can be preached to anyone, anytime, and anywhere because the gospel does not change, ever.
A speech or lecture is usually tailor-made to fit that particular crowd, and is some man’s ideas.
It is not important what I have to say, but it is all important what God has to say.

Faith in Christ is the most important matter in life. But so many people are entangled in things that do not matter; sports, hobbies, etc.

100 years from now it won’t matter how many fish you caught, how many trophies you won, or how many trinkets you were able to collect.
But 100 years from now the only thing that will matter is did you receive the Word of God, the message of the gospel? Did it come to you in power and assurance?

It is so important that it will probably have an effect on your own children and grandchildren.
V. 9...For their sake alone is reason enough for you to turn from your idols to serve the living and true God.

V. 10...THEIR EXPECTATION
These believers who were experiencing temptations from within and persecutions from witout could bear it all patiently because they were waiting for the Son to return
He had Himself been raised from the dead and became the firstfruits

But there is another reason to trust God, to escape the wrath of God, v. 10.
God is perfectly just, and that is why no one will get away with their sin.
He punished Christ on the cross when He paid the penalty due us. God will not punish two people for the same offense.
You can trust Christ for the forgiveness of your sins, or spend all eternity in Hell paying for your own sins.