4 For we know, brothers loved by God, that he has chosen you, 5 because our gospel came to you not only in word, but also in power and in the Holy Spirit and with full conviction.” (1 Thessalonians 1:4–5a (ESV)
How did the Apostle Paul know God had chosen the Thessalonian believers unto salvation? How could he be so certain? How can believers in Christ today know God has chosen them? How can we be certain God has truly saved our souls?
The Apostle Paul knew God had chosen the Thessalonians because of four indisputable factors. (1) The word of the gospel had been preached; (2) The preaching came with power; (3) The power was from the Holy Spirit; and (4) The Holy Spirit brought full conviction. Let’s examine each of these factors individually.
First, the Apostle Paul, Silas and Timothy preached the word of the gospel to the Thessalonians. The word gospel (εὐαγγέλιον; euangelion) means good news or good tidings. In the New Testament (NT), the gospel specifically refers to four truths: (1) God exists; (2) Sin exists; (3) Salvation from sin’s penalty, power and eventual presence exists; and (4) One Savior exists and this is Jesus Christ (John 1:1-18).
Second, Paul wrote that the gospel came to the Thessalonians not just in word (λόγῳ; logos) or speech, but also in supernatural power (δυνάμει; dynamei). The supernatural power was from God through these three missionaries. The Thessalonians became changed people. The gospel them. Here is what the Apostle Paul says elsewhere about the power of the gospel.
16 For I am not ashamed of the gospel, for it is the power of God for salvation to everyone who believes, to the Jew first and also to the Greek. 17 For in it the righteousness of God is revealed from faith for faith, as it is written, “The righteous shall live by faith.” (Romans 1:16–17 (ESV)
18 For the word of the cross is folly to those who are perishing, but to us who are being saved it is the power of God. 19 For it is written, “I will destroy the wisdom of the wise, and the discernment of the discerning I will thwart.” 20 Where is the one who is wise? Where is the scribe? Where is the debater of this age? Has not God made foolish the wisdom of the world? 21 For since, in the wisdom of God, the world did not know God through wisdom, it pleased God through the folly of what we preach to save those who believe.” (1 Corinthians 1:18–21 (ESV)
“And I, when I came to you, brothers, did not come proclaiming to you the testimony of God with lofty speech or wisdom. 2 For I decided to know nothing among you except Jesus Christ and him crucified. 3 And I was with you in weakness and in fear and much trembling, 4 and my speech and my message were not in plausible words of wisdom, but in demonstration of the Spirit and of power, 5 so that your faith might not rest in the wisdom of men but in the power of God.” (1 Corinthians 2:1–5 (ESV)
Third, the power of the gospel originated from or by the Holy Spirit. The Holy Spirit empowered Paul, Silas and Timothy to preach the gospel. However, it was the Holy Spirit who converted the Thessalonians. Jesus spoke of the Holy Spirit’s necessary enablement in His conversation with Nicodemus (John 3:1-8). The Apostle Paul also contributed to this work by the Holy Spirit in Titus 3:1-5.
“Scripture reveals that all people are born “dead in sins and trespasses” (Eph. 2:1-3). By nature, we are unable to do anything pleasing to God. No one naturally seeks after God (Rom. 3:10–11). The natural man or woman is unable to see the kingdom of God or understand the things of God (John 3:3; 1 Cor. 2:14). This means that no one can trust in Christ apart from the initiative of God’s saving grace—namely, regeneration,” states Dr. R. C. Sproul.
In regeneration, God places a new heart—together with a renewed will, affections, and desires—in the elect. This enables believers in Christ to repent of sin, trust in Christ as Savior and Lord, and live in a manner pleasing to Him. Regeneration is, therefore, one of the saving benefits of redemption purchased by Christ and applied to the elect by the Holy Spirit. In the Old Testament (OT), the Prophet Ezekiel illustrated regeneration God replacing the sinner’s heart of stone into a heart of flesh (Ezekiel 36:25-27). The prophet also described regeneration by the vision of the dry bones (Ezekiel 37:1-14).
“The sense of the entire passage (verses 5–10) can be summarized as follows: “Do not be deceived by the enemies of the faith who are trying, by means of an attack on our integrity, to undermine your faith and your assurance of salvation. Our behavior among you was proof of our integrity and of the reliability of our message. Your own joyful acceptance of the gospel which we preached, so that you began to spread the news everywhere, and turned away from those idols of yours to serve the living God and to await his Son from heaven, clearly indicate that what happened (and is happening) in Thessalonica was (is) wrought by the Holy Spirit and was (is) the fruit of election. Any doubt about the genuine character of your faith was removed by Timothy (See I Thess. 3:5.) So, continue steadfastly,” comments Dr. William Hendriksen.
O. Palmer Robertson, in his essay “The Wind Blows Where It Wills,” writes the following.
The Spirit regenerates. How often have the clear words of Jesus been misunderstood! People universally re-write ‘You must be born again’ so that the phrase reads instead, ‘You must born yourself again!’ Not only does this mis-interpretation make no sense grammatically (an intransitive verb has no object); it makes nonsense of a profound spiritual truth. Just as you did nothing to cause yourself to be born into this fallen world, so you can do absolutely nothing to bring yourself into the divinely renewed world of redemption. You must be born ‘of the Spirit’ (John 3:5, 8). You cannot even coerce the Spirit of God to effect your regeneration. The wind blows where it will — and it is the Spirit’s will, not yours, that causes a person to be born from above (John 3:3). Indeed, if your will is renewed by the regeneration of the Spirit, you will choose to cry out to God for salvation, just as the newborn baby cries out once born. But give the divine Spirit the glory He deserves! Your cry for salvation comes as a consequence of your new birth, and never could be the cause of regeneration. The Spirit Himself sovereignly does this great work of total renewal.
May the Lord’s truth and grace be found here. Have a blessed day in the Lord.
Soli deo Gloria!
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