For our Scripture reading this morning, turn with me to 1 Thessalonians 1. 1 Thessalonians 1. If we read together that chapter, the text for our consideration is verse 4 of 1 Thessalonians 1. Hear now the Word of God. Paul, Silas, and Timothy, to the church of the Thessalonians in God the Father and the Lord Jesus Christ, grace and peace to you. We always thank God for all of you mentioning you in our prayers. We continually remember before our God and Father your work produced by faith, your labor prompted by love, and your endurance inspired by hope in our Lord Jesus Christ. For we know, brothers, loved by God, that He has chosen you because our Gospel came to you not simply with words, but also with power, with the Holy Spirit, and with deep conviction. You know how we lived among you for your sake. You became imitators of us and of the Lord. In spite of severe suffering, you welcomed the message with the joy given by the Holy Spirit. And so you became a model to all the believers in Macedonia and Achaia. The Lord's message rang out from you not only in Macedonia and Achaia, your faith in God has become known everywhere. Therefore, we do not need to say anything about it, for they themselves report what kind of reception you gave us. They tell how you turned to God from idols to serve the living and true God and to wait for His Son from heaven, whom He raised from the dead, Jesus, who rescues us from the coming wrath. Verse 4 once again, For we know, brothers, loved by God, that He has chosen you. Beloved congregation of our Lord Jesus Christ, as we have been considering the canons of Dort so far, we'll take a little break until the week after next, the Lord willing, but as we've considered that so far, We began with the Bible's teaching regarding election. The Bible teaches unconditional election. God chose a people for Himself, the church, to save out of the whole human race not because those chosen would meet the conditions in order to be saved. Remember, Paul says we are dead in our trespasses and sins. God alone makes us alive. God, as Paul says in Ephesians 1, verse 4, chose us in Him, in Christ, before the creation of the world, to be holy and blameless in His sight. God did not choose His people because they were already holy and blameless. But He chose them to be, to become holy and blameless in His sight. Unconditional election, as we have said before, is indeed a deep doctrine of the truth of the Bible. A doctrine which is very difficult for many to understand. None of us can understand it fully. A doctrine which is even more difficult for many to accept. And a natural question for many is this. Can I know if I am one of God's chosen people? Can I know that? And if so, how can I know that? And then also this morning, how does this fit? How does election fit with the Lord's table? I hope it's clear, congregation, from the very reading of this text this morning that the answer is yes. Yes, I can know. And yes, I can have the assurance of being one of God's elected people. Now in this first letter to the Thessalonians, in this first chapter, Paul is giving thanks for the faith of the Thessalonian believers. And with the words of the text, He gives us the reason for His thanks. And therefore, I preach to you this Word of God. Paul declares the certainty of the believer's election. We want to consider two things. First of all, the believer's identity with Christ. And secondly, the believer's position in Christ. Now, I believe that it's interesting to consider the fact that Paul lived and preached and ministered in a time which really is quite foreign to most, if not all of us. as i said in the earlier service many of us move from location to location and there's churches on many corners and we find a church where god's people are gathered together believers are there and we hear the word of god preached but paul went into cities where there were no christians where there were no churches and we could say in a sense that paul experienced church growth from the ground up as he was used by God to plant churches in many of the cities where his missionary journeys took him. We experienced true church growth as well through our children being raised in the faith and coming to the point where they profess their faith in the Lord Jesus Christ. As well, where others are brought in from outside who did not grow up in the faith, in Christian families, but who are brought by God's grace to believe in the Lord Jesus Christ. But again, Paul, in a sense, from the ground roots level. In Acts 17, verses 2 and 3, we read that when Paul came to Thessalonica, as his custom was, Paul went into the synagogue, and on three Sabbath days, he reasoned with them from the Scriptures, explaining and proving that the Christ had to suffer and rise from the dead. He began with the Jews. He began in the synagogue. But we're also told in that chapter that some of the Jews were persuaded and joined Paul and Silas, as did a large number of God-fearing Greeks and not a few prominent women. Again, he experienced church growth from the ground up, including in Thessalonica, where it's interesting that the church was made up mostly of Gentiles. Now, with this chapter, he writes to this church encouraging the believers in that place. And part of his encouragement is telling them that he gives thanks to God for them in prayer, and as he remembers them, as he recalls their faith and their works of Christian service, he issues a very bold declaration or statement. He is filled with confidence on behalf of his partners, Silas and Timothy, as he says, for we know. Now we might think, what's so important about that? For we know. It doesn't seem so significant, but we need understand that what Paul is about to say is not a wish. It's not a hope. It's not something that has not been fulfilled yet and maybe never will be. What Paul is about to say is a fact, a very important fact, for we know, what? That He, God, has chosen you. You see, that's the believer's position in Christ. That's our second point. But before we consider that together, let's back up and take note of how Paul identifies the Thessalonian believers. How does he identify those whom he so confidently says, for we know that God has chosen you? He calls them brothers, loved by God. Brothers. Right away he puts them in a category with himself. Now we know that Paul was confident of his own standing with Christ by the grace of God. He was confident of his own election and salvation. Again, Ephesians 1, verse 4, he says, God chose us. Not God chose them, but us. And Paul was included. In 1 Timothy 1, verse 15, we read, Paul says, Christ Jesus came into the world to save sinners of whom I am the worst. 2 Timothy 1, verse 12, there he says, I know whom I have believed and am convinced that He is able to guard what I have entrusted to Him for that day. And then one more to give us the flavor of this. 2 Timothy 4, verses 7 and 8. Those familiar words, I have fought the good fight. I have finished the race. I have kept the faith. Now there is in store for me the crown of righteousness which the Lord, the righteous Judge, will award to me on that day and not only to me, but also to all who have longed for His appearing. Paul confidently identified himself with Christ, that he was united with Christ in Christ's death and resurrection. And he also identifies these Thessalonian believers with Christ. He calls them brothers. There's only one family of God. And all those adopted by God into His family for Jesus' sake are brothers and sisters who can confidently say together, Abba, Father. Paul identifies them with Christ already in verse 3 though when he speaks of the triad of blessings that he lists there. They are loved by God. And God poured out His love upon them with those wonderful gifts of faith, hope, and love in the Lord Jesus Christ. Notice what verse 3 says again. We continually remember before our God and Father your work produced by faith, your labor prompted by love, and your endurance inspired by hope in our Lord Jesus Christ. Now, if you think about this congregation, it really is amazing that Paul would call Gentiles brothers. We remember Paul all too well. In fact, he makes it clear in Philippians 3 that he was an exceptional Jew, circumcised on the eighth day, of the people of Israel, of the tribe of Benjamin, a Hebrew of Hebrews, in regard to the law, a Pharisee, as for zeal, persecuting the church, as for legalistic righteousness, faultless. But by God's grace, Paul knew that all those who are recipients of God's grace, God's redeeming grace, red or yellow or black or white, rich or poor, whatever the case may be. All those who are the recipients of God's redeeming grace are equal in the sight of the Heavenly Father and are a part of His family. Paul identifies these Thessalonian believers with Christ. They have faith, hope, and love in Him. And then throughout the rest of the chapter, verses 6 and following, he gets specific about their work of faith, hope, and love. Notice this, beginning in verse 6, you became imitators of us and of the Lord. You welcomed the message with the joy given by the Holy Spirit. You became a model to all the believers in Macedonia and Achaia. The Lord's message rang out from you. Your faith in God has become known everywhere. You turned to God from idols to serve the living and true God and to wait for His Son from heaven. Things that we might be able to say ought to be fundamental to the life and to the living of God's people. Wonderful things that Paul says confidently about these believers. But now, what is the reason for all of this? Well, it's because of their position in Christ. And what is that again? The text says, For we know, brothers, loved by God, that He has chosen you. They are chosen by God. But you see, believers are not chosen by God because they are in Christ. Because they already have faith, hope, and love. But you see, believers have. They are given faith, hope, and love because of their position in Christ. Because God has elected them from the foundation of the world. God pours His love out upon those He has elected unconditionally. And the greatest demonstration of God's love poured out upon you and me who believe that wonderful mark of election is being gathered by the Spirit of God into His flock for the sake of the saving sacrifice of Jesus Christ. God has elected His people from eternity past. He gathers them together into His church throughout time. And then how does God gather together His chosen ones? Notice verse 5, coming off of our text again, For we know, brothers, loved by God, that He has chosen you because our Gospel came to you not simply with words, but also with power, with the Holy Spirit, and with deep conviction. That's why Paul can so confidently say that God has chosen them. The Gospel came to them in power, in the Holy Spirit. It is the Holy Spirit of God who regenerates our dead, stone-cold hearts and converts us through the preaching of the Gospel message. Because apart from the Holy Spirit, the Gospel and the preaching of the Gospel are just words that fall on deaf ears. And we live apart from God in death. But He gives the Gospel life. And He uses the Gospel to give life. And beloved, it's that new life which demonstrates then and gives evidence that one is elected by God. In 2 Peter 1, verse 10, Peter says, Therefore, my brothers, be all the more eager to make your calling and election sure. Peter says it. How does a believer make his calling and election sure? By examining the evidence of true faith. Now, how is it that Paul can be so confident that these believers are chosen by God? Does he have some sort of special access into the mind of God? No. Had he been given some special revelation into the secret will of God's decree of election? Was he allowed to see the Lamb's Book of Life with the names inscribed there? Not at all. Beloved, Paul had what we all have. And that is the plain evidence of the powerful working of the Gospel demonstrated in their faith, hope, and love. We don't read about any great event taking place in Thessalonica that converted all these people. We don't read that the Thessalonians had a Damascus Road conversion like Paul. We don't read that some awesome miracles were done before their very eyes which caused them to have a change of heart. It was the Holy Spirit working through the preached Word, the foolishness of the message preached, working in the secret inner recesses of the heart that transformed the members of this church. And therefore, beloved, it wasn't pre-conversion business as usual for these believers. They did not go back to their jobs. They did not go back to their homes, their friends, their work, their recreation. The same as before. Nothing was the same. Because the Gospel took hold of their souls. It transformed their lives. You see, the elect of God cannot continue to live in a godless fashion after they are converted. It's completely impossible. And the evidence of the conversion of the Thessalonian believers was clear, as Paul tells us. His confidence and certainty of their election came because of their work produced by faith. True Christian faith results in a changed life from selfishness to selflessness because of love for God above all and our neighbor as ourself. And Paul also witnessed their labor prompted by love. Unsaved people live for themselves, but those saved by grace live for Christ and labor for others. And also true believers demonstrate endurance inspired by hope. As we've been considering and hope to continue considering tonight the spiritual battle in our consideration of the armor of God, we are reminded that Satan comes out in full force with all of His fury against the believer. But the living hope of salvation kept in heaven for believers, as Peter says, gives strength to endure in that spiritual fight. People of God, indeed, man looks at the outward appearance and God looks at the heart. Yet, as God's Word tells us, out of the heart flows the issues of life. The Christian heart doesn't just keep all this stuff wrapped up inside, locked up tight, it flows forth, it bursts forth and flows out and becomes visible. Therefore, we look for evidence of faith because as Jesus said, by their fruits you shall know them. We can expect evidence of faith. The response of faith to the Gospel call with its fruits of faith is ratification of one's election and calling by God. Now, it's true, it's no secret that there are hypocrites who go through the motions. The outward motions. And we may not always be able to pick them out of a crowd of professed Christians. But then again, that's not our business, is it? That's God's business. But each and every one of us, beloved, can have the certainty of our election as we examine the influence, the Gospel, and the preaching of the Gospel has on our lives. The Lord's table stands prepared before us this morning for believers. Last week, the preparatory form was read in the hearing of this congregation. How was your week? How did your preparation go? What did you find upon examination? The Lord's table, beloved, is a visible sermon. pointing to the suffering and death of Christ, His saving sacrifice, as well reminding us of our sin and misery and that somebody had to pay. Do we see in that visible sermon the mercy and grace of God in providing a substitute for us? Do we recognize that most wondrous exchange, His death for my life? And are we simultaneously at the same time humbled because of who we are in ourselves and filled with joy because of what Jesus Christ has made us new creations. And how do we hear the Word of God? How do we hear the law of God? Do you have a listening ear so that when the law says you shall have no other gods before me, you are humbled as you realize the trust that you put in creatures instead of God and therefore you seek to put away those other gods with the help of the Holy Spirit? When you hear, you shall not steal, are you convicted of your selfish ways and then desire to act honestly in all of your personal and business dealings? And we could go on and on. Thou shalt not murder. Thou shalt not commit adultery. Thou shalt not covet, and so forth. When you hear the Word of God say that it is impossible to love God and hate your brother at the same time, are you brought to your knees in humility because there are some even in the church that you won't even talk to. And of course, there are many different situations and scenarios that we could come up with and talk about here. Or does the Gospel and the preached Word have absolutely no positive effect on you? Are you completely unmoved, unstirred by the Gospel message? And instead, are you critical of everything you hear? Do you apply the law of God and the preaching of the Word of God to your neighbor instead of to yourself? Beloved, are you certain of your election? How can you know? Do you believe in the Lord Jesus Christ alone for salvation, looking outside of yourself only to Him? And does the joy of that salvation influence and govern your life in every aspect? If Paul could look at you today, would he be able to describe you as he beautifully describes the Thessalonian believers that you became imitators of Paul and of the Lord? That you welcomed the message with the joy given by the Holy Spirit? That you became a model to all believers? That the Lord's message rang out from you? that your faith in God has become known everywhere. How about that one? That your faith in God has become known everywhere. And then that you turn to God from idols to serve the living and true God and to wait for His Son from heaven. And all of these things prompted by faith, hope, and love in the Lord Jesus Christ. That that alone is the motive. You see, beloved, if you have sincerely chosen Christ, and I pick those words carefully, if you have sincerely chosen Christ, then you have proof that He first chose you. And yours is the comfort that God's love for you extends backward to eternity and also points forward and continues forever because nothing can separate you as a believer from the love of God which is in Christ Jesus our Lord. This table before us this morning, congregation, is for those and only those who know themselves to be elect by God's grace. Not because of what they have done, but because of what Jesus Christ has done for them and continues to do in them. It's not for those who are perfect in themselves, but for those who know themselves to be sinners and are greatly in need of the perfect righteousness of Christ. All others who do not truly believe if they come, eat, and drink judgment to themselves. And that's the warning that we must make here too on behalf of the elders. That those who do not truly believe are urged to stay away from the Lord's table. Beloved, the sacrament of the Lord's Supper is a means of God's grace by which he strengthens the faith of his chosen ones who know that this heart would still refuse thee hadst thou not chosen me.