The Church That Echoed
Rev. Carl Haak expounds on 1 Thessalonians 1:8, demonstrating how Paul discerned the Thessalonians' election by observing the fruits of faith in their lives rather than consulting God's eternal decree. The sermon develops the Reformed doctrine that God's eternal election encompasses not only the decree to save but also God's determined work to produce sanctification and the fruits of saving faith in the elect.
"For from you sounded out the word of the Lord not only in Macedonia and Achaia, but also in every place your faith to God-ward is spread abroad; so that we need not to speak any thing." I Thessalonians 1:8 In this chapter of I Thessalonians the apostle Paul states that he knew that the believers in Thessalonica had been eternally chosen of God unto salvation. He says to them in verse 4, "Knowing, brethren beloved, your election of God." How was it that Paul was able to know that they were the...
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