Turned To God

by L.A. Hickling | Category: General | Feb 1991

In Acts chapter 17 we read of Paul's visit to Thessalonica and of the events that took place as he preached the gospel there. Later,. when those who had responded to his message were gathered together in the church of God in that place, he wrote to them and recalled the effect of his preaching.

In the first chapter of his first letter to the Thessalonians we notice three things mentioned about the. way the gospel came to them: it came not in word only, but in power and in assurance (1 Thes. 1:5). Quite obviously the gospel must be presented in words. We have to use words to express our thoughts and to communicate with each other. In conveying God's message it is important that we use words wisely and simply so that they may be understood. But however capable we may be in putting words together to produce a well thought-out address, words alone are not enough. If men are to be affected by the gospel there must be power in the words, and that power is given by the Holy Spirit.

After the Lord Jesus had been raised from the dead, and before He went back into heaven He told His disciples that they were to be His witnesses, but first they would receive power:

But ye shall receive power, when the Holy Spirit is come upon you:

and ye shall be My witnesses both in Jerusalem, and in all Judea and Samaria, and unto the uttermost part of the earth (Acts 1:8).

Shortly afterwards the power came when the Holy Spirit was given on the

day of Pentecost. There the disciples were able to speak boldly, and the spoken word had an impact on those who listened. Many believed on the Lord Jesus and experienced a transformation that could be effected only by the working of the Spirit, and never by the mere eloquence of man. We all know of occasions when a comparatively unlettered speaker moved by the Spirit of God has brought men to confession and faith, whereas a much more able and lucid one has interested his hearers, .bat failed to get any inward response. Paul wrote of the way he presented the gospel to the Corinthians in the following words:

My speech and my preaching were not in persuasive words of wisdom, but in demonstration. of the Spirit and of power (1 Cor. 2:4).

In preaching the gospel to the Thessalonians he spoke with power - the power of the Spirit. He also spoke with assurance; there was no uncertainty about what he was speaking. His words were with confidence: that Jesus Christ was the Son of God, that He came to earth for the purpose of giving His life to put away sin by the sacrifice of Himself; and having done that He was raised from the dead and went back into heaven. The apostle spoke of these things in the full assurance that he was speaking the very truth revealed by God, and not with the hesitancy and half-belief that is so much in evidence today. It is little wonder that among the hearers there were those who accepted the message "not as the word of men, but, as it is in truth, the word of God" (1 Thes. 2:13). The message worked in their hearts so that they "turned unto God from idols, to serve a living and true God, and to wait for His Son from heaven" (1 Thes. 1:9,10). They turned to serve and to wait. May it be the experience of those of us who have turned to the Lord Jesus as Saviour, that we are waiting expectantly for His coming again, and as we wait we serve.

L.A. Hickling | Feb 1991
General