“For our gospel came not unto you in word only, but also in power, and in the Holy Ghost, and in much assurance; as ye know what manner of men we were among you for your sake.”
(1 Thessalonians 1:5)
The gospel of Jesus Christ is the appointed means through which God reveals His glory, redeems sinners, sanctifies His people, and gathers His elect unto eternal life. To that end, the apostle reminds the Thessalonians that the gospel did not come to them “in word only,” but in power, in the Holy Ghost, and in much assurance. Indeed, God’s Word is effectual because it is accompanied by the gracious operation of the Spirit of God.
A blessed reality is that God has not left us to wander in darkness without revelation. He has spoken through His Word and continues to make that Word powerful by His Spirit. The same gospel heard outwardly is inwardly applied with life-giving power to those whom God calls unto Himself. This transforming work reveals the greatness of divine grace.[1]
For this reason, the one who receives the gospel reverently, submits to its authority, loves its truth, and obeys its commands experiences the sanctifying power of God in their life. Because the Word not only instructs our mind, it renews our heart, strengthens our faith, comforts us in affliction, and prepares us for eternal glory as we receive it.
This truth exalts the ministry of faithful preaching. Ministers are instruments through whom God is pleased to work in the hearts of men. Their labor carries eternal significance because the gospel concerns everlasting realities. When hearers receive the Word sincerely, they become a joy and crown to faithful ministers in the day of Christ.
The apostle speaks of rejoicing that he had “not run in vain,” showing how the salvation and perseverance of believers become evidence of God’s blessing upon his gospel ministry. So those who receive the Word faithfully not only glorify God, but encourage and honor those who labor for their souls.
The passage in 1 Thessalonians also points forward to the final exaltation of God’s Word. A day is coming when the Lord shall magnify His truth openly before men and angels. The Word now despised by the world will then be revealed in its full honor and authority. And those who loved, obeyed, and treasured it will rejoice to see publicly vindicated the very gospel by which they lived.
So let us give thanks that through His Word and the work of the Holy Spirit, God continues to bring light to the mind, conviction to the conscience, assurance to the heart, and transformation to the soul.
Contemplations:
- My Wonder at the Power of the Gospel. I often forget how extraordinary it is that God uses preaching to awaken dead sinners and transform human hearts. Sermons may appear to be nothing more than words spoken by men, yet through them the Holy Spirit convicts, comforts, and changes souls eternally.
- My Gratitude for Hearing the Word Rightly. Many hear the Word consistently and remain unmoved. Yet God, in His mercy, has allowed me to hear with conviction, comfort, and spiritual understanding. This is not because I am wiser or better than others, but because the Lord has been gracious to my soul. Christ declares that those who hear the Word and keep it are greatly blessed. When I consider this, I am grateful that God has granted me even the smallest measure of spiritual understanding through His truth.
- My Joy in the Future Honor of God’s Word. The world often treats Scripture lightly, questions its authority, and mocks those who obey it. Yet a day is coming when God Himself will magnify His Word openly before all creation. The truths now despised will then be publicly vindicated in glory. I find comfort in knowing that every promise trusted, every command obeyed, and every sermon received in faith will one day be shown honorable before men and angels.
- My Adoration for the Grace That Sanctifies. The gospel not only reveals salvation but produces holiness in those who receive it rightly. Through the Word, God comforts me in affliction, exposes my sins, strengthens my faith, and directs my heart toward Christ. I know how unchanged and hardened I would remain apart from His sanctifying work of grace. Every desire after holiness and every spiritual understanding is the result of God’s mercy working through His Word in my soul.
Prayer (Adoration):
Most holy and gracious God, I adore You for the glory and power of Your gospel. You did not leave us in darkness and ignorance, but have revealed the riches of salvation through Jesus Christ. I praise You that through the gospel You bring Your chosen ones to the knowledge of Yourself.
I am grateful that all the promises, mercies, and hopes revealed in Scripture find their fulfillment in the Lord Jesus. Through Your life, death, resurrection, and reign, salvation has been accomplished fully for Your people.
I thank You that the gospel came to me not in word only, but with spiritual power and conviction. Left to myself, I would have remained spiritually blind and hardened against Your truth. Yet You were pleased to make Your Word effectual to my soul. Every conviction of sin, every comfort received, every growth in faith, and every desire after holiness has flowed from Your gracious operation through the ministry of Your Word.
Holy Spirit, I adore You for Your continual work in applying divine truth to the hearts of believers. You open our spiritual eyes, soften our conscience, strengthen our assurance, and sanctify our affections so that the gospel becomes life-giving and transformative.
Lord, I praise You for the privilege of hearing Your Word faithfully proclaimed. You have allowed me to hear the Scriptures, to receive instruction from faithful preaching, and to know something of the sweetness and authority of divine truth. This mercy humbles me deeply.
Continue sanctifying me through Your truth. Let Your Word increasingly govern my thoughts, affections, and conduct. Preserve me from familiarity with truth and careless hearing. Teach me to approach Your Word with reverence, humility, and eager faith.
Finally, I praise You that all the glory of the gospel belongs entirely to You. No sinner awakens himself spiritually, and no believer preserves himself by his own strength. Every spiritual blessing proceeds from Your sovereign grace working through Your Word. Let my soul continually adore You for the greatness of such mercy and power.
In Jesus’ name I pray. Amen.
Further Scripture References for 1 Thessalonians 1:5:
1 Corinthians 2:4; Colossians 2:2; 2 Thessalonians 2:14; Romans 1:16
[1] Jeremiah Burroughs, Gospel Worship, Or The Right Manner of Sanctifying the Name of God in General and Particularly, (London: Peter Cole .., 1653), 213-214.
