Godly Characteristics Of True Conversion

Amen. Let let us hear the word of God.

We're reading again chapter one of the first Epistle of Paul,

the Apostle to the Thessalonians.

We'll read the 10 verses. Trust that the Lord will bless

to us thus reading of His own precious and infallible Word.

First Thessalonians chapter one verse one.

Paul and Savannas and Timotheus unto the Church of the

Thessalonians which is in God the Father and in the Lord Jesus

Christ. Grace be unto you and peace from

God our Father and the Lord Jesus Christ.

We give thanks to God always for you all, making mention of you

in our prayers, remembering without ceasing your work of

faith and labour of love and patience of hope in our Lord

Jesus Christ, in the sight of God and our Father.

Knowing brethren, beloved, your election of God for our gospel

came not unto you in Word only, but also in power and in the

Holy Ghost, and in much assurance, as you know what

manner of men we were among you for your sake, and ye became

followers of us and of the Lord, having received the word in much

affliction with joy of the Holy Ghost.

So that ye wear examples to all that believe in Macedonia and

Akaia. For from you sounded out the

word of the Lord, not only in Macedonia and Akaia, but also in

every place your faith to God were to spread abroad.

So that we need not to speak anything.

For they themselves show of us what mannering of entering in we

had unto you, and how you turn to God from idols to serve the

living and the true God, and to wait for His Son from heaven,

whom He raised from the dead, even Jesus, which delivered us

from the wrath to come. Amen Lord, and stamp with His

own approval and blessing this reading of His own precious and

infallible Word. Now this morning we are

continuing with our exposition of truths from the book of

Thessalonians. And my text today is taken from

First Thessalonians chapter 1, verses 9 and 10.

1 Thessalonians 1:9

They read as follows. For they themselves show of us

what mannering of entering in we had unto you.

And now you turn to God from idols to serve the living and

the true God, and to wait for his Son from heaven, whom he

raised from the dead. Even Jesus was delivered us from

the wrath to come. Now I want to deal with the

theme today, Godly characteristics of genuine

conversions. Constantly today in the news and

in the newspapers, we hear much of people being scammed out of

their money. One such scam involves people

calling at the door or they're on the phone and they're posing

as representatives of your electric board or your gas

supplier and they claim that you owe an overdue bill and that

they're threatening to shut you off your supply and they're

saying we're going to haul you to court unless you pay up and

pay up immediately. That's a big scam.

Here's another popular scam. A young man, and I don't say

this as a racist of African descent or Asian descent is

they're pretending to be in love with a 60 year old woman or

maybe a 70 year old woman, an 80 year old, even a 90 year old

woman and they wants to get engaged and they're planning to

get married. Oh, and we're just so in love.

Here's the next thing. Get a phone call or a telegram.

I'm in the hospital. Could you help with a medical

bill or, or I'm in prison and I need so much money for Biel to

get out of gaol. Or I've got a loved one who's

taken. I'll maybe a mother or a father

or some incident has happened and we need some money and we

need some help. You see that's a scam.

Here's another scam. You get a phone call or a letter

telling you that a billionaire wants to give you a gift of

money, say £1,000,000. Just ring this number.

You see all of that is a scam. And do you know that a good liar

can convince people that he's telling the truth?

Convince you that black is white?

Convince you that pigs can fly? Convince you that two and two is

not four, it's actually 5. And it's all under the guise of

scamming you and usually scamming you out of your hard

earned cash. Now, what is true in the

material world is also true in the spiritual world.

Young people, Satan is a liar. Young people, Satan is a

murderer from the beginning. Satan is a father of lies.

Listen to the word of God over there in John chapter 8 and in

John 8 · chapter mention

the verse and 44. The Bible tells us John 8 and 44

ye are of your father the devil, and the lusts of your father

evil do He was a murderer from the beginning and abode not in

the truth because there's no truth in him.

When he speaketh a lie, he speaketh of his own, for he is a

liar and the father of it. Now Satan is not after your

silver young people, Satan is after your soul.

There's a popular song I I'll not attempt to sing it.

It was sung by a man called Johnny Cash.

I believe the devil went down to Georgia looking for a soul to

steal. And you see, if you, the devil,

can get you to believe his lies, then you'll not just lose your

silver, you lose your precious soul unless you see the light

and repent and be converted. And of course, today the devil

uses many different spiritual scammers to disport, distort the

truth spread about falsehood, tell out blatant lies.

He uses false religion, he uses the false cults, he uses many

false religious charlatans. And there's many false religious

charlatans leading false churches, churches that belong

to the so-called alphabet community churches that are

extreme health and wealth, gospel churches.

And many are being deceived. So I put it to you this morning

that it's vital, that it's important.

It's impossible that you understand that the devil could

get you to believe a lie. He could get you to be deceived.

And I want to say this morning that I believe 10s of thousands

of professing Christians, they're deceived about what a

genuine Christian is. You see, 10s of thousands of

people in the United Kingdom think they're Christians,

profess to be Christian, say that they are Christians.

And yet here's what the word of God says many will say to me in

that day, Lord Lord, have we not prophesied in thy name and in

thy name of cast out devils and in thy name done many wonderful

works. Verse 23 of Matthew 7 and then

will I profess unto them, I never knew you depart from me,

ye that work iniquity. Let me make it clear this

morning 10s of thousands of professing Christians the out

our United Kingdom who make a claim that they're savingly

joined to Christ. They're going to end up in hell

in a lost eternity. Here in First Thessalonians

1 Thessalonians 1:1

chapter 1, verses 1 and 2, Paul introduces himself and his team,

Paul and Savannas and Timotheus. They're writing a letter unto

the Church of the Thessalonians, which is in God the Father and

in the Lord Jesus Christ. Paul uses a traditional

greeting. Grace be unto you always starts

with grace because grace is always 1st and peace from God

our Father and the Lord Jesus Christ.

He gives thanks to God for them all.

He states that he makes mention of them in his prayers.

In verses 3. He remembers the reality of the

godly lifestyle of their New Testament Christianity, their

work of faith, their labour of love, their patience of hope.

In verse four he states, knowing brethren, beloved, your election

of God. Now the doctrine of election,

that's a sermon all by itself and I'm not going to preach that

this morning. How did he know they were elect

of God? Did he get a divine revelation

concerning them? Was he taken up to heaven?

And get a preview inside the Lamb's book of Life?

Oh look there, so and so's name. Oh look, so and so's name's

there. Could you just check of so and

so's name's in there too? Was there some kind of spiritual

intuition where Paul just knew? The answer's no.

Look at verse 5. For our gospel came not unto you

in Word only, but also in power, and in the Holy Ghost, and in

much assurance, as you know what mannering of men we were among

you for your sake. See, here's a definite statement

of fact, the word for means, because here's how he knew,

because Paul agreed assurance that the gospel that came into

Thessalonica came not unto them only in the word that is the

word preached, but also in the power of the Holy Ghost.

He's making an affirmation here. He knows that they were

genuinely converted. Listen to what he says.

And ye became followers of us and of the Lord, having received

the word and much affliction with joy of the Holy Ghost, so

that you were examples to all that believe in Macedonia and

IKEA. Four, We could translate that

because from you sounded out the word of the Lord, not only in

Macedonia and IKEA, but also in every place.

Your faith to God were to spread abroad so that we need not to

speak anything. You see, here's the effect of

the gospel in their lives. Those who experienced genuine

conversion became genuine evangelist in helping to spread

the gospel in Macedonia and Ikaya and it's as if to say if

you want further proof here it is verse 9.

For they themselves show of us what entering what manner of

entering in we had unto you, and how you turn to God from idols

to serve the living and the true God, and to wait for a son from

heaven whom he raised from the dead.

Even Jesus was delivered us from the wrath to come.

You see, true, genuine Christians not only receive the

gospel and trust the Lord Jesus Christ as Lord and Saviour, but

they also turn to God from idols.

They gladly serve him and wait expectantly for a Son from

heaven. And these three things

correspond to the same three things that reveal the godly

characteristics of a New Testament church.

You see, turning to the living and true God from idols displays

a work of faith, serving Him, submitting oneself to Him shows

a labour of love and waiting for him, waiting for a son from

heaven reveals their passion of hope.

Now these new converts at Thessalonica, this was a 11

month old church when Paul wrote to it and they welcomed the

gospel. They witnessed the gospel and

proclaiming it to others. They discovered this, that the

gospel works, that the gospel's the power of God unto salvation.

And I want to say again this morning, the gospel is the

answer to Ulster's problems because the gospel is the power

of God unto salvation to everyone that believeth of First

1 Thessalonians 1:9

Thessalonians chapter 1 verses 9 and 10.

Charles Haddon Spurgeon called it the biography of a Christian.

I have called it the godly characteristics of genuine

conversion. Let's look at them one there's a

genuine receiving of the gospel. Look at verse 9 for they

themselves show of us what mannering of entering in we had

unto you. Now we'll pause there.

I want you to think of an evangelist.

He comes into your time. He's here in carried off and he

knocks on your door and the moment he auctioned your door,

you open the door. You're glad to see him.

You're welcoming in and into that open home.

There's an open heart and an open mind and this man is waited

upon in the knowledge that this man is a servant of the Most

High God. That's the picture here, for

they themselves show of us what manner of entering in we had

unto you. The word entering has to do with

reception, opening your door with an open mind and an open

heart, welcoming and waiting upon the man of God who's

bringing to you the word of God. The apostle Paul could say this

in Acts chapter 14 and in the verse 27.

Acts 14 · chapter mention

And when they were come, they had gathered the church together

and rehearsed all that God had done with them, and how he had

opened the door of faith unto the Gentiles.

In chapter 16 and in the verse 14 we read, and a certain woman

named Lydia, seller of purple of the city of Thyra Tyra was

worshipped. God heard us whose heart the

Lord opened when she attended unto the things which were

spoken of Paul and over there in first Corinthians chapter 16 and

1 Corinthians 16 · chapter mention

in the verse 9. The apostle Paul says this for a

great door and effectual is opened unto me, and there are

many adversaries, he adds in Second Corinthians chapter 2 and

2 Corinthians 2 · chapter mention

verse 12. Furthermore, when I came to

through as to preach Christ's gospel, and a door was opened

unto me of the Lord, and we should pray that there would be

an open door for the gospel here and carried off.

We should pray that God would open doors and open minds and

open hearts and open eyes so that there'd be a welcoming of

the gospel. The apostle Paul knew that God

had opened the door into Macedonia and Akaia.

The apostle Paul knew that God had in sovereign grace not only

open doors, but open hearts and minds to the gospel.

Remember, this is the second church, the second New Testament

church in Europe. Philippi was the 1st.

And then of course, they come 100 miles to Thessalonica.

You see, the gospel, young people, is not merely a message,

simply that the Lord Jesus can help you, it can help you, but

the heart of the gospel is not a self help scheme.

It is true to say the Lord is my helper and he can help you with

all sorts of things, but that's not the whole message of the

gospel. That's a part.

The message of the gospel is a message of salvation, how the

Lord Jesus can save you and deliver you not only from the

power of sin, but from wrath to come, deliver you from hell

itself. Do you remember the Bible

teaches that we're all sinners separated from a holy God, but

your iniquities have separated between you and your God, and

you sins have hid his face from you so that he will not hear as

I have 59 and two we are familiar with Romans 3 and 23

for all of sinned and come short of the glory of God.

Romans 6 and 23 For the wages of sin is death, but the gift of

God is eternal life through Jesus Christ our Lord.

And the Bible teaches that we in and of ourselves as sinners by

nature and practise, we don't and cannot obtain merit for any

good deeds that we can do. We we cannot obtain merit that

pays for our own sins. The gospel is this.

For God so loved the world that He gave us only begotten Son,

that whosoever believeth in him should not perish, but have

everlasting life. He that believeth on Him I am

believing, I have believed, I will keep on believing in Him

will never perish. So I ask this question, have you

received the gospel? If you go back to Thessalonians

there and read again in verse 5, remember how they received the

gospel in Thessalonica. He tells them, For our gospel

came not unto you in Word only, but also in power, in the Holy

Ghost, and in much assurance. Has the gospel come to you in

Word, in the power of the Holy Ghost, in much assurance.

See, when the gospel comes like that, you'll be convicted of

your sin, you'll be concerned and troubled about your soul,

You'll be convinced of the need of a saviour.

I need the Lord Jesus Christ. You'll be converted in

salvation. You'll be changed to serve the

living and the true God. Was there a day in your life

when you testified I was out of Christ without the Saviour?

But now by the power of the gospel and the ground of the

blood have been brought nigh unto God, and now in a right

relationship with the Lord, one day without Him, and then in a

moment brought into Him and made a new creature.

Is that true of you? You see, there's a genuine

receiving of the gospel. If any man be in Christ is a new

creature. All things have passed away, and

all things have become new, and all things are of God.

The second characteristic is this.

There's a genuine turning to the true God.

Look at our text and it says. And how ye turn to God from

idols. You see, this was a deliberate

turning. This was a a decisive turning.

We could even say this was a delightful turning.

Before the gospel came, the people of Thessalonica were

pagans to the core. They loved their idols.

They hoped and believed in their idols.

They believed that their idols would placate God's wrath.

They believed their idols would give them help in their journey.

They believed that their idols would save their souls in the

world to come. Idol worshippers.

And then they discovered the gospel, and by the preaching of

the good news of the Lord Jesus Christ by Paul, Savannas and

Timotheas, they discovered this. That was all a big lie, a big

fat lie. And once they heard the gospel,

this is what they did. They threw their idols away.

They disregarded their idols, and they turned to God.

You see, the word turned there. It speaks of a genuine work of

God's sovereign grace in the heart.

It literally means converted when it says how ye turn to God.

It means converted to God from idols.

It's the same word. Repent ye and be converted in

the book of Acts. It's the very same word in the

Greek. Here's the genuine response to

the gospel. Let's think of the Apostle Paul.

He's called unto salvation, He's converted unto salvation in the

Damascus Rd. He's then commissioned to preach

Christ in the gospel. All in the Damascus Rd.

Over there in the book of Acts and Acts chapter 26, we read in

Acts 26 · chapter mention

verse 18. This is His Commission to open

their eyes and to turn them from darkness to light, and from the

power of Satan unto God, that they may receive forgiveness of

sins and inheritance among them, which are sanctified by faith.

That is in me, it says in verse 20, but showed first unto them

of Damascus and of Jerusalem, and throughout all the coach of

Judea and then to the Gentiles that they should repent and turn

to God and do works meet for repentance.

That's how Paul sums it up. He's telling the Gentiles to

repent, to be sorry, to quit their sin, to turn to God, to

bring forth deeds appropriate for repentance.

See, turn to God. There's a positive there, isn't

there? From idols.

That's a negative. Let's think of a physical

turning. Imagine I'm on the road out of

Belfast on the M2. So one of my boys says to me in

the car, where are we going, Dad?

And I'm saying driving along, we're going to Enniskillen,

boys. But Dad, this is not the road to

Enniskillen. Dad, you're in the M2.

If we keep going, we're going to end up in Port Rush.

Do you want to go to Port Rush or Enniskillen, boys?

We're going to Enniskillen. Well, Dad, you're driving north.

Dad, you must turn around. You must go in the opposite

direction. You have to drive South.

To go to Enniskillen, you need to do AU turn.

That's the picture. And true saving faith and

genuine repentance involves AU turn from sin unto God.

And you cannot turn to God without also turning from your

idols. You see, in a spiritual sense,

as I've emphasised, we're born sinners.

We're sinners by nature and practise.

We're born with our backs to God.

We have No Fear of God, no love for God, no thought of God.

That's exactly what Paul says in Romans chapter 3 and the verse

Romans 3 · chapter mention

18. Listen to the word of God.

There is No Fear of God before their eyes.

That's the problem in Northern Ireland at this present time

with the majority of our citizens.

And when the Lord Jesus died in the cross, He just didn't die to

save us from hell and they lost eternity.

He died to save us from sins, power, penalty, pleasure, and

one day from His presence. He died to bring us to God, the

just for the unjust. He died to bring us into our

right relationship with God. He died to bring us to God by

turning us from idolatry. Now I know what some of you are

thinking. You're maybe thinking, but wait

a minute, I'm not an idolater. I don't worship idols of stone

and silver and gold. I'm not bowing down to a literal

statue to say a prayer or bring a gift to.

Let me ask you a question. What about the idol in your

heart and in your mind? You see, our hearts are idol

factories IDOL. And in our hearts and minds we

manufacture many idols and one of the greatest idols is the

idol of self. And how many professing

Christians are full of self? Have a love of self.

It's my ambition, it's my plans, it's my way, it's my views.

And when a person starts talking about my plans and my views and

my way, what you discover is that the idol of self is on the

throne of their heart. And at the root of all idolatry

is the God of self. And the God of self is not the

living and the true God. What is an idol?

An idol is anything that takes the place of God.

Exodus 20, verse 3 Thou shall have no other gods before me.

Exodus 20:3

And many profess Jesus Christ as Lord and Saviour and yet leave

the God of self and the throne of their heart and life.

And they use Jesus Christ to get what they want.

I want health and happiness. I want wealth and plenty of

other things. I want loads of stuff.

I want to fulfil my lusts. So what do they do?

They leave self enthroned, and they use the Lord Jesus Christ

as a new idol to get what self wants.

But to do that is not turning to God from idols.

There must be a clear break from the old life.

True conversion is the turning of a man completely around to

hate what he loved and to love what he hated.

Turning from idols involves a decisive initial turning.

It involves an ongoing process. There's a battle, there's a

struggle. Think of the hymn writer, King

of my life, I crown thee now thine shall the glory be.

And you see, if the word of God, when it comes in power, when it

comes by the power of the Holy Spirit, it exposes the idol.

And what we love the most is the telling thing.

What do you love the most? The Bible teaches that the love

of money is the root of all evil.

And how many love silver more than their soul and love gold

more than God And, and, and they're they're they're they're

building a a bank balance here on earth where more than rushed

does corrupt and decay and and they're not laying up for

themselves. Treasure in heaven.

See, there has to be a genuine turning to the true God.

Thirdly, and quickly, there has to be a genuine serving of the

living and the true God. If you go back to Thessalonians

there look again at our text. It says there in Thessalonians

chapter 1 and in the verse 9 to serve the living and the true

God. Here's the third genuine

characteristic, not only a receiving of the gospel, not

only a turning to the true God from idols, but serving the

living and the true God. You see the word serve here.

It means to serve as a slave, a willing bond slave, a slave

owned by a master. You see, a slave is not free to

do as the slave pleases. A slave has no will but the will

of his master. A slave has no plans but the

plan of his master. A slave doesn't say to the

master. Here, I'll tell you what.

Get their own breakfast there. I'm off to the beach for today.

Or get their own food. I'm off until Friday.

An employee could do that to an employer.

But we're not talking about employee and employer.

We're talking about a slave and a master.

A slave would never say to the master.

Get your own dinner. Because all that the slave is

and has belongs to the master. The master bought him, The

master bought him with a price, and he is bought to live, to do

as masters will. And you see, we are not our own.

We have been bought, we have been redeemed by the precious

blood. We have been rescued.

Remember what Paul says in First Corinthians chapter 6.

1 Corinthians 6 · chapter mention

He says, what know ye not that your body is the temple of the

Holy Ghost, which is in you, what you have of God, and you're

not your own. Why?

For you're bought with a price. The word for can mean because

because you're bought with a price.

Therefore glorify God in your body and in your spirits, which

are gods. We are the possession of our

Master. All are doing all are saying all

are living is identified by the will of the Master.

See, Jesus Christ demands a full and total surrender.

And we're not serving him out of a sense of duty.

We're not serving Him grudgingly with a a, a, a, a bare

obligation. We're not doing it with gritted

teeth and an unwilling heart. We're doing it out of love.

We're doing it out of gratitude. You see, thankfully our Master

loves us. Our Master has given his life to

save us from sins, penalty, power and pleasure.

And one thing he he died to save us from hell and eternal

foundation. Our Master has our best interest

at heart, serving him as a delight.

It's not a duty, it's not a burdensome thing.

It's a blessed thing. I love my Master.

That's the mindset. Who do we serve?

The living and the true God. The living and the true God like

the doctrine of election is another sermon all on itself.

Who is God? What is God like?

You see, in contrast to idols, idols are dead false gods.

That's true of all false religion, true of the false

cults, true of the false preachers and prophets, false

charlatans. I say this, many set up a

literal idol. They worship idols, they pray to

idols, they bring gifts to idols to brocate the idol, and often a

demonic spirit is behind the idol.

Demons are real. Evil spiritual beings are real.

They're not of God. There's only one true in living

God. God is creator and maker,

sustainer, provider, Redeemer and judge.

He created all that exists in this world by his power.

And if you're a genuine Christian, one of the evidences

is not only the way you receive the gospel, not only that you

turn to that God from idols, but that you serve the living and

the true God. Could I just add this?

Not a few hours in the week, not spending the rest of your time

for yourself watching the television or playing your video

games or on a particular hobby. How many pour their time into

things that they love, things that they want to do, things

that they bring satisfaction and joy?

And I'm not taking away from that, but the living in the true

God to serve Him properly is a 24/7 thing.

It has to do with a mindset for you yield yourself to God.

And when it comes to the prayer meeting, you're at the prayer

meeting. When it comes to the Bible

study, you have a love for that word.

When it comes down to practical things, we appreciate it.

The carpark duties of the boys or taking out the rubbish or

cleaning the toilets, somebody has to do that in the House of

God. Maybe when it comes to helping

out with evangelistic duties, the children's ministry, we

should be praying everyday. Lord, use me, Lord, I'll serve

you in the service of my church. You see, if this is your church,

then you should say, Lord, I'll serve you as in my service for

the church. Didn't he forget the church?

All your service, physical, practical, spiritual, should be

done in a way of ministering the love of Christ to others.

We see we serve God by loving others but making people feel

welcome. We we serve God at home, husband

and wife. We serve God at work.

We serve God in the university, in the school.

You see, you serve him because you're his.

Who are you? I'm a servant of Christ.

I'm happy to embrace that identity.

What does my master want? That's the mindset.

There's a genuine serving of the living and the true God.

And lastly with us we finish. There's a genuine waiting for

God's Son and to wait for his Son from heaven whom he raised

from the dead. Even Jesus, there's the

certainty of the second coming Acts one verse 11.

The same Jesus which he's seen go up into heaven shall so come

again in like manner as you have seen him go up into heaven.

When you read the New Testament, Matthew to Revelation, you know

what you discover every 13 verses mentions or references

the second coming of Christ. See, this is not a minor

doctrine. This is a major doctrine.

What's the theme of First Thessalonians, Second

Thessalonians living in light of Christ's return?

And I asked you, are you living in light of Christ's return?

We're all agreed that Christ is coming, but we must fill our

minds with the certainty of that, and we must live in light

of His return. Here's the clarity of Christ's

coming. Why mention it in the New

Testament so many times? Not that we can fill out some

sort of prophetic chart, but that we'll clean up our lives,

that we will live in light of His return, that we will hate

sin, and that we will love righteousness.

And we will aspire and persevere to be as holy as as possible for

a safe Sinner to be, because a sea of Sinner will always hate

sin and love righteousness. He'll want to be like Christ,

and that's what Christ was like. He hated sin and love

righteousness. I could go on and open up this

this morning, but in this particular book, we'll have to

come back and we will come back to this theme.

His coming is a bodily one in the same body in which he was

crucified. He will return, we're taught

there in Revelation chapter 1 and verse 7, and it says this,

Revelation 1 · chapter mention

Behold, he cometh with clouds, and every eye shall see him, and

they also which pierced him, and all kindreds of the earth shall

wield because of him. Even so, Amen.

And as the Lord Jesus ascended into heaven, sitting now at the

right hand of God, he will come from heaven and he will come

bodily and he will come in the clouds and, and you'll, you'll

see him as he is. He's not only eternal God, but

he's truly human, and when he comes, he will deliver us from

wrath to come. I I say this as we finished this

morning. Do you know him?

Do you long to see him? Do you long to be with him?

Do you long to be like him? Is your focus on the world to

come? Orissa's Bonner went to bed

every night and thought perhaps tonight, Lord, he got up in the

morning and he pulled the curtains back and he his thought

was perhaps you'll come today, Lord, you see what's he doing?

He's waiting for his son. And I want to ask to view the

same mindset and the same attitude to Christ.

There's a genuine waiting for God's Son, the godly

characteristics of a genuine Christian, the characteristic of

receiving the true gospel, the characteristic of turning to God

from idols, the characteristic of serving God as a willing

servant, the characteristic of waiting for his Son.

These are the godly characteristics of a true

convert. This is how we can measure if

we're truly born of God or not. May the Lord take His word and

apply it to our hearts. Thank you for coming.

Thank you for being so patient and listening.

We're going to sing in closing 311.

Blessed assurance. Jesus is mine.

Oh, what a foretaste of glory. Divine.