The Assurance of a True Gospel
1 Thessalonians 1:5 For our gospel came not unto you in word only, but also in power, and in the Holy Ghost, and in much assurance; as ye know what manner of men we were among you for your sake.
Dear believer, what a wonderful thought that our Gospel is validated by the God of Heaven! For we received not the wonderful message of Christ by Word only but by the Holy Spirit and His confirmation. Remember now the day of your conversion; did not the Gospel come unto you in power and much assurance that its truth was the way of eternal life? It was the Spirit of God that turned your soul unto the Savior, with much power, convincing you of the reality of sin, hell, and your need for the Savior. How remarkable that this confrontation with God was one that lead to your own salvation. God by His Spirit wrestled with our souls about our eternal state, and we allowed Him to win that battle, thus securing our eternal destiny forever in Christ! What great validation by God that the Gospel is true! God in our spirit has met us personally and how real Christ became that day! What power came by the Holy Ghost to convince you to turn to Christ! What a wonderful seal of approval God placed on the Gospel, that His own presence would bear witness to its truth! What assurance falls now to our heart that we preach a true Gospel! Just as real as Christ was that day, so is He just as real to thee now, dear believer. Do you feel just as assured now, as then, that you serve a real and living God? I trust you feel assured that you serve a true a living God. He that cometh to God must believe that He is God and a rewarder of them that diligently seek Him. We must have no doubt of the truth of the Gospel and hold it in much assurance. If we trust without reservation, then we can progress to have joy without reservation. But first we must have a deeper faith in the reality of the Gospel, as we had on the day of our conversion; then we will have a deeper faith to trust what He is doing in our lives now!
