Bible Truth #75 - 1 Thessalonians 2:13

1 Thessalonians 2:13

And we also thank God continually because, when you received the word of God, which you heard from us, you accepted it not as the word of men, but as it actually is, the word of God, which is at work in you who believe.

I can already hear the argument of those who believe in free will, “See, they accepted the Word of God! That proves that the Word has to be accepted.” Au contraire! They accepted the Word of God because God gave it to them, or rather, gave them the ability to receive it. Then keep reading - all of this is taking place because the Word of God IS AT WORK IN THEM WHO BELIEVE. Belief is a RESULT of God working in a man, not the cause (John 6:29). By quickening the dead spirit in a lost man, God provides ears that hear, eyes that see, and a heart that believes.

Their argument continues, “Nooooo, Paul didn’t write that God works ONLY in you who believe. God works in the lost too but they refuse to believe.” That position is preposterous, contradicts many other verses in the Bible, and says the creature is greater than the Creator! The Arminian thinks that the creature can say no to the Creator, the sovereign God. I’m sorry but when God works in you, you ARE going to change. THAT’S a Sovereign God.

Philippians 1:29 - For unto you it is given in the behalf of Christ, not only to believe on him, but also to suffer for his sake;

God gives us belief, not the ability to make a decision whether to accept the free gift or not.

That last phrase, “which is at work in you who believe,” makes clear that the Word of God DOESN’T work in the lost. Well if the Word of God DOESN’T work in the lost (and It doesn’t), how can a lost man accept or believe something about which he knows nothing?

He can’t. If he believes, it is only because God worked in him (John 6:29). And that is the entire Biblical idea. A lost man can do ONLY evil, continually (Genesis 6:5), a lost man hates the Light (John 3:20), a lost man will not come into the Light (John 3:20), a lost man is hostile to God (Romans 8:7), a lost man can’t please God (Romans 8:8), a lost man can’t understand (1 Corinthians 2:14), A LOST MAN CAN’T BELIEVE. That is Scripture and can’t be refuted with any credibility at all. God must save a lost man FIRST, before he can do ANYTHING spiritually good, which includes responding to the Gospel - e.g. Lydia (Acts 16:14).

Those who believe in Christ do so because God worked in them. God is NOT at work for salvation in those who don’t believe because if He did, they WOULD believe.

Jesus raises up EVERY man God draws (John 6:44), NOT every man who accepts the drawing.