When we witness for our Lord

"In your hearts revere Christ as Lord. Always be prepared to give an answer to everyone who asks you to give the reason for the hope that you have. But do this with gentleness and respect" (1 Peter 3:15). It's not about how important we are. It's about how wonderful Jesus is. We are to …

Where does our life of faith begin?

Where does our life of faith begin? Does it begin with our decision? or Does it begin with God's grace? "But God, being rich in mercy, because of the great love with which he loved us, 5 even when we were dead in our trespasses, made us alive together with Christ—by grace you have been saved" (Ephesians 2:4-5). We were dead. The …

When it seems like life is dragging you down

"Praise be to the God and Father of our Lord Jesus Christ! In his great mercy he has given us new birth into a living hope through the resurrection of Jesus Christ from the dead, and into an inheritance that can never perish, spoil or fade. This inheritance is kept in heaven for you, who through faith are shielded by God’s power until the …

Appreciating what Christ has done for us through his death on the cross

The gospel of free grace says, "You were bought with a price" (1 Corinthians 6:20). It tells us, "You were redeemed with the precious blood of Christ" (1 Peter 1:18-19). Christ has paid the price of our redemption by taking upon himself the penalty for our sin. We are invited to receive all the blessings …

The joy that comes to us – from the Lord

"Look to him, and be radiant" (Psalm 34:5). The Psalmist doesn't draw attention to himself. He points away from himself to the Lord. In Exodus 34:29, we read about Moses - "his face was radiant because he had spoken with the Lord." The radiance didn't come from Moses. It came to Moses - from the Lord. "Taste …

Job thinks that God has it in for him.

Job thinks that God has it in for him (Job 19:6-11). When we start thinking like this, how do we get out of this way of thinking? We go back to Job 1. We remember that there is a devil, and we take our stand against him in the name and the power of Christ …

Ancient words

"Abraham is a prophet, and he will pray for you" (Genesis 20:7). The prophet speaks for God. The prophet speaks to God. Speaking for God and speaking to God - we need both. We bring the Word of God to the people, and we pray that his blessing will be upon the people. When we …

The Scriptures take us back to the past. They do not leave us there.

The Scriptures take us back to the past. They do not leave us there. We learn about "what will take place later" (Revelation 1:19). Jesus has come. This is the past. Jesus will come. This is the future. Some tell us that this world is all that there is. God's Word tells us something very …

The love of Christ: reaching out to us, and reaching out, through us, to other people

Christ died "not for our sins only but also for the sins of the whole world" (1 John 2:2). This is something which we, in the church, must never forget. When we are tempted to shut out 'the big, bad world', we must remember - Christ died "not for our sins only but also for …

On earth, we have trials. In heaven, we will have salvation.

1 PETER 1:1-25 - On earth, we have ‘trials’. In ‘heaven’, we will have ‘salvation’ (3-9). In our journey from trials to salvation, from earth to heaven, we are to live a life of holiness and love. In this life of ‘obedience to the truth’, we must never forget that we have been ‘redeemed with …

Salvation

"an inheritance that is imperishable, undefiled, and unfading, kept in heaven for you, who by God's power are being guarded through faith for a salvation ready to be revealed in the last time" (1 Peter 1:4-5) Salvation is being kept for us. We are being kept for salvation.

How are we to walk in the Lord’s way?

We must never imagine that walking with the Lord will be easy. It wasn't easy for Jesus. It won't be easy for us. Sin is always near. The devil sets many traps for us. He's always trying to draw us away from Jesus. Sin may be very near, but the Lord comes even closer to …

As we read God’s Word and listen to the preaching of God’s Word, we grow in our love for God and our love for one another.

The word of the Lord endures forever.”, and this is the word that was preached to you (1 Peter 1:25). As well as emphasizing that God's Word endures forever, Peter emphasizes the importance of the preaching of God's Word. We are to read God's Word. We are to listen to the preaching of God's Word. …

Filled with an inexpressible and glorious joy

Though you have not seen him, you love him; and even though you do not see him now, you believe in him and are filled with an inexpressible and glorious joy, for you are receiving the end result of your faith, the salvation of your souls (1 Peter 1:8-9). Filled with an inexpressible and glorious joy: we're …

What does it mean to be holy?

"Be holy, because I am holy" (1 Peter 1:16). What does it mean to be holy? Do we make ourselves holy? Are we to turn ourselves into modern-day Pharisees - people who regard ourselves as superior to other people? No! The way of true holiness is centred on Christ - not ourselves. It is centred …

We are called to look to Christ for salvation.

Ezekiel 45:1-46:24; 1 Peter 3:1-22; Proverbs 28:18-28 In Ezekiel, we read of many sacrifices being offered to God. In the New Testament, it is emphasized that one Sacrifice is sufficient – “For Christ died for sins once for all, the Righteous for the unrighteous to bring you to God” (1 Peter 3:18). We are called …

We thank You, Lord, that the devil flees from us when we flee to Jesus.

We thank You, Lord, that the devil flees from us when we flee to Jesus. What a precious promise is given to us in Your Word: “The Name of the Lord is a strong tower; the righteous run into it and are safe” (Proverbs 18:10). Who are “the righteous” – Surely, not us? We’ve failed …

Prophets, speaking for God …

"Concerning this salvation, the prophets, who spoke of the grace that was to come to you, searched intently and with the greatest care, trying to find out the time and circumstances to which the Spirit of Christ in them was pointing when he predicted the sufferings of the Messiah and the glories that would follow. …

Faithfulness and relevance: speaking to believers – and unbelievers

"Dear friends, although I was very eager to write to you about the salvation we share, I felt compelled to write and urge you to contend for the faith that was once for all entrusted to God’s holy people" (Jude 3). Jude writes about "the salvation we share" and "the faith that was once for …

Through the precious blood of Christ, we come to know the wonderful love of God.

"Teach me your way, Lord, that I may rely on your faithfulness" (Psalm 86:11). When we ask God to teach us his way, what will he teach us? He will teach us that he is faithful. He will teach us that we can rely on him. His love will not fail us. His love is unchanged, …

The Word and the words (12): Jesus – the good shepherd …

"I am the good shepherd" (John 10:11). We read what Jesus says about himself. We read about who he is. "I am the good shepherd." As we read these words, our thoughts turn to the 23rd Psalm. "The Lord is my shepherd, I lack nothing. He makes me lie down in green pastures, he leads me beside quiet waters, …

May God help us to keep on believing in Jesus and building our lives on him.

Keep me safe, my God, for in you I take refuge (Psalm 16:1). "Keep me safe": what does this mean? Here, we may turn our attention to the first chapter of 1 Peter. There, we will read about what being kept safe does not mean, and we will read about what it does mean. First, we …

The School of Discipleship (8): Looking beyond the beginning of the end to the end of the beginning

Praise be to the God and Father of our Lord Jesus Christ! In his great mercy he has given us new birth into a living hope through the resurrection of Jesus Christ from the dead, and into an inheritance that can never perish, spoil or fade. This inheritance is kept in heaven for you, who through faith …

The centrality of worship in the life of God’s people

Ezekiel 47:1-48:35; 1 Peter 4:1-19; Psalm 133:1-3 “The sanctuary will be in the centre of it … In the centre of it will be the sanctuary of the Lord … the Temple sanctuary will be in the centre of them” (Ezekiel 48:8,10,21). Here, we have the centrality of worship in the life of God’s people. …

Everything changes when we begin to see things the way God sees them.

"The God of all grace, who called you to his eternal glory in Christ, after you have suffered a little while, will himself restore you and make you strong, firm and steadfast" (1 Peter 5:10). Does our life on earth, sometimes, feel like a maze? We're stuck in the middle. We've lost our way. We can't seem to find …

Precious Gems from Psalm 23

This post is based on Psalm 23:1. -- "The Lord is my Shepherd" - How precious this is! It's precious - because it's the Lord who is my Shepherd. Not somebody who will let me down - It's the Lord. He lifts me up. -- "The Lord is my Shepherd" - How precious this is! …

Suffering and faith

In Job's story, we read about suffering - and we, also, read about faith: "I know that my Redeemer lives" (Job 19:25). Without his suffering, would Job's faith have grown so strong? Prior to his suffering, Job's faith had never really been put to the test. Our faith is put to the test so that, …

Jesus is a bright shining light.

The people living in darkness have seen a great light; on those living in the land of the shadow of death a light has dawned (Matthew 4:16). You are a chosen people, a royal priesthood, a holy nation, God’s special possession, that you may declare the praises of him who called you out of darkness into his wonderful light. Once …

Responding to God’s Word (54): I am coming, Lord.

You were redeemed with the precious blood of Christ (1 Peter 1:18-19). Grow in the grace and knowledge of our Lord Jesus Christ. To him be glory both now and forever! Amen (2 Peter 3:18). Christ has redeemed us. Let us praise him.

We remember our loved one, and we, also, remember our loving Saviour.

"How precious is your lovingkindness, O God!" (Psalm 36:7). When I'm conducting a funeral service, I lead the people in prayer, giving thanks to God for "precious and treasured memories." We remember our loved one, and we, also, remember our loving Saviour. To help us focus our attention on Jesus, I begin each service by …

There’s something more than this.

See, the former things have taken place, and new things I declare; before they spring into being I announce them to you (Isaiah 42:9). There's something more than this. That's the testimony of the Old Testament prophets. Did they have a clear understanding of what they were looking forward to? Concerning this salvation, the prophets, who spoke of …

Our great privilege and our great responsibility

"Or do you not know that your body is the temple of the Holy Spirit who is in you, whom you have from God, and you are not your own? For you were bought at a price; therefore glorify God in your body and in your spirit, which are God’s" (1 Corinthians 6:19-20). These verses speak to us …

Faith, Holiness, Worship And Witness

"Come to him ... be yourselves built into a spiritual house" (1 Peter 2:4-5). This speaks to us of personal conversion and life in fellowship with God's people. The life of holiness, to which we are called, is to be lived in fellowship with God's people. We are to encourage one another to live a …

God’s Salvation – Past, Present And Future

"To Him who loved us and washed us from our sins in His own blood, and has made us kings and priests to His God and Father, to Him be glory and dominion forever and ever. Amen. Behold, He is coming with clouds, and every eye will see Him, even they who pierced Him. And all the …

The Lord has blessed us – and there’s so much more still to come.

"The Lord bless you and keep you" (Numbers 6:24). "The Lord is your keeper" (Psalm 121:5). We are "kept by the power of God" (1 Peter 1:5). "Now to him who is able to keep you from falling" (Jude 24). "The Lord bless you and keep you." (Numbers 6:24). God loves us - and he …

On earth, we have trials. In heaven, we will have salvation.

1 Peter 1:1-25 - On earth, we have ‘trials’. In ‘heaven’, we will have ‘salvation’ (3-9). In our journey from trials to salvation, from earth to heaven, we are to live a life of holiness and love. In this life of ‘obedience to the truth’, we must never forget that we have been ‘redeemed with …

Jesus – The Good Shepherd, The Great Shepherd, The Chief Shepherd

* Jesus Christ is the Good Shepherd who died on the cross for us – “I am the good shepherd. The good shepherd lays down his life for the sheep” (John 10:11). * Jesus Christ is the Great Shepherd who rose from the dead for us – “May the God of peace, who through the …

Full salvation – By God’s grace and power, we will arrive at our final destination.

" ... you were redeemed ... with the precious blood of Christ" (1 Peter 1:18-19). May we never forget the cost of our redemption. Christ's sacrifice of Himself, on the Cross, is of more value than any of the things of this world. This world will pass away. Our redemption, purchased for us by the …

Jesus Christ Has Died For Us – The Righteous For The Unrighteous.

Ps 49:7–9, John 20:28, 1 Tim 2:5–6, 1 Pet 3:18 Some die young. Others live to a ripe old age. None of us can predict what lies ahead of us. There are some things that are beyond our control. We look at what is happening and we say, ‘I wish things could be different’. Absalom …

If we want to serve God, we must learn to worship Him.

1 Peter 3:1-4:6 The world is preoccupied with outward appearances. As Christians, we should be more concerned with our inward attitude. ‘In your hearts reverence Christ as Lord’. Pray for His ‘attitude’ - ‘a tender heart and a humble mind’(8,15; 4:1). We believe the Gospel - ‘Christ died for our sins once for all, the …

The Lord bless you and keep you.

"Blessed is the one whose transgression is forgiven" (Psalm 32:1). The forgiveness of sins - this is such a great blessing. The forgiveness of sins: it's just the beginning of so much great blessing which will continue throughout our life on earth and for all eternity. "Create in me a clean heart, O God, and renew a right spirit …

Walking In The Footsteps Of Our Saviour

"To this you were called, because Christ suffered for you, leaving you an example, that you should follow in his steps. “He committed no sin, and no deceit was found in his mouth.” When they hurled their insults at him, he did not retaliate; when he suffered, he made no threats. Instead, he entrusted himself to …

Renewed By God’s Salvation, We Are Strengthened For His Service.

Ps 51:10, Matt 15:8, 2 Tim 3:5, 1 Pet 4:11, 5:11 In all the service we offer to God, there is to be the offering of worship: ‘To Him be the glory and the power for ever and ever’ (1 Peter 4:11; 5:11). We will not learn to serve God unless we are learning to …

“The living and enduring word of God” is “the word that was preached to you.”

For you have been born again, not of perishable seed, but of imperishable, through the living and enduring word of God. For, “All people are like grass, and all their glory is like the flowers of the field; the grass withers and the flowers fall, but the word of the Lord endures forever.” And this is the word …

The resurrection of Jesus Christ from the dead

"Who shall ascend the hill of the Lord?" (Psalm 24:3) - only Jesus Christ, our great Saviour! Jesus went down to the place of suffering and death - and, then, God raised him from death to life. Through Jesus, we are raised to life. We do not raise ourselves. We have been raised by him - …

You get nothing for nothing?

"You get nothing for nothing. You only get what you pay for." Is this cynicism - or realism? Let's think together about something else - something that lifts us above all of this - the love of God, the grace of God, the mercy of God, the gift of God, the peace of God, the …

Jesus makes the difference. He changes us.

1 Peter 1:1-25 On earth, we have ‘trials’. In ‘heaven’, we will have ‘salvation’(3-9). In our journey from trials to salvation, from earth to heaven, we are to live a life of holiness and love. In this life of ‘obedience to the truth’, we must never forget that we have been ‘redeemed with the precious …

Links to Rev James Philip’s notes on 1 and 2 Peter

1 Peter 2 Peter

Lord, fill our worship and our living with your holiness and your joy.

Oh, worship the Lord in the beauty of holiness!... Let the heavens rejoice, and let the earth be glad (Psalm 96:9,11). In our worship, there is to be both holiness and joy. This is not only the way things are to be when we are gathered together for worship. It's the way things are to be in …

Create in me a clean heart, O God.

Help us, Lord, to worship You. Help us to say, “To You, Lord, be the glory and the power for ever and ever” (1 Peter 4:11; 1 Peter 5:11). Deliver us from a “form of religion which denies Your power” – “These people honour Me with their lips, but their hearts are far from Me” …

Be holy in all you do, and love one another deeply, from the heart.

Ezekiel 41:1-42:20; 1 Peter 1:1-2:3; Psalm 131:1-3 Ezekiel emphasizes that the Temple was to be built according to God’s pattern. Our lives are to be lived according to God’s pattern – “Be holy in all you do”, “Love one another deeply, from the heart” (1 Peter 1:15,22). the instructions for the building the Temple were …

How are we to win people for Christ? Don’t forget the working of the Holy Spirit.

But in your hearts revere Christ as Lord. Always be prepared to give an answer to everyone who asks you to give the reason for the hope that you have. But do this with gentleness and respect (1 Peter 3:15). How are we to win people for Christ? Are we to present them with arguments for the …

Kept by the power of God

He who began a good work in you will carry it on to completion until the day of Christ Jesus (Philippians 1:6). For every one of us, there are times when we feel like we can’t go on, times when we feel like giving up. We remember times of blessing in our lives. We remember times …

The Word of God for today

For you have been born again, not of perishable seed, but of imperishable, through the living and enduring word of God. For, “All people are like grass, and all their glory is like the flowers of the field;the grass withers and the flowers fall, but the word of the Lord endures forever.” And this is the word …

Christ, the sinless Son of God, took the place of guilty sinners.

Christ suffered once for sins, the righteous for the unrighteous, to bring you to God (1 Peter 3:18). What an amazing thing it is that Christ, the sinless Son of God, took the place of guilty sinners! He took our place. He died for us. This is very wonderful. He suffered. We are saved. As …

The Word of the Lord endures forever.

Now that you have purified yourselves by obeying the truth so that you have sincere love for each other, love one another deeply, from the heart. For you have been born again, not of perishable seed, but of imperishable, through the living and enduring word of God. For, “All people are like grass, and all their glory is like the flowers of …

The way we say it

But in your hearts revere Christ as Lord. Always be prepared to give an answer to everyone who asks you to give the reason for the hope that you have. But do this with gentleness and respect (1 Peter 3:15).  At the end of this verse about "giving a reason for the hope that we have", there's …

We’re not alone in this world. The Lord is with us.

Be still, and know that I am God (Psalm 46:10). When we are anxious and worried, what are we to do? Rest in the Lord: that's what we're to do. Cast all your anxiety on him because he cares for you (1 Peter 5:7). When negative thoughts fill our minds, may we remember this: God loves …

God’s Word is for us, here and now.

For you have been born again, not of perishable seed, but of imperishable, through the living and enduring word of God. For, “All people are like grass, and all their glory is like the flowers of the field; the grass withers and the flowers fall, but the word of the Lord endures forever.” And this is the word …

Jesus Christ is Lord.

Third Sunday of Easter: Acts 2:14a, 36-41; Psalm 116:1-4, 12-19 or Isaiah 51:1-6; Psalm 34:1-10; 1 Peter 1:17-23; Luke 24:13-35 Jesus Christ is Lord. ‘God has made Him both Lord and Christ, this Jesus whom you crucified’ (Acts 2:36). ‘Jesus is Lord’: When this message is preached in the power of the Holy Spirit’, it …