Salvation’s Social Effect – First Peter 1:22

There have been a number of life changing events in each of our lives. When you were born, your previous life, (and I’m not referring to some pre-incarnate spirit existence, because there was no such thing). When you were born, the life you enjoyed inside your...

Christ, as of a Lamb – First Peter 1:18-21

Peter reminds us that God’s saints have been purchased out of sin’s market place by the blood of Christ, “as of a lamb without blemish and without spot.” We often refer to the Jesus with the words of John the Baptist: “the Lamb of God which taketh away the sin of the...

Calling on the Father – First Peter 1:17

The Lord Jesus was in the midst of His short period of public popularity. The last verse of Matthew 4 tells us that “great multitudes of people” followed Him. At that time He was in northern Galilee, but people came from as far away as Jerusalem and Judea. In order to...

Princes and Princesses – First Peter 1:14

I no longer feel the same way, but when I was a child I had a silly dream; a wish. I dreamed about trading places with the eldest son of Elizabeth II, the Queen of England. Remember, I am a Canadian and my parents were loyalists. My father was born in England and both...

The Recommended Response – First Peter 1:13

Picture yourself on a walk to the park with your tiny, toy poodle. (It may take a lot of imagination.) Ahead you see a mother with a 6-year-old child, and the child is holding the leash of a 90lb. pit bull terrier. The dog sees you and your dog, bearing its teeth,...

The Tapestry of Salvation – First Peter 1:10-12

The Tapestry of Salvation – First Peter 1:10-12 I know very little about the ancient art of weaving, and I know even less about the making of tapestries. But I know that a tapestry is a piece of fabric with a picture, or design, woven or embroidered onto it. We have a...

Blind Faith; Blind Love – First Peter 1:8

Peter was writing this epistle to Christians who were living in the Roman provinces east of Greece and northwest of Israel. Many of them were Jews. They had become Christians because God graciously revealed their Messiah to them and gave them faith to trust the...

The Importance of Temptations – First Peter 1:3-9

As we have seen, Peter begins his letter by praising God and magnifying salvation by grace. He reminds us that our deliverance from sin and our adoption into the family of Jehovah is absolutely secure. That is because salvation is rooted, not in us, but in the Triune...

A Reservation in Heaven – First Peter 1:3-5

Last October Judy and I traveled to Ohio and the Winton Place Baptist Church where I was scheduled to preach. Pastor Daniel Holt had made a reservation for us to stay at the Marriot Hotel in north Cincinnati. We drove up to the front door of that hotel, walked in,...

The Inheritors – First Peter 1:3-5

Tonight I was going to go to Peter’s next major thought – “To an inheritance, incorruptible, and undefiled, and fadeth not away, reserved in heaven for you.” But I’m going to postpone that, because in order to fully understand it, we need to take a step back. Before...

Remember – Malachi 4:1-6

If you were to describe the conclusion of this book, would you say it was moving in an upward direction? Does it reach a conclusion, or does it simply stop? Would you say that these last verses excite you, or does is leave you hanging, wanting more? Does it end in a...

Ophthalmological Orthodoxy – Malachi 3:13-18

One day, as the Lord Jesus came into the community of Bethsaida, a blind man was led up to Him by friends. Together they plead with the Lord for an ophthamolical miracle. You can read of this in Mark 8:22-26. Jesus listened to the request, and then He led the man out...

Staying Warm in a Cold, Cold World – Malachi 3:16-17

It has been cold for a couple days, with the temperature dropping to below zero, and the wind has is blowing. Right now the world is a cruel place in which to live without something to keep us warm. There are legitimate concerns about people freezing to death. Despite...

Hephzibah – Malachi 3:8-12

Why do people immigrate to the United States, or Canada, or anywhere else for that matter? There are hundreds, if not thousands, of reasons. When I checked into my motel in Winnipeg, the desk clerk was wearing a turban and speaking with an accent. He could have been...