Tag: born again

Why does Christ need to reveal Himself, and how does it happen?

Scripture Readings 1 John 4:7-16 John 14:15-31 Introduction Dear friends in the Lord, One of the pleasures in our advanced digital society is to talk to robots when you ring enquiries of some more significant enterprises. It sometimes takes many minutes, and many entries into the keypad to get to the right department— if you…… Continue reading Why does Christ need to reveal Himself, and how does it happen?

Life as adopted child in God’s holy family (2)

Bible Readings 1 John 4:7-21 1Peter 1:13-2:3 Introduction My dear brothers and sisters in the Lord, let’s just quickly recap what we have learned over the last few weeks from 1 Peter 1.  The elect of God, in Jesus Christ, through the renewing work of the Holy Spirit, received a hope which is anchored in…… Continue reading Life as adopted child in God’s holy family (2)

Life as God’s adopted child (1)

Bible readings Isaiah 40:1-11 1 Peter 1:13-2:3 Introduction The Bible, in our reading this morning, refers to being “redeemed from the empty way of life handed down to you from your forefathers” (1 Peter 1:18) Don’t we just all remember the joy of blowing and chasing bubbles? All the expensive toys could not compete with…… Continue reading Life as God’s adopted child (1)

Born of the Holy Spirit

In his book, An Anthropologist on Mars, neurologist Oliver Sacks tells about Virgil, a man who had been blind from early childhood. When he was 50, Virgil underwent surgery and was given the gift of sight. But having the physical capacity for sight is not the same as seeing. Virgil’s first experiences with sight were…… Continue reading Born of the Holy Spirit

The life-changing power of God’s Word

Reformation 2014 Scripture Readings Psalm 19 1 Peter 1:13-25 Introduction Us who grew up in modern times will find it hard to imagine life without electricity:  no running water in our homes, no fridges, vacuum cleaners, hair dryers, TV’s, computers, air-conditioners … How annoying is it to have only one powerpoint in a room of…… Continue reading The life-changing power of God’s Word

Imperishable new life

The seed of God’s word is imperishable, and therefore, the life that it generates and sustains is imperishable. The blood of Christ is of infinite value, and therefore, its value never runs out. It is an imperishable value. That is how we are ransomed. That’s the price of the new life we receive in the…… Continue reading Imperishable new life