Metropolitan Tabernacle

Seven verses show how God calls His people to tenderheartedness, meekness under provocation, and the promotion of peace. We are also exhorted to love this present life, and hear things we can only do for God's glory while here on earth.

To switch political parties or to change on opinions are significant acts, but nothing is as profound and permanent as conversion. Here Christ illustrates the magnitude and wonder of conversion, and how it changes many aspects of a person to make 'a new creation'.

This challenging and informative passage begins with God-given roles, urging conduct and hope for an unbelieving spouse, extolling the beauty of Christ's character, and showing how the equality of saved husbands and wives (in spirituality, illumination, sanctification and usefulness to God) is consistent with male headship.

This passage shows that the believer's duty of respect for civil authorities applies also to employers, even the unjust. Our obedience is rewarded by God. When we were called to Christ we saw His patient endurance. It saved us, and called us to be like Him.

The message of the Bible has two major truths that illustrate our need of God and how to find Him. These are LAW and GRACE; the first warns, the second saves. Found throughout the Bible, here is what they mean, and what they do.

God rules all men through civil authorities whether good or bad, but here are circumstances in which believers obey God rather than men. Here are our biblical duties – for the Lord's sake and glory – including abstaining from any abusive speech toward authorities.

With words only meaningful to believers, the apostle warns of the deniers of the 'lower', fallen nature residual in them. Here are the core fleshly lusts and how they may be launched at believers, the need of vigilance and the remedies for their defeat.

Human life is viewed here as a message sent to God, demanding that he gets out of our way, because we have no interest in Him. Here is what lies behind our hostility, what we lose by it, and the way to acceptance by Him.

The inspired apostle shows the way believers should approach God, and how they should think in corporate and individual prayer, to secure a true sense of Him. Our approach should include a full commitment to our role as a 'holy priesthood'

The apostle's call for brotherly love depends on sanctification – being made holy. Beginning with the new birth (with treatment of the doctrine of perseverance), this involves our putting off the soiled clothes of named sinful traits, as challenged and moved by the Word of God.

In five verses, Peter lists six magnificent blessings given to believers to mark them out, and to adorn them as God's special treasure. Awareness of these is uniquely uplifting and strengthening through all the rigours of life. Here is the happiness and security of our walk.

The way to know God never changes throughout the Bible. This approach from a prophet-preacher 700 years before Christ is exactly the same as that found throughout the New Testament. Here are the steps of Hosea, to which the Lord will respond.

At first it shocks us that the Bible describes us as spiritually dead – walking dead; physically alive but inert and lifeless in the soul. But this picture shows what we lose and miss while away from God, and how our souls may be brought to life.

The first motive is the goal and purpose of our calling – obedience to God and His Word in all aspects of life and behaviour. The second is the purity of God. The third is the eminence of the Redeemer who shed His blood for us.

How can the invisible, unfelt God be loved? It is not possible without some unmistakable experience of His intervention in our life. Here is how that may happen, so that we exclaim with the Psalm, 'I love the Lord because he hath heard my voice.'

Inexpressible joy is the privileged possession of every believer, a joy distinct from the short-lived pleasure of, say, amazement or humour, or of unexpected kindness, or a gift. Spiritual joy endures alongside trial and grief, but it must be held tightly. Here is how.

A towering figure in world history, Moses achieved remarkable things while remaining uniquely untarnished and unspoiled by power. A turning point in life had led him to remove royal status to find life with God. Here is how this may be our experience today.

We are, with Peter, born again into an ever-active anticipation (expectation) of a heavenly inheritance. Our duty is to reflect on this, resulting in security and loyalty to Christ. Here also is the testing and refining of faith.

King David imparts his experience of prayer and lays out the key conditions for prayer to be heard and answered. So much prayer, we learn, is distasteful to God and disregarded. May the fundamental human instinct to pray lead to life and peace with God.