Recent Posts

READ:

1 John 5:18b

^18b But he that is begotten of God keepeth himself, and that wicked one toucheth him not.

EXHORTATION:

It is the second time that the apostle John refers to a Christian as being “born of God” in 1 John 5:18. The Greek word for “begotten” was earlier translated in the verse as “born”. “He that is begotten of God” simply means that he is born of God.

John also categorically states that he who is born of God “keepeth himself”. The desire and effort of a person who is truly born of God will be to keep himself from sin. In this epistle, John repeatedly asserted the duty of God’s children to keep themselves from the defilement of sin. In 1 John 3:3, John said, “And every man that hath this hope in him purifieth himself, even as he is pure.” He also said in 1 John 5:4, “For whatsoever is born of God overcometh the world”. At the end of this epistle, John commanded, “Little children, keep yourselves from idols” (1 John 5:21).

Every child of God will voluntarily and solemnly endeavour to avoid sin. He guards his mind and body through prayer and godly disciplines to overcome the lust of the flesh and the temptations of the world and Satan. Every child of God must emulate the apostle Paul, who said, “But I keep under my body, and bring it into subjection: lest that by any means, when I have preached to others, I myself should be a castaway” (1 Corinthians 9:27). God’s children must keep their affections and faculties pure, passionately and fervently pursuing an obedient life unto holiness. In Romans 6:18-19, Paul exhorts Christians, “Being then made free from sin, ye became the servants of righteousness. I speak after the manner of men because of the infirmity of your flesh: for as ye have yielded your members servants to uncleanness and to iniquity unto iniquity; even so now yield your members servants to righteousness unto holiness.”

As John mentioned earlier in 1 John 3:9, “Whosoever is born of God doth not commit sin; for his seed remaineth in him: and he cannot sin, because he is born of God.” Because of the gracious divine influence through the Word of God and the Holy Spirit in the hearts of believers, Christians are constantly urged to flee from every temptation of sin. They shall be so kept that the wicked one, Satan, shall not mortally “touch” them. God’s children will be faithful to keep themselves from Satan’s temptation by taking heed of divine counsels of God’s Word.

READ:

1 John 5:18a

^18a We know that whosoever is born of God sinneth not.

EXHORTATION:

When the apostle John says “We know”, he is actually alluding to the assurance and confidence that Christians have about spiritual realities. In this epistle, John used the word “know” at least 22 times. From the opening words to the end, there is a ring of absolute assurance in this epistle. It would be very appropriate to call this epistle ‘the Epistle of Certainties’.

Several times in this epistle, John wrote how we could be absolutely sure that we are born of God and are His children. For instance, he said in 1 John 5:1, “Whosoever believeth that Jesus is the Christ is born of God”. At least 8 times in this epistle, John referred to believers as “born of God”.

In his Gospel, John wrote, “But as many as received him, to them gave he power to become the sons of God, even to them that believe on his name: which were born, not of blood, nor of the will of the flesh, nor of the will of man, but of God” (John 1:12-13). Our spiritual assurance that we are God’s children has nothing to do with our physical birth; it is not inherited from parents. Hence, it is written concerning our spiritual new birth that it is “not of blood, nor of the will of the flesh, nor of the will of man”.

Our spiritual regeneration is the working of God’s grace in us that is marked by genuine faith and obedience unto a righteous life. So John says, “We know that whosoever is born of God sinneth not”. Everyone who is born of God is called to live a sanctified life.

The Greek verb for “sinneth” is in the present tense, thus indicating that those who are genuinely born of God will not continually or habitually sin. The fact that the children of God will not give themselves to a sinful life is repeatedly asserted by John. The triumphant certainty of the power of God’s children to overcome sin has been repeatedly claimed by John. In 1 John 2:29, he said, “If ye know that he is righteous, ye know that every one that doeth righteousness is born of him”. Likewise, John says, “Whosoever is born of God doth not commit sin; for his seed remaineth in him: and he cannot sin, because he is born of God” (1 John 3:9).

A child of God may fall into temptation and sin. However, his normal condition is one of resistance to sin. The triumphant reality is that all those who believe on Christ do have the power to overcome sin!

READ:

1 John 4:16b

^16b God is love; and he that dwelleth in love dwelleth in God, and God in him.

EXHORTATION:

Never was more meaning encapsulated in so few words than in this short sentence – “God is love”. It is a statement of eternal magnitude. The apostle John stated this truth twice in his first epistle (cf. 1 John 4:8, 16). In fact, the message of this short verse is splashed all over the Bible.

When John wrote that “God is love”, he was not saying that “love” is the complete revelation of God. In fact, he has earlier also written in the same epistle that “God is light” (1 John 1:5), which refers to God’s holy nature (cf. John 3:18-21; 1 John 1:5-10). So, love is not the only attribute that adequately describes God. God cannot be fully explained by one of His attributes alone. The emphasis of the saying, “God is love”, is that in God alone we can fully view what true love is; it is only by His enablement that we can express true love.

The declaration that “God is love” not only reveals God as a loving God, but also portrays love as natural and essential to His divine glory. All of God’s will and all of His works are draped in His glorious love. In nature and essence, He is “God of love” (2 Corinthians 13:11).

God is perfect and His love is perfect too. God is unfathomable; hence His love is beyond our full grasp. But the knowledge that God is full of perfect and infinite love enables us to draw near to Him with full assurance of faith for pardon and redemption. There is no act of love in this world that can ever be compared to God’s love which receives us as His children, though we were once His enemies. He loved us when we had no love for Him. He lovingly came to us even when we had wandered away from Him. He loved us wretched sinful mortals so that we might live in heaven, live with God, and live in eternal glory and blessedness with Him and through Him. Oh, what love has reached us here on earth!

The apostle John also declared the unmistakable proof of our loving relationship with God – “and he that dwelleth in love dwelleth in God, and God in him.” Everyone who loves all that God loves is certainly the one who dwells in God, and God in him. This is the practical proof of our relationship with God. So let us love Christ and His people, just as God loves them. Let us love the church, the work of the Gospel and His servants, just as He loves them. Let us love even our enemies, for God loved us while we were yet His enemies. Where God abides, love abides.

The church of Jesus Christ is not merely a gathering of individuals, but the family of God, redeemed by the blood of Christ and indwelt by the Holy Spirit. In this holy fellowship, believers are called to walk together in love, to edify one another in the faith, and to bear one another’s burdens (Galatians 6:2). Among the vital expressions of our unity in truth and love of Christ, the compassion and support we extend to afflicted brethren must be manifested. Scripture commands it, Christ exemplifies it, and the Spirit enables it.

The Command of Scripture

The apostle Paul exhorts the Colossian believers, “Put on therefore, as the elect of God, holy and beloved, bowels of mercies, kindness, humbleness of mind, meekness, longsuffering” (Colossians 3:12). Compassion is mentioned here as a necessary garment, not as optional, for the Christian life. Likewise, Romans 12:15 instructs us: “Rejoice with them that do rejoice, and weep with them that weep.” This means identifying ourselves with our brethren in their sorrows and trials, entering their pain, and reflecting the tender mercies of our Saviour.

James reminds us that words of good will without deeds are empty: “If a brother or sister be naked, and destitute of daily food, and one of you say unto them, Depart in peace, be ye warmed and filled; notwithstanding ye give them not those things which are needful to the body; what doth it profit?” (James 2:15–16). True faith produces works of mercy. Thus, the command of Scripture is clear: to show compassion in both word and deed to those afflicted among us.

The Example of Christ

Our Lord Jesus Christ is the perfect pattern of compassion. Again and again, the Gospels describe Him as being “moved with compassion” (Matthew 9:36; cf. 14:14; 20:34). He touched lepers, healed the sick, fed the hungry, and wept with those who mourned. His ministry to the afflicted was not formal or mechanical; it was tender, personal, and full of grace.

Above all, His compassion moved Him to bear the greatest affliction of His people: the guilt of sin. By His suffering and death upon the cross, He secured eternal deliverance for all who trust in Him. If He, the sinless Son of God, stooped so low for our salvation, how can we refuse to stoop in love to aid our suffering brethren?

The Ministry of the Church

The church, as the body of Christ, is called to reflect Christ’s compassion in a corporate and practical way. Acts 2:44 records how the early church shared their possessions, so that “all that believed were together, and had all things common.” The apostolic church understood that spiritual unity must be matched with tangible support of the needy.

For us today, in our homes and church, this means cultivating a culture of genuine care. When a brother is sick, the church prays, visits, and provides. When a sister is overwhelmed by trials, the church comforts, counsels, and encourages her in the Word. When families face financial burdens, the church rallies to supply what is lacking. Such ministry is not social work, but manifestation of the fruit of the Spirit and the outworking of Christ’s love.

However, no one in the church should become poor and needy because of his unbiblical conduct. Brethren must walk honestly, providing for their own (1 Thess. 4:12; 1 Tim. 5:8). The church must remember: “if any would not work, neither should he eat” (2 Thess. 3:10). Poverty that springs from sloth or waste, and suffering reaped through careless conduct, bring reproach upon Christ. Believers are called to diligence, wisdom, and godly stewardship, that their lives may honour the Lord and edify His church. True faith labours diligently, faithfully managing God’s blessings and living with godly contentment, lest one burdens the body of Christ.

The Witness to the World

When the church demonstrates compassion to its afflicted members, and co-labourers, and fellow believers around the world, it adorns the Gospel before a watching world. Jesus declared, “By this shall all men know that ye are my disciples, if ye have love one to another” (John 13:35). A congregation that stands shoulder to shoulder in trials with their afflicted brethren testify that the love of Christ is real, comforting and restoring.

Afflictions will not cease until Christ returns. But until then, the Lord calls His people to be channels of His mercy to one another. We must resist selfishness and indifference, remembering that “whether one member suffer, all the members suffer with it” (1 Corinthians 12:26a).

Let us, therefore, take to heart the words of Hebrews 13:3: “Remember them that are in bonds, as bound with them; and them which suffer adversity, as being yourselves also in the body.” To remember is not merely to think, but to act, to pray, to comfort, and to support.

As we faithfully show compassion and support for our afflicted brethren, we reflect the heart of Christ, fulfil the law of love, strengthen the church’s unity, and bear witness to the power of the Gospel. Truly, to Him alone be the glory as we yield ourselves to be a compassionate congregation.

---

Updates from Pastor Reggor Galarpe (GBPC, Cebu)

Greetings in the blessed Name of our Lord and Saviour Jesus Christ!

“Blessed be God, even the Father of our Lord Jesus Christ, the Father of mercies, and the God of all comfort; who comforteth us in all our tribulation, that we may be able to comfort them which are in any trouble, by the comfort wherewith we ourselves are comforted of God” (2 Corinthians 1:3-4).

On behalf of my family, I would like to thank you for all your prayers and support during this very difficult time in our lives.

By the grace of God, I underwent my second cycle of chemotherapy last Tuesday, and I’m coping well with the treatment. Even right after the first session on August 5, I can see a significant improvement, as the size of the mass / swelling on my back has reduced substantially. I can now sleep flat on my back, whereas before I had been sleeping on my left side for the past three months because of the swelling. Also, the pain is now bearable; no need to take painkillers. Praise God!

I would like to thank all of you for your continued outreach to us. Receiving messages through WhatsApp and Messenger has been a great source of comfort and encouragement. For several days prior to my treatment last Tuesday, Carol and I had been receiving such messages. On the day itself, I got a call from Pastor Koshy early in the morning while I was at the treatment centre. Even during the treatment session, messages kept coming (either direct to me or through Carol), and they have brought us much comfort and cheer!

Two cycles down, six more to go! May the Lord be merciful to sustain me as I go through the rest of the treatment. Halfway through the eight-cycle treatment, God willing, I will undergo another PET Scan to assess the progress of my chemotherapy. 

I thank the Lord that I can continue with my teaching and preaching ministries here, particularly on the Lord’s Day (Sunday school and Worship Service), and the prayer meeting, as well as the GBI lectures – except for the week immediately following my treatment, when we will have either Eld. Eli or Pr Edsel to fill in the pulpit ministry.

God willing, my next treatment will be on the 16th of September. I am looking forward to more improvement in my condition and eventual healing, by the grace and mercies of God. So that I can continue to serve Him, together with my family and the brethren here. As we all know, there’s much work to be done in the ministry!

“I thank my God always on your behalf, for the grace of God which is given you by Jesus Christ”, and of your “love unto all the saints” (1 Cor. 1:4; Eph. 1:15b).

 All praise and glory be unto the Lord!

Yours in Christ,
Reggor

Sermon Text: Psalm 119:17–32
Speaker: Pastor Prabhudas Koshy
Date: 7th September 2025

READ:

1 John 4:16a

^16a And we have known and believed the love that God hath to us.

EXHORTATION:

The apostle John here speaks of his experiential knowledge of God’s love, which is not only his most cherished spiritual blessing, but also that of all other believers. All true Christians have tasted God’s love and can speak of its wondrous blessing in their lives in the most enthralling and confident manner. They do not speak of God’s love as a mere philosophical concept or ideology or possibility, but as their most intimate of experiences.

Knowing the love of God is the dearest and sweetest experience of Christians. They perceive the love of God in their minds, as the apostle John said in 1 John 3:16, “Hereby perceive we the love of God, because he laid down his life for us.” This is not a mere intellectual opinion or proposition about God’s love, but a deep conviction and full assurance resulting from the working of the Holy Spirit through the Gospel of Christ. As Paul said in Romans 5:5, “the love of God is shed abroad in our hearts by the Holy Ghost which is given unto us”. The Holy Ghost imparts an intense appreciation and sense of God’s love declared by the Gospel of Jesus Christ. So like the apostle John, all genuine Christians are able to say most sincerely, “Behold, what manner of love the Father hath bestowed upon us, that we should be called the sons of God” (1 John 3:1)!

Once we are loved and adopted as God’s children, we will be led by His good and gracious providence to more and more blessings of the love that God has towards us. God’s promise is that His children would discover more and more blessings of His love with each new day. “He that spared not his own Son, but delivered him up for us all, how shall he not with him also freely give us all things” (Romans 8:32)? Thus, it behoves us to pray like Paul for greater perception of His unending, infinite love towards us – “That Christ may dwell in your hearts by faith; that ye, being rooted and grounded in love, may be able to comprehend with all saints what is the breadth, and length, and depth, and height; and to know the love of Christ, which passeth knowledge, that ye might be filled with all the fulness of God” (Ephesians 3:17-19).

Christians are the authentic witnesses of God’s amazing love. Hence, every Christian ought to be one who testifies to God’s love, both from the heart and with the lips. Let us sing of His love. Let us proclaim His love with our voices and actions. Oh, the love of God that will not let us go!

READ:

Jude 1:21

²¹ Keep yourselves in the love of God, looking for the mercy of our Lord Jesus Christ unto eternal life.

EXHORTATION:

The apostle Jude commands believers to keep themselves in the love of God. Believers must remain in the realm of God’s love. They should not wander away from the goodness and blessings that God has lovingly provided for them.

God’s love for His people is profoundly taught in the Scriptures. It is so great and wondrous. Psalm 36:7 says, “How excellent is thy lovingkindness, O God! therefore the children of men put their trust under the shadow of thy wings.” In Ephesians 2:4, the apostle Paul describes it as “his great love wherewith he loved us”. 1 John 3:1 exclaimed, “Behold, what manner of love the Father hath bestowed upon us, that we should be called the sons of God”. It is in the provision of God’s great love that we are commanded to remain always.

In John 15:9-10, Jesus explained what it means to remain in God’s love. He said, “As the Father hath loved me, so have I loved you: continue ye in my love. If ye keep my commandments, ye shall abide in my love; even as I have kept my Father’s commandments, and abide in his love.” So according to Jesus, to keep ourselves in God’s love is to be obedient to His commandments. And when we remain obedient, we will have greater opportunities to relish in His love. When we remain obedient to God’s Word, we stay in the sphere of His loving provision and protection. It is, therefore, very important that we be watchful not to drift away from the realm of God’s love through disobedience. Rebellion and disobedience would push us into the realm of His severe dealings of displeasure and wrath. So, let us be wise to keep ourselves in God’s love.

As children of God, we must live with a constant awareness of His love. We must delight in the knowledge of His love and all that it has granted us in Christ Jesus. We must seek to be nourished in all the blessings that His love has promised. We must, like Paul, pray that “the Lord direct your hearts into the love of God” (2 Thessalonians 3:5).

The ultimate expression of His love is that He will soon come for His people. So we must live in the constant anticipation and prayer for His return. Referring to His coming, Jude exhorts us that we should be “looking for the mercy of our Lord Jesus Christ unto eternal life.”

READ:

1 John 2:1b

^1b And if any man sin, we have an advocate with the Father, Jesus Christ the righteous.

EXHORTATION:

We live in a world of many temptations of sin and with a body marred with sinful lusts. Though Christians are not permitted to sin, it is highly likely that we will find ourselves being overtaken by sin from time to time. John’s exhortation here should never be taken as a licence to sin. Nonetheless, if a Christian commits a sin, he should admit his sin and turn to Christ who is our Advocate with the Father in heaven.

The present advocacy of Christ in heaven is due to the fact that we still have sins. In heaven’s court, the charge against our sins will be read out. To make things worse, our adversary, Satan, will press the charge further against us. Satan is a hate-filled prosecutor who accuses us relentlessly (Revelation 12:10; Zechariah 3:1-2). He attempts to turn God against us, as he did in the case of the Old Testament saint, Job (Job 1:6-11).

Undeniably, our sin causes us to be guilty. In view of our absolute inability to have the charge against us disallowed, God’s love has ordained a perfect, able and suitable Advocate for our acquittal. He is Jesus Christ. There are two reasons why a repenting Christian, though he had committed a sin, can be comforted because of Christ, the Advocate.

Firstly, our Advocate, Jesus Christ, is “with the Father”. As our Advocate, Christ will not attempt to hide or deny our guilt. He will admit the guilt of His people for whom He has become the Advocate. He will not forsake them in their hour of need. He will have pity on His people and plead their case with the Father. He will speak to the Father in their defence. Jesus Christ remains with God to plead for every one of His people.

Secondly, our Advocate, Jesus Christ, is “the righteous” One. He is our perfect Advocate. His perfect righteousness is the basis of His plea for us. He will say, “Father, yes, they are sinners. Yes, they are unrighteous. But Thou has accepted Me as their Substitute. Now, please see my righteousness that I have given to them. I also have shed my blood as a propitiation for their sins. They wear my righteousness by faith.” In this way, Christ will appease God’s anger against our sins.

What more can a sinner ask for than this? Let us confess our sin, and embrace our great Advocate, Jesus Christ, by faith. He will not reject us.

READ:

1 John 2:1a

^1a My little children, these things write I unto you, that ye sin not.

EXHORTATION:

John’s salutation of his readers, “My little children”, expresses God’s love for His people. Divine love that flowed through the exhortation of the apostle sought sanctity in the lives of His people; hence he tenderly commanded them not to commit sin.

Would God’s children be bent on pursuing sin, knowing that it would grieve their loving Father? His dear children should say, “Oh, I will not grieve my God, who is so kind and good to me. Oh, how could I again grieve my God who has forgiven my sins?” If every child of God is grateful for the immense love that God has bestowed on him, he will not want to defy and dishonour God with his sins. Sincere appreciation for divine love and mercy will be a powerful incentive in the heart of God’s children to forsake besetting sins in their lives.

So, under the full force of God’s love towards us, John exhorts us: “these things write I unto you, that ye sin not.” He has just mentioned in the previous chapter about the divine commitment to forgive us. “If we confess our sins, he is faithful and just to forgive us our sins, and to cleanse us from all unrighteousness” (1 John 1:9). The reason why he highlighted God’s unreserved commitment to pardon those who confess their sins, is not to encourage them to continue in their sins, but rather to persuade them not to live in sin again. Having been divinely forgiven, how can we callously live in sin still? Jesus died to rid us from all uncleanness, so we are indebted to please Him and not to vex His gracious heart.

This is not an exhortation to claim that Christians will be perfectly sinless, but to rouse them to decisive action against any propensity towards sin. They should not entertain sin within their hearts. They should not yield to temptations of sin. Their love for their holy God should kindle in them a strong aversion to sin. They must sturdily detest sins, which their God hates. Instead of succumbing to the downward pull of sin, they should yield to God’s loving call unto purity.

Beloved Christians, you should neither justify nor excuse your sins. You also should not feel proud of your sins. Rather, you must repent of your sins in shame and godly sorrow. Neither think of sin with pleasure nor recollect past sins to dwell on them. Instead, pray and deliberate on how to avoid sins, and then act on the plan to avoid or flee from them.

READ:

1 John 5:21

²¹ Little children, keep yourselves from idols. Amen.

EXHORTATION:

The apostle John begins his final exhortation of his first epistle by addressing believers as “Little children”. This is his characteristic affectionate term in addressing believers. In this epistle, John used the salutation “little children” at least 8 times (1 John 2:1, 12-13, 18, 28; 3:7, 18; 4:4; 5:21). With tender affection, the apostle here warned believers concerning the danger of “idols”.

What are those “idols” against which the writer is warning? The Greek word eidolon, rendered here as “idols”, denotes an image or figure or anything that is set up to be acknowledged as representing God. In the New Testament, the word “idols” has been used for the heathen gods. Many of the early Christians were people who “turned to God from idols to serve the living and true God” (1 Thessalonians 1:9). However, there was a great danger of them being tempted to return to idolatry because the communities among whom they lived were greatly influenced by idolatrous practices. So the apostle Paul warned the Christians in 1 Corinthians 10:14, “Wherefore, my dearly beloved, flee from idolatry.” Then he continued, “What say I then? that the idol is any thing, or that which is offered in sacrifice to idols is any thing? But I say, that the things which the Gentiles sacrifice, they sacrifice to devils, and not to God: and I would not that ye should have fellowship with devils. Ye cannot drink the cup of the Lord, and the cup of devils: ye cannot be partakers of the Lord’s table, and of the table of devils. Do we provoke the Lord to jealousy? are we stronger than he?” (1 Corinthians 10:19-22). Likewise, in 2 Corinthians 6:16-17, Paul admonished, “And what agreement hath the temple of God with idols? for ye are the temple of the living God; as God hath said, I will dwell in them, and walk in them; and I will be their God, and they shall be my people. Wherefore come out from among them, and be ye separate, saith the Lord, and touch not the unclean thing; and I will receive you”.

The word “idol” has also been used in the New Testament to represent anything which occupies the place that is due to God. In Ephesians 5:5 and Colossians 3:5, covetousness is referred to as idolatry; thus we are commanded to mortify our tendencies to be covetous. The exhortation to keep ourselves away from idols entails our duty to love and serve our living and true God always, and our consecration to be separated from all things that distract us from Him and His truth.