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READ:

1 Corinthians 16:22

²² If any man love not the Lord Jesus Christ, let him be Anathema Maranatha.

EXHORTATION:

This sombre declaration found at the end of the apostle Paul’s first epistle to the Corinthians is a denunciation or a curse. It is presented here as the summary of all that he had been teaching in the epistle. The word “Anathema” means accursed or given up to destruction. The word “Maranatha” is made up of two Aramaic words (maran and atha), meaning “our Lord has come”. It is an exclamation uttered in connection with the approaching judgment when the Lord returns (cf. Jude 1:14, 15).

If one neglects to love Christ, the penalty is that he shall be accursed at His coming. Though the curse will be executed only at His coming, the doom of the one who chooses not to love Christ is certain. Yes, both the lovers of Christ and those who do not love Him continue to live. Yet, “Behold, the Lord cometh”; at His coming, He will separate those who love Him and those who do not love Him. The tares and the wheat grow together till the harvest; we cannot separate the hypocrite from the sincere ones until the Lord on His judgment day incontestably proves their profession is false. Though no government would punish a lack of love for the Lord Jesus, though no church would excommunicate all who do not love Him, those indifferent to Him shall not escape His judgment at His coming. While the coming of the Lord is eternal salvation to those who love Christ, it is doom to those who refuse to love Him. There is not a more fearful denunciation in the Bible. Oh, the awful horrors of an eternal curse! Surely, those who neglect to love Christ shall be condemned. How important it is then to ask whether we have sincere love for Christ. Let us not forget to examine ourselves whether we love the Lord Jesus.

We must love Jesus Christ for He is the sum of the Divine perfections. He is the Son of God; He is God. In Him dwelleth the fullness of God. All His infinite perfections as God deserve our love and devotion. He is worthy! He is worthy of our love. If you would not love Him fully, you would have rejected the One who came to reveal unto us God Himself! If you would not love Christ, you would have neglected the only way of salvation. Not to love Him is to choose the path to eternal damnation. There is no other Saviour for our souls but Christ. We are bound to the necessity of loving Christ, that we may escape the eternal damnation. We must love Him reverently, sincerely, and passionately.

READ:

Ephesians 6:24

²⁴ Grace be with all them that love our Lord Jesus Christ in sincerity. Amen.

EXHORTATION:

This is Paul’s benediction at the end of his epistle to the Ephesians. Paul had also, at the beginning of his epistle, prayed for the favour of God’s grace to be with all His people: “Grace be to you, and peace, from God our Father, and from the Lord Jesus Christ” (Ephesians 1:2).

What a great blessing it is to be vessels of His grace! To always have grace with us is a glorious prospect. To Christians, the word “grace” encompasses all the blessings which the Gospel of Jesus Christ affords. All our salvific blessings (justification, reconciliation with God, inheritance of all spiritual blessings, His Holy Spirit, etc.) are the gifts of His grace. It is God’s grace that initiates, sustains and consummates our Christian life and service. Without the grace of God, we possess nothing (both physically and spiritually speaking). Without His grace, we can achieve nothing. Hence we are prone to say, like Paul, “But by the grace of God I am what I am: and his grace which was bestowed upon me was not in vain; but I laboured more abundantly than they all: yet not I, but the grace of God which was with me” (1 Corinthians 15:10).

If we are convinced of the importance of God’s grace in our Christian life, let us pray, like Paul, that His grace will be abundant upon our brethren. Let us pray for His grace, for we believe that God is “able to make all grace abound” towards His people, and that they, “always having all sufficiency in all things, may abound to every good work” (cf. 2 Corinthians 9:8).

Let us also take note that Paul does not pronounce the blessing of God’s grace on everyone, but only upon those who love Jesus Christ “in sincerity”. The object of our love must be the Lord Jesus Christ. Our love for Him must be genuine, not pretentious. When our hearts are free from all hypocrisy, it will be free from all corruption. Genuine love for Christ prepares us to be clean vessels for God to bestow more of His grace. It is they that love Christ who will have free access to the throne of grace and the promise that they shall be heard and accepted there.

Our love for Christ must be real, not pretentious. Our love for Him must be abiding and supreme. All our decisions and conduct must be guided and fashioned by our sincere love for Christ. May we not have a cold and indolent attitude towards Him; but rather, let our lives be characterised by a passionate affection for Christ!

READ:

Titus 3:7

⁷ That being justified by His grace, we should be made heirs according to the hope of eternal life.

EXHORTATION:

The originating cause of our justification is not our merit, but God’s grace. We are justified by His grace. In Romans 3:24, Paul makes the assertion that we are “justified freely by his grace through the redemption that is in Christ Jesus”.

When the Bible says that we are justified by faith, it does not mean that our justification is earned by the merit of our faith. It is a free gift of His grace. By faith, we embrace and appropriate the justification that God has provided through the merit of Christ. In other words, we receive justification freely through the instrumentality of faith. It is God’s gracious work that makes us justified, and nothing of ourselves.

The fact that our justification is all of God’s grace is seen in the following scriptural depictions of its various facets. Justification that is given to us by His grace (Romans 3:24) is provided by Christ’s blood (Romans 5:9) and His resurrection (Romans 4:25). It is also offered to us in the name of the Lord Jesus Christ and by the Spirit of our God (1 Corinthians 6:11), and we receive it by faith (Romans 3:28; 5:1). According to Galatians 2:17, it is Christ who justifies us. According to Romans 8:33, it is God who justifies us. All these scriptural facts of our justification point to the truth that it is all of our Triune God.

In our verse, it is also declared that all whom God freely justifies are also “heirs according to the hope of eternal life”. That is to say, eternal life is an inheritance that God provides for those whom He justifies. Only those who are justified can be heirs of “the hope of eternal life”.

We are made heirs of eternal life, and hence we have the well-grounded expectation of it. Every believer, being justified by God, has a real hope of eternal life. He is waiting for “an inheritance incorruptible, and undefiled, and that fadeth not away, reserved in heaven” (1 Peter 1:4) for him. He waits in anticipation of glorious things to come in eternity. As one commentator said, “even the meanest believer is a great heir”.

Because every believer is a great heir of the hope of eternal life, he should endure all his trials in this life, and set his affections on the wonderful inheritance he has in eternity. Every Christian is a possessor of a guaranteed future, referred to as “the hope of eternal life”.

READ:

Romans 5:9

⁹ Much more then, being now justified by his blood, we shall be saved from wrath through him.

EXHORTATION:

In this verse, Paul delineates another blessing of our justification. The phrase, “much more then”, at the beginning of the verse introduces an argument from the greater to the lesser: if Christ has already achieved the great work of justifying sinners by shedding His blood, He will certainly perform the comparatively simple task of keeping them safe. If, when we were enemies, He overcame all that was in the way of our salvation, then now that we are His own people, we all the more have reason to expect that He will afford us protection!

As he had said before in verse 1, Paul here presents our justification as an accomplished fact, when he declared us as “being now justified by his blood”. Our justification is now ratified and guaranteed by the blood Christ shed for us on the cross. An emphasis is placed on “his blood”. It is not the blood of bulls and goats, but the blood of Christ the Son of God, that was shed for our justification. The blood of Christ was efficacious to all the purposes for which it was shed, namely our propitiation (Romans 3:25), our redemption (Ephesians 1:7: Colossians 1:14; 1 Peter 1:18-19), our cleansing (1 John 1:7; Revelation 1:5; 7:14), and our justification in particular.

Oh, how concerned our Lord Jesus was regarding our justification! In order to seal our justification, He shed His blood for us in His death on the cross. There is nothing more to be done for our justification. The shedding of His blood has fully and thoroughly accomplished and secured our justification. As Paul said in Colossians 2:14, “Blotting out the handwriting of ordinances that was against us, which was contrary to us, and took it out of the way, nailing it to his cross”.

Because we are justified by His blood, Paul declares in this verse that “we shall be saved from wrath through him.” Admittedly, because of our sins, we were “children of wrath” and “children of disobedience” (Ephesians 2:2, 3), upon whom “the wrath of God cometh” (Colossians 3:6). However, Paul here declares that because of Christ’s shed blood, we shall be entirely delivered from God’s wrath even though we deserve it. The justification by the blood of Christ frees us from the wrath of God that was upon us.

Our present justification guarantees our future deliverance from God’s wrath and righteous judgment against the unrepentant and the unsaved.

READ:

Romans 5:1

¹ Therefore being justified by faith, we have peace with God through our Lord Jesus Christ.

EXHORTATION:

To “justify” means to “pronounce guiltless”. A person is justified when he is accepted by God as free from the guilt of sin and its deserved punishment, having been imputed with the righteousness of Christ. So, justification consists of remission of sins and imputation of Christ’s righteousness.

But how are we justified? By faith! We are justified by faith in Jesus Christ who died and resurrected to deliver us from our sin and judgment. The apostle Paul has explained earlier in Romans 3:22, “Even the righteousness of God which is by faith of Jesus Christ unto all and upon all them that believe: for there is no difference.” Paul also said in Romans 4:24-25 of justification that it is “for us also, to whom it shall be imputed, if we believe on him that raised up Jesus our Lord from the dead; who was delivered for our offences, and was raised again for our justification.” Justification of a sinner is grounded in Christ’s death and resurrection. Romans 3:24 declares, “Being justified freely by his grace through the redemption that is in Christ Jesus”.

Hence, faith in Christ is said to justify a sinner, because it is the instrument by which we receive Christ’s righteousness and redemption. By faith, His righteousness is conveyed to us. We are not justified by our own works, but by faith in Christ. In Romans 3:28, we read, “Therefore we conclude that a man is justified by faith without the deeds of the law.” In Galatians 2:16, it is said, “Knowing that a man is not justified by the works of the law, but by the faith of Jesus Christ, even we have believed in Jesus Christ, that we might be justified by the faith of Christ, and not by the works of the law: for by the works of the law shall no flesh be justified.”

The justification that we receive by faith causes us to be at peace with God. If we remain in our sin and condemnation, we shall be separated from God. Thus, justification is indispensable to being at peace with God. Justification brings about a changed relationship with God. Being justified by faith, we can have the assurance that God shall never cast us away. He will no more lay on our hearts the intolerable sense of infinite disapproval and displeasure. Every “justified” sinner can say, “Nothing shall now separate me from God; and I will walk with God in peace.”

READ:

James 5:16b

^16b The effectual fervent prayer of a righteous man availeth much.

EXHORTATION:

What is effectual fervent prayer? The words “effectual fervent” are translated from one Greek word (energoumenē) from which we get the English word “energy”. Here it denotes an energetic, operative prayer. We must not be contented with weak prayers.

The energetic, effective prayer comes from “a righteous man”. In the context of our verse, the righteous man is the one who confesses his sins to the one whom he has offended in order that they may be reconciled and pray together. He is a man who seeks to live a life of purity, peace and prayer. It is to such saints, who are dedicated to living a holy, amicable and prayerful life, that effectual prayer belongs.

Weak, ineffectual prayers proceed from spiritually and morally weak people. As Christians, we must seek to possess a life of effective prayers. If we would pursue holiness, fellowship and joint-prayers with God’s people, we will soon be heirs of a powerful life of prayer. If we were to be blessed with a powerful prayer life, we must cease from all sins and offences, and live a devout and dedicated life of Christian fellowship.

The success of prayer is intimately connected with our Christian character. The prayer of the righteous is sincere, and it does not proceed from insincere lips, or a hypocritical heart. The Lord is pleased to hear those who obey His Word sincerely; hence, he will answer their prayers.

Proverbs 15:8 tells us that “the prayer of the upright is his delight.” Proverbs 15:29 says, “The LORD is far from the wicked: but he heareth the prayer of the righteous.” Psalm 34:15-17 remind us that “The eyes of the LORD are upon the righteous, and his ears are open unto their cry. The face of the LORD is against them that do evil, to cut off the remembrance of them from the earth. The righteous cry, and the LORD heareth, and delivereth them out of all their troubles.” The blind man healed by Christ commented, “Now we know that God heareth not sinners: but if any man be a worshipper of God, and doeth his will, him he heareth” (John 9:31).

Hence, prayer is more than a mere good spiritual discipline of the righteous; it is their channel for asking and receiving God’s wonderful provisions. Let us therefore pursue a life of purity, peace and prayer that “availeth much”.

READ:

James 5:16a

^16a Confess your faults one to another, and pray one for another, that ye may be healed.

EXHORTATION:

The situation in view here is that of Christians who suffer from some form of sickness, apparently as a chastisement for their sins. They are advised to confess the offences they have committed to those whom they have injured. The specific reason for such an advice is that the offenders who have fallen sick “may be healed”.

The “confession of sins” taught here, is not to a priest, as the Catholics teach. No mention at all is made here of a priest or even of a minister of religion as the one to whom the confession is to be made. The confession referred to is for “faults” with reference to “one another”. In other words, if one has injured another, he should confess it to the one whom he has hurt. Nothing is mentioned here about confessing faults to those whom we have not injured at all. There is no mention here of absolution (or pardon granted) either by a priest or any other person.

Upon the confession of faults to one another, they are instructed to pray one for another. The offender and the aggrieved party should pray for each other. In other words, confession should not be made perfunctorily, but in a truly devout spirit, that is, in a spirit consistent with prayer. Confessing of sin should not be done merely to get through a duty. It must come from the heart, in such a way that the brother whom he has offended would be moved to pray with him.

It also teaches us that when the offender (being sick) is unable to visit the aggrieved party to offer his sincere apologies but indicates (in some ways) his desire to make confession, the offended person must not haughtily refuse his humble request. The offended person must be humble and patient enough to examine his own heart so as not to deny the request of the repenting offender. Both must get together and pray one for another. Mutual prayer demands mutual love and confidence. Quarrelling and fault-finding will prevent us from praying together. So we should forgive each other freely and from our hearts, because not forgiving hinders prayer (Mark 11:25-26). We must also desire each other’s spiritual and physical good. It is such mutual love and prayer that will be rewarded with the restoration to health of the sick Christian. It is ungodly to keep a cold, haughty distance and perpetuate mutual estrangement ever after.

Elder Mah Chin Kwang

God’s Word in Deut 32:7 declares, “Remember the days of old, consider the years of many generations: ask thy father, and he will shew thee; thy elders, and they will tell thee.” God’s call to remember, consider, and ask of the old days was for a blessed, spiritual purpose. It is that God’s people down the ages, through the recollections of their fathers and leaders, may explain to and direct the younger generation to the Lord God Almighty as they recount God’s wondrous works. This we must do on this blessed occasion, and for always.

The blessedness of being involved in the conception, birth and growth of our church spanning four decades enables me to witness the constant gracious and mighty Hand of the Lord over our church. There are certainly many items for thanksgiving. I shall testify of one - the Lord’s answering a prayer of old. 

The prayer I made regularly was: “that our church would always stand squarely on the Word of God.” It was a personal but necessary prayer, as many controversies surround contemporary Christendom. I am convinced that the church that does not stand firmly on the Bible would, over time, drift away from the Lord. By His divine grace and providence, the Lord answered that prayer. He brought our Pastor in December 1990, who has served to this day. Notwithstanding the great need that our church faced, amidst much pains and tears, the Lord kept this church faithful to His Word, through the labours of His servant. Certainly, it is through the enabling grace of the Lord upon our Pastor that our church continues to take that stand. May we all rejoice, give thanks, and pray that the Lord will always give us such like-minded pastors and leaders. 

We rejoice in the Lord that our church is engaged in many ministries here in Singapore, in several other countries and beyond, as well as through the internet. However, more than this, it is the Lord’s faithfulness in blessing our small group by providing, sustaining and directing us that we ought to praise and thank Him for. All glory be unto His majestic Name!

Elder Lim Ah Sang

All praise be unto God for His goodness towards Gethsemane BP Church in all these 37 years! The fearless, strong, faithful and consistent preaching and teaching in this church against sin and worldliness must be treasured as the working grace of God. In addition, the timely providence of God for the many works He has entrusted to Gethsemane, as well as the weekly, well-attended prayer meeting (which at times involving fasting), is spiritual evidence of God’s presence in this God-honouring church. God be praised for working through us. May God keep us humble and continue to work in and through us for His glory.

In the last days, perilous times shall come, and they are here now. Are we not seeing some of the signs that indicate the imminence of the second coming of the Lord Jesus Christ (cf. Matt 24)? What is our response to Jesus’ question in Luke 18:8b, “when the Son of man cometh, shall he find faith on the earth?” May Gethsemaneans take to heart this question of the Lord. May none of us be found among those who fall away, or those whom Jesus will profess in the day of judgment: “I never knew you: depart from me, ye that work iniquity” (Matt 7:23).

May God be gracious and merciful, keeping us true and faithful to Him. Let us persevere in His works with much love and prayer for one another, and with a pure heart, as we serve our Great God and King. To God be the glory.

Elder Low Boon Siang

“O give thanks unto the LORD; for he is good: for his mercy endureth for ever” (Psalm 136:1).

I thank God for Gethsemane BP Church, a Bible-believing church firmly grounded in sound doctrine. Since my conversion at 18, I have spent the past 23 years as a Christian here, experiencing His marvellous grace and goodness. Throughout these years, God has faithfully guided and preserved me through various seasons of life, including my time as a student, in the army, as a working adult, in marriage, in parenting, and as a church elder. Though there were many struggles and temptations, God has always been my refuge and strength, a very present help in trouble (Psalm 46:1).

Secondly, I thank God for the faithful preaching in this church. Through our Pastor’s exhortation of the Word, I was often rebuked, corrected, and instructed in the way of the Lord. Although at times painful, these teachings were necessary for my spiritual growth, guiding me along the path of righteousness. I also thank God for the many godly examples in the church—young and old, single and married, parents and grandparents—who have demonstrated how Christians can live abundant lives in Christ. Their testimonies encourage me to walk faithfully and strive to be a godly example to the generations to come.

To all in Gethsemane BP Church, especially the youths and young adults, I urge you to cherish the Word of God, for it is your most trusted guide in life. Be consistently fed by God’s Word so that your ways align with His will, and you may live a God-honouring life that blesses others. As J.C. Ryle wisely said, “Happy is that man who possesses a Bible! Happier still is he who reads it! Happiest of all is he who not only reads it, but obeys it, and makes it the rule of his faith and practice!”

As we commemorate 37 years of God’s faithfulness, may we press on in faith, trusting in His grace and serving Him with gladness. “Ye shall walk after the LORD your God, and fear him, and keep his commandments, and obey his voice, and ye shall serve him, and cleave unto him” (Deut 13:4).

Elder Ng Poh Kok

“The LORD hath done great things for us; whereof we are glad” (Psalm 126:3).

Looking back fifteen years ago, the Lord drew my family to Himself, deepening our spiritual life to realise the hope and experience the favour He granted us. His divine providence has seen us through many trials and wonderful lessons in life. When we joined GBPC, we were warmly received into the fellowship of God’s people, and with that experience, we wanted others to feel the same too. Sometimes, I feel overwhelmed, but God is able to help, and God is able to do more than we can think and do.

I thank the Lord for raising up a banner of truth, GBPC, in a time like this, to champion the cause of Christ and to make Him known in many countries. As we celebrate the 37th Anniversary of GBPC, may the love of God continue to transform the lives of many and make us channels of blessing to others. Let me bring to your remembrance a quotation from missionary C.T. Studd: “Only one life to live ‘twill soon be past, Only what’s done for Christ will last.” 

Elder Francis Lee

“Bless the LORD, O my soul: and all that is within me, bless his holy name. Bless the LORD, O my soul, and forget not all his benefits” (Ps 103:1-2). 

On this 37th Anniversary of Gethsemane B-P Church, I thank God for His bountiful blessings upon the church, which has grown from a small band of eight people (when our Pastor came here to serve in early 1991) to the present-day congregation of almost 400 members and regular worshippers. By the Lord’s grace, we have increased in numbers to be used by Him to bring the Gospel message near and far, from Singapore to many overseas countries. I also thank God for giving us faithful ministers of His Word – our Pastor and our faithful preachers – who have laboured tirelessly to teach us the Word of God. Praise God that our church has proclaimed and defended God’s Word faithfully for the past 37 years, as the pillar and ground of God’s Truth (1 Tim 3:15b). 

May we, in thankfulness for God’s blessings upon our church, respond by dedicating ourselves to do His will and abound in the work of the Lord. “I beseech you therefore, brethren, by the mercies of God, that ye present your bodies a living sacrifice, holy, acceptable unto God, which is your reasonable service. And be not conformed to this world: but be ye transformed by the renewing of your mind, that ye may prove what is that good, and acceptable, and perfect, will of God” (Rom 12:1-2). Let us not be moulded by the world but be spiritually transformed, exercising our spiritual gifts (Rom 12:6-8) to serve the Lord with humility (Rom 12:3), with unity (Rom 12:4-5), with genuine love in truth (Rom 12:9-10), with diligence (Rom 12:11), and with hope, patience and prayer (Rom 12:12).

Pastor Prabhudas Koshy

Looking back, I marvel at the divine Hand that has been at work in my life and ministry, orchestrating events in ways I could never have foreseen. My heart is overwhelmed with gratitude to our faithful and merciful God.

I did not know that God, through the efforts of Elder Mah Chin Kwang and other brethren, had begun a small congregation that would later become my place of pastoral ministry. Yet, in His perfect timing, as soon as I completed my first four-year course in theological studies, the Lord led me to this very church—Gethsemane BPC—where He had prepared a field for me to labour in His name.

Here, in the loving fold of this congregation, God continued to pour out His blessings. He granted me a wife who has stood by my side, persevering in faith and devotion, as we together served Christ in His church. Through the years, He has blessed us with three children, each now married and blessed with children of their own. And by His grace, we, as a family, have been given the privilege to serve the Lord full-time in various ministries, both locally and overseas.

Yet, beyond our immediate family, we rejoice in the greater family God has given us in GBPC. This church has been a place where we have received the warmth of His love and care, where we have been edified in the truths of His Word, and where we have co-laboured with dear brethren for the salvation of more souls and the furtherance of His glorious Gospel.

As we reflect on God’s goodness, let us be encouraged by His promise in Hebrews 6:10, “For God is not unrighteous to forget your work and labour of love, which ye have shewed toward his name, in that ye have ministered to the saints, and do minister.” Our labour in the Lord is never in vain, and He is ever faithful to remember the sacrifices made for His name’s sake. To God be all the glory, honour, and praise. Amen.

Sermon Text: Philippians 4:14–20
Speaker: Pr Cornelius Koshy
Date: 30th March 2025

READ:

Psalm 27:13

¹³ I had fainted, unless I had believed to see the goodness of the LORD in the land of the living.

EXHORTATION:

This testimony of David shows how important it is for God’s children to keep their confidence and hope in the LORD’s goodness, even when they are in the midst of hostility. David was in a terrible condition of mind because of his enemies’ concerted efforts to destroy him. So he cried unto God, in the previous verse, saying, “Deliver me not over unto the will of mine enemies: for false witnesses are risen up against me, and such as breathe out cruelty” (Psalm 27:12).

When numerous, formidable enemies surrounded him, David’s only assurance was that the Lord would be good to him. He believed that God would uphold him and would deliver him from the devices of the wicked men.

It was David’s faith in the LORD’s goodness that strengthened his heart to endure his intimidating circumstances. His remembrance of God’s goodness inspired courage and awakened fortitude in him. In a time of perplexity and trial, he had confidence in God, and believed that He would uphold his weakened heart and hands. He believed that God would permit him to see the evidence of His goodness and mercy while yet on earth. It granted his troubled soul nerves of steel to press on, and trust in God to conjure up victory out of seeming defeat.

Our hearts can faint if we do not put our trust and hope in the LORD’s goodness. When the heart is dejected, it would refuse to believe that there will be deliverance and blessings. The best cure for such devastating pessimism is our hope in the LORD’s goodness. If we believe, first and foremost, that the Lord is good to all who trust in Him, our souls shall find strength to hold off the assault of doubt and pessimism.

Our Christian life must be full of persistent belief in God’s goodness. In our enterprises for God, in the midst of our inward conflicts and our fears, as well as in times of our victories and prosperity, our only safeguard is to believe in His goodness. Only faith in the LORD’s goodness can excite our hearts to the most courageous of actions of faith. Such confidence in the LORD would arouse the most holy and earnest passions within us. It would help us to be diligent and prevent us from falling short of all that is expected of us as God’s servants.