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Hebrews 5:9—“And being made perfect, he became the author of eternal salvation unto all them that obey him.”

The words “being made perfect” do not imply that Jesus Christ was ever sinful or morally imperfect. He is the eternal, spotless Son of God, who “did no sin” (1 Peter 2:22). In the context, Christ was made perfect in the sense that He completed the course appointed by His Father. Through His incarnation, obedience, suffering, and sacrificial death, He became the fully qualified and accomplished High Priest of His people.

Christ thereby “became the author of eternal salvation”. The word “author” here means the cause or source. Salvation does not originate in human merit, religious ceremonies, or moral improvement. It comes entirely through Christ, who obeyed in the sinner’s place, bore divine wrath upon the cross, rose triumphantly, and now intercedes as our great High Priest. Unlike the temporary deliverances of this world, His salvation is eternal. He grants complete forgiveness, reconciliation with God, preservation through faith, resurrection, and everlasting glory.

This salvation belongs “unto all them that obey him”. Such obedience does not purchase salvation, for sinners are saved by grace through faith, “not of works” (Ephesians 2:8–9). Here, obeying Christ describes the believing response of those who submit to His Gospel. Genuine faith receives Christ not only as Saviour but also as Lord. Though believers’ obedience remains imperfect, their lives take a new direction of willing submission to Him.

Do not trust your works to save you. Trust wholly in Christ’s finished work. Then show the reality of your faith by obeying His Word. The Christ who saves eternally also teaches His redeemed people to live obediently.

2 Peter 2:1–2 “But there were false prophets also among the people, even as there shall be false teachers among you, who privily shall bring in damnable heresies, even denying the Lord that bought them, and bring upon themselves swift destruction. And many shall follow their pernicious ways; by reason of whom the way of truth shall be evil spoken of.”

Peter writes with pastoral urgency to warn the church that false teaching is dangerous not only because it is wrong, but also because it can become extraordinarily popular. “Many shall follow”, he declares. Error does not always repel people; it frequently attracts them. Therefore, crowds, widespread influence, impressive platforms, and enthusiastic followers are never reliable proofs that a teacher has God’s approval.

The immediate context makes the danger unmistakable. Peter warns that false teachers would “privily bring in damnable heresies” (v. 1). The word “privily” indicates that error is commonly introduced subtly and gradually. False teachers do not always begin by openly denying every Christian doctrine. They never announce, “I am bringing heresy into the church”. They may continue to use biblical expressions, speak affectionately of Jesus, quote Scripture, and identify themselves with the church. However, beneath this Christian appearance, they alter the meaning of biblical truth and introduce teachings that ultimately deny “the Lord that bought them”. They may claim to have a new insight, or a recent experience of God. They reinterpret Scripture to remain culturally relevant while quietly weakening biblical teaching. They remove the necessity of repentance from God’s grace, and diminish the importance of holiness when speaking of God’s love. 

Peter calls such erroneous teachings and conduct “pernicious ways”. “Pernicious” means destructive, ruinous, or morally corrupting. False teaching is never an innocent intellectual mistake when it directly contradicts essential biblical truths and turns people away from obedience to Christ. Some doctrines may appear harmless at first, but their ultimate result is spiritual destruction. These false doctrines damage the mind and corrupt the conscience, thereby imperilling the soul, and weakening the fidelity of the church to God’s truth.  

The present-day church must take this warning seriously because false teaching has an  unprecedented ability to spread rapidly. Through television, livestreams, social media posts, podcasts, videos, online conferences, and short quotations detached from their context, a false teacher can influence millions around the world within hours. A captivating but erroneous teacher may thus enter Christian homes and churches without ever being examined by local pastors or elders. Believers may gradually place greater confidence in an online personality than in the faithful shepherds whom God has appointed to watch for their souls.

One of the deceptions and dangers of digital popularity is that it also creates an illusion of authority. A teacher with millions of followers, professionally produced programmes, bestselling books, celebrity endorsements, and stories of remarkable success may appear highly credible. However, none of these things prove his faithfulness to Scripture, for biblical truth is not ascertained by view counts, book sales, emotional testimonies, or the size of a congregation. 

The prophets of Baal greatly outnumbered Elijah—450 prophets against one prophet of the LORD—but their sheer numbers did not make their religion true (1 Kings 18:19, 22). Many followed Christ when they desired His miracles and bread but withdrew when His teaching offended them (John 6:60–66).

Peter’s words, “many shall follow”, warn us not to assume that serious error will attract only a small and insignificant following. The popularity of a message may sometimes indicate that it appeals to fallen human desires because people welcome preaching that promises divine blessing without submission to divine authority. They readily embrace a gospel that offers health, wealth, success, self-esteem, or emotional comfort while saying little about sin, judgment, repentance, self-denial, and the cross.

Peter explains that false doctrine and immoral conduct frequently accompany one another (2 Peter 2:12–19). A teacher’s false theology cannot remain hidden in the way he lives. Pride, greed, sensuality, dishonesty, and the misuse of spiritual authority reveal the corrupting tendency of his teaching. Peter describes false teachers as those who exploit people “through covetousness” and “with feigned words” (v. 3). Their ministry becomes a means of personal enrichment and self-exaltation.

The church must therefore examine both teaching and conduct. Does the teacher explain Scripture faithfully in its context, or use isolated verses to support his own ideas? Does he exalt Christ or continually draw attention to himself? Does he preach the holiness and sovereignty of God, the guilt of sinful man, Christ’s substitutionary death, justification by faith, repentance, and sanctification? Is he accountable to a sound church? Does his life exhibit humility, purity, honesty, and servant-heartedness? How does he respond when his teaching or behaviour is biblically questioned?

The consequences of false teaching extend beyond those immediately deceived. Peter says, “by reason of whom the way of truth shall be evil spoken of”. When professing Christian leaders manipulate followers, accumulate wealth through false promises, engage in immorality, or make false claims, unbelievers often attribute their wickedness to Christianity itself. The world then mocks the Gospel because those who claimed to represent Christ have disgraced His name.

“The way of truth” is God’s plan of salvation and godliness taught in Scripture. Scripture is the truth of God (John 17:17) and all that it teaches directs us “the way of truth”. The truth is perfect and cannot be corrupted in itself, but its reputation among men can be damaged by those who falsely profess it. Sound teaching adorned by godly living commends the Gospel; distorted teaching joined with moral compromise gives Christ’s enemies occasion to blaspheme.

Pastors and elders must therefore protect the flock. They must preach the whole counsel of God, refute error, train believers in sound doctrine, and warn them of influential teachers who endanger their souls. Parents must know what preaching, music, books, and online materials are shaping their children’s theology. Beware also of secular education that promotes atheism, evolution, gender confusion, and other unbiblical ideas.

Church members must not forward or share every inspiring quotation or dramatic testimony without examining its source and message. Christian love cannot remain indifferent when truth is being corrupted. Love “rejoiceth in the truth” (1 Corinthians 13:6). To warn someone against spiritual poison is not unkindness; it is truthful love.

The church’s first question must never be, “Is this teacher popular?” It must be, “Is this the way of truth?” Faithfulness to Christ may not always attract the many, but it will honour God, preserve His people in the truth, and maintain a clear testimony before the world. Let us therefore hold fast the faithful Word, test every teaching by Scripture, follow only those who follow Christ, and refuse to exchange eternal truth for popular but pernicious error.

Sermon Text: Psalm 142:1–7
Speaker: Pastor Prabhudas Koshy
Date: 9th August 2026

Hebrews 5:8—“Though he were a Son, yet learned he obedience by the things which he suffered.”

Jesus Christ is the eternal and beloved Son of God. Yet His divine Sonship did not exempt Him from suffering during His earthly ministry. In the preceding verse, the writer describes His “strong crying and tears” as He submitted Himself to the Father. Though He possessed every right to heavenly glory, He willingly endured humiliation, rejection, temptation, anguish, and death.

Christ “learned…obedience” does not mean that He had previously been disobedient. As the sinless Son, He always delighted to do His Father’s will (John 8:29). Rather, He learned obedience experientially. By assuming our human nature and entering a world of suffering, He personally carried out the Father’s will under increasingly painful circumstances. He knew obedience eternally as the Son, but in His incarnation He experienced what obedience required through suffering even “the death of the cross” (Philippians 2:8).

His sufferings also qualified Him experientially for His priestly ministry. Having perfectly obeyed amid temptation and sorrow, Christ became the fully accomplished High Priest and “the author of eternal salvation unto all them that obey him” (Hebrews 5:9). Our salvation rests upon His flawless obedience, not ours. He fulfilled all righteousness and offered Himself as the sufficient sacrifice for our sins.

Believers should not regard suffering as proof that God has abandoned them. The Father used suffering in the earthly life of His beloved Son; He also uses trials to train His children in submission, patience, and holiness. Obedience learned in comfort may remain largely untested, but suffering reveals whether we will trust God when His will is painful. Therefore, let every trial teach us to say with Christ, “Not my will, but thine, be done” (Luke 22:42).

Hebrews 5:2—“Who can have compassion on the ignorant, and on them that are out of the way; for that he himself also is compassed with infirmity.”

Hebrews 5 describes the qualifications of Israel’s high priest. Being chosen “from among men” (v. 1), he represented the people before God and offered sacrifices for their sins. Because he shared their human weakness, he was able to “have compassion” on those who sinned through ignorance or wandered from God’s way.

The expression “have compassion” conveys the thought of responding gently and patiently. The high priest was not to excuse sin, but neither was he to treat sinners with cruelty or contempt. He understood the frailty of fallen humanity because he himself was “compassed with infirmity”. Indeed, the earthly high priest had to offer sacrifices for his own sins as well as for the people’s (v. 3).

This imperfect priesthood points us to the superior compassion of Jesus Christ. Unlike the Levitical priests, Christ was entirely without sin. Nevertheless, He truly assumed our humanity, experienced suffering and temptation, and is therefore able to sympathise with our weaknesses (Hebrews 4:15). His compassion is perfect: He neither overlooks our sins nor casts away those who repent. Having offered Himself as the sufficient sacrifice, He saves and restores all who come unto God by Him.

This verse also instructs believers in ministering to those who are “out of the way”. Awareness of our own weakness should restrain pride and harshness. Those who are ignorant must be patiently taught; those who wander must be lovingly corrected; and those who repent must be graciously restored. “Considering thyself, lest thou also be tempted” (Galatians 6:1), correct the erring with truth, humility, and compassion. Remembering how patiently Christ deals with us will help us deal patiently with others.

1 Thessalonians 3:13—“To the end he may stablish your hearts unblameable in holiness before God, even our Father, at the coming of our Lord Jesus Christ with all his saints.”

Paul’s prayer for increasing and abounding love in the preceding verse has a definite spiritual purpose: “To the end he may stablish your hearts unblameable in holiness”. Christian love and holiness are inseparable. As the Lord enlarges our love toward fellow believers and toward all men, He also strengthens us to live lives increasingly set apart unto Him.

The word “stablish” speaks of making firm and steadfast. Paul desired that the Thessalonians, amid persecution and temptation, would not be spiritually unsettled, but established in holy devotion to God. This holiness must reach the “heart”, for biblical holiness is not mere outward respectability. God desires inward purity, sincere obedience, and wholehearted consecration from which godly conduct proceeds.

Paul prays that they might be “unblameable in holiness before God, even our Father”. The standard is not merely what men think of us, but what we are before the searching eyes of God. This does not teach sinless perfection in this life. Rather, believers must pursue such holiness that no settled course of ungodliness characterises them.

The coming of Christ supplies the solemn motivation. Our Lord Jesus Christ will certainly return “with all his saints”, and every believer must live in readiness for that glorious day. The hope of Christ’s return should never produce careless speculation, but earnest sanctification.

Therefore, let us not merely ask whether we are waiting for Christ. Let us ask whether His coming hope is making us more loving, steadfast, pure, and holy. The heart that truly longs for Christ will also desire to be pleasing to Him when He appears.

1 Thessalonians 3:12—“And the Lord make you to increase and abound in love one toward another, and toward all men, even as we do toward you.”

Paul’s prayer for the Thessalonian believers was not merely that they would endure persecution, but that they would continue to grow in Christian love. Their love was already evident (1 Thessalonians 1:3; 3:6), yet Paul prayed that the Lord would make them “increase and abound” in it. Genuine Christian love must never remain static.

The source of such love is the Lord Himself. Paul does not simply command them to love more; he prays, “the Lord make you”. This reminds us that true Christian love is the fruit of divine grace. God works in His people, enlarging their hearts and enabling them to love according to His will.

This love must first be shown “one toward another”. Believers are bound together as members of Christ’s body and must therefore care for, forgive, encourage, and serve one another. Yet Christian love must not stop within the church. Paul adds, “and toward all men”. Even those who oppose, misunderstand, or mistreat us are not beyond the reach of Christian compassion. Our Lord commands us to love even our enemies and to pray for those who persecute us.

Paul himself provided the example: “even as we do toward you”. His ministry was marked by tender, sacrificial concern for their spiritual welfare.

We should therefore ask whether our love is growing. Are we becoming more patient, forgiving, generous, and compassionate? Let us pray that the Lord will enlarge our hearts, so that our love toward believers and toward all men may increasingly reflect the gracious love of Christ.

1 Thessalonians 3:7—“Therefore, brethren, we were comforted over you in all our affliction and distress by your faith.”

Paul had sent Timothy to Thessalonica because he feared that persecution might have unsettled the young believers. When Timothy returned with good news of their faith and love (v. 6), Paul was greatly encouraged. Though he himself was passing through “affliction and distress”, the steadfast faith of the Thessalonians became a source of comfort to him.

This verse reveals something precious about Christian fellowship: the faithfulness of one believer can strengthen another. Paul was an apostle, yet he was not beyond discouragement. His trials were real, and he needed encouragement. God graciously supplied it through the report that the Thessalonians were continuing in faith.

Their faith did not remove Paul’s affliction, but it gave him strength to endure it. This teaches us that Christian comfort is not always the removal of trouble. Sometimes God comforts His servants by showing them that their labour in the Gospel is bearing spiritual fruit.

There is also an important pastoral lesson here. Ministers are deeply encouraged when those whom they teach continue faithfully in Christ. Likewise, parents, teachers, and fellow believers rejoice when they see others walking steadfastly in the truth.

Never think that your personal faithfulness affects only you. Your perseverance in prayer, obedience, worship, and trust in Christ may become God’s means of strengthening someone else who is passing through distress. Therefore, remain steadfast. When you continue faithfully with the Lord in times of difficulty, your testimony may bring courage and comfort to others who are also struggling along the Christian way.

1 Thessalonians 3:5—“For this cause, when I could no longer forbear, I sent to know your faith, lest by some means the tempter have tempted you, and our labour be in vain.”

Paul’s pastoral concern for the Thessalonian believers was intense. He knew that they were enduring persecution, and he also knew that Satan would seek to use those trials to weaken their faith. Unable to bear the uncertainty any longer, Paul sent Timothy “to know” their spiritual condition.

Here Satan is called “the tempter”. His work is to entice believers away from steadfast trust in God. He may use fear, suffering, discouragement, false teaching, or worldly attraction to unsettle the soul. Paul did not underestimate this danger. Though the Thessalonians had sincerely received the Gospel, they still needed watchfulness and strengthening.

Paul feared that “our labour be in vain”. He did not mean that God’s saving purpose could finally fail. Rather, he feared that the fruit of his ministry among them might be seriously damaged if they yielded to temptation and abandoned their profession of faith. Gospel labour seeks not merely initial response but enduring faithfulness.

This verse reminds us that spiritual danger is real. A good beginning in the Christian life must be followed by perseverance. We must therefore watch over our hearts, resist the devil, remain in God’s Word, pray continually, and seek the fellowship of faithful believers.

Pastors and Christian friends must also care about one another’s spiritual condition. Paul did not merely ask whether the Thessalonians were comfortable; he wanted to know about their faith. Likewise, our greatest concern for one another should be that, amid every trial and temptation, we continue steadfastly believing, obeying, and following Christ.

Remembering God’s Calling as We Prepare for the 21st Thanksgiving Anniversary of TGCM

God has graciously called and equipped our church to bring the Gospel, biblical counsel, and Christian fellowship to ex-convicts and those delivered from addictions. For this purpose, The Gethsemane Care Ministry was established twenty-one years ago. Through the years, hundreds have received care, instruction, encouragement, and the ministry of God’s Word.

As an extension of this ministry, we have also been given opportunities to bring the Gospel to prisons through our preachers and brethren, who make weekly visits to minister to inmates. We are now prayerfully considering another avenue of ministry, a special Gospel and fellowship meeting for ex-convicts, perhaps once a month, with the aim of encouraging them to continue steadfastly in the Lord and in the fellowship of His people.

This Tuesday, a Thanksgiving Service for the 21st Anniversary of TGCM will be held in conjunction with our weekly church prayer meeting at 8.00pm. I warmly encourage all our brethren to come and join us in giving thanks to God for His sustaining grace, and in praying for the future of this ministry. May the Lord renew in us a compassionate concern for those struggling with the consequences of sin, and strengthen our confidence in the transforming power of the Gospel.

As we prepare for this thanksgiving, Philippians 2:15 provides a fitting exhortation: “That ye may be blameless and harmless, the sons of God, without rebuke, in the midst of a crooked and perverse nation, among whom ye shine as lights in the world.”

The opening words, “blameless and harmless, the sons of God, without rebuke”, describe what God expects His children to be in a world darkened by sin. There ought to be a discernible difference between the conduct of God’s children and that of those who remain without Christ. Christians are called to shine as lights, and such shining requires a life consistent with the Gospel we proclaim.

First, we are to be “blameless”. The Greek word carries the idea of being above reproach. This does not mean that Christians will never be falsely accused. Our Lord Himself was falsely accused, as were His apostles. Rather, our conduct should give no legitimate occasion for accusations of wrongdoing. We must not be professing Christians while living contrary to the faith.

Paul could testify of himself, “Men and brethren, I have lived in all good conscience before God until this day” (Acts 23:1). Such ought to be our desire to maintain a conscience that is clear before God and men. Especially when we seek to help those whose lives have been scarred by sin, our own testimony must commend the holiness and grace of the Saviour whom we proclaim.

Secondly, believers are exhorted to be “harmless”. The same Greek word appears in Matthew 10:16, where Christ commanded His disciples to be “wise as serpents, and harmless as doves”. The word conveys the idea of purity, sincerity, and freedom from corrupt mixture. There should be no deceitful or harmful spirit in the children of God. Our testimony must be sincere and untainted.

Those who have been justified by faith will desire a sanctified life. Salvation is entirely by grace through faith, but the grace that saves also begins the work of holiness in the believer. God’s children do not become sinless in this life, yet the Holy Spirit produces in them an increasing hatred of sin and desire for righteousness. They seek to put away “the sin which doth so easily beset us” (Hebrews 12:1) and to walk in a manner pleasing to their heavenly Father.

We are also commanded to be “without rebuke”. Christians ought to take great care that their words, conduct, relationships, dealings, and attitudes do not bring legitimate reproach upon the name of Christ. We live in a world filled with temptations, provocations, and opportunities for compromise. Therefore, watchfulness and prayer are indispensable to every Christian. A careless Christian can easily damage, in a few moments, a testimony that took years to establish.

Paul then reminds us where this holy testimony must be maintained: “in the midst of a crooked and perverse nation”. Those words are striking. They echo Moses’ description of a rebellious generation in Deuteronomy 32:5: “They have corrupted themselves… they are a perverse and crooked generation”. Scripture does not flatter the moral condition of a fallen society. Human philosophies may speak confidently of moral progress, but God’s Word describes a world whose thinking, desires, values, and ambitions have been utterly distorted by sin.

Christians therefore must not blend in with the world so completely that no one can recognise them as Christians. If our ambitions, entertainment, speech, morality, values, and conduct are indistinguishable from those of the unbelieving world, how shall we fulfil the command to “shine as lights”?

God calls us to something altogether different. The word “light” in Scripture is rich with spiritual significance. It is associated with divine truth, holiness, wisdom, salvation, joy, and the glory of God. To shine as lights is therefore to manifest something of God’s truth and holiness in a darkened world. Through our words and deeds, we are to point others away from sin and towards Christ.

Our Lord Jesus declared: “Ye are the light of the world. A city that is set on an hill cannot be hid… Let your light so shine before men, that they may see your good works, and glorify your Father which is in heaven” (Matthew 5:14–16).

Notice that Christ does not command us to manufacture light of our own. We shine because we have received His light. The Gospel has opened our eyes, brought us out of darkness, and called us into fellowship with Christ. Therefore, the light we bear must direct attention not to ourselves, but to our heavenly Father and to the saving grace of Christ.

Neither does shining as lights require us to withdraw from society. Christianity does not call us to live as hermits, avoiding all contact with sinners. Light is most needed where darkness is greatest. Our calling is not isolation, but a holy engagement with sinners. We enter the world without becoming like the world. We speak to sinners without embracing their sins. We show compassion without compromising truth. We extend friendship without abandoning holiness.

This principle lies at the heart of ministries such as TGCM. Men and women who have suffered the consequences of crime, addiction, broken relationships, and destructive habits do not need merely social assistance. They need the light of the Gospel. They need to hear that Jesus Christ saves sinners, breaks the dominion of sin, forgives the repentant, and gives newness of life. They also need to see that Gospel displayed through patient Christian love, faithful counsel, examples of holy living, and steadfast fellowship with like-minded brethren in the church.

The designated place for light is darkness. May God therefore keep us from shrinking back from difficult ministries or difficult people. May He give us a courage and compassion without pride and self-righteousness. May we shine before those who are struggling in the darkness of sin, directing them to the Saviour who declared, “I am the light of the world” (John 8:12).

As we commemorate twenty-one years of TGCM, let us thank God for every life touched by His Word through this ministry and every opportunity He has given us to minister to those in need. There are still many who need the Gospel, many who need encouragement after release from prison, many who need Christian fellowship to help them resist old temptations, and many who need brethren willing to walk patiently with them. Therefore, let us also look forward to more opportunities of ministry. 

May the Lord make us faithful luminaries in this dark world, shining through our words, our conduct, our compassion, and our steadfast proclamation of Christ. And may many who presently grope in darkness be led, through the light of the Gospel, into the salvation, wisdom, joy, and peace that are found in our Lord Jesus Christ.