1 Peter – Salisbury Baptist Church

Longing for the Milk

30th November 2025

Becoming a true Christian is more than giving a public response such as raising a hand or going down the front of the meeting; it is a spiritual happening, a new birth that produces hunger for the Word, a turning of the heart toward God. A fruit is a love for truth, and perseverance even when faith brings hardship. The evidence of real conversion is not only the initial belief but also the following growth, love for Jesus, and willingness to suffer for His Name. To know that one has been born again is to find a new appetite for spiritual life and a settled certainty that God's hand has begun a lasting work within.

Healing in the Atonement?

10th August 2025

While Jesus' death on the cross is the ultimate source of all restoration, the Atonement specifically deals with bearing our sins to make us right with God. The prophecy in Isaiah about Him bearing our sicknesses was fulfilled during His earthly ministry, where He healed all who came to Him, demonstrating His compassion. Healing is not guaranteed in the Atonement in the same way as forgiveness; therefore, believers should pray for healing, trusting in Jesus' power, but not fall into condemnation if sickness remains. We must rest in the knowledge that God's grace is always sufficient for us.

Sanctification: The Journey to Perfection in Christ

7th July 2024

The biblical concept of sanctification includes the idea of perfection, first given forensically to an individual by God’s grace and then progressively brought about into the individual’s experience by the Holy Spirit. It explains the differences between justification and sanctification, highlighting that justification is the gift of perfect righteousness given by Christ's sacrifice, while sanctification is involved in this but also in the ongoing process of becoming more Christ-like. The message encourages believers to rely on the Holy Spirit for spiritual growth and to understand that their ultimate perfection will be realized in glory.

Practising Righteousness while still growing in Sanctification

14th April 2024

The sermon focuses on the Christian journey of righteousness, beginning with the gift of forgiveness through Jesus Christ and leading into a life of sanctification. The preacher emphasises the need for living out our righteousness not for human approval but as a reflection of divine standards set by Jesus. Through the Beatitudes, believers are guided on how to align their lives with God’s expectations, progressing towards perfection in heaven. The concept of apologetics is also explored, highlighting the importance of defending one’s faith with reason and respect, while living in a way that genuinely reflects Christ's teachings. This sermon invites listeners to delve deeper into their faith, understanding it not just as a belief system but as a transformative journey shaped by divine grace and sustained through personal growth in holiness.

A Call to Christian Conduct in Trying Times

7th April 2024

This sermon is about living a Christ-centred life amidst adversity. It is drawn from 1 Peter 2:11-12. The speaker highlights the early Christian community's resilience and compassion in the face of ridicule and persecution, emphasising how these virtues led to the exponential growth of the faith despite societal opposition. Through the lens of historical persecution, both in the early church and in modern examples like South Sudan and Pakistan, the sermon challenges believers to embody their faith through honourable conduct, compassion, and engagement in good deeds, as prescribed by Peter and illustrated by the grace of Jesus Christ. The key message centres on the transformative power of living out one's faith through actions that align with God's call for justice, kindness, and humility, even in the most challenging circumstances.

Pilgrim’s Sanctification Part 2

7th January 2024

"We didn't really have the opportunity to go very far down the road of tracking the meaning of the word sanctification. And in our salvation that God gives us is first of all how we get in the door right at the beginning. And sometimes that's called our justification. When God treats you, he puts you in the status of being justified even though you're a sinner. But because Christ has died for you and Christ has provided his righteousness to be ours."

God’s Varied grace

6th August 2023

"The content of this passage is Peter exhorting the church in the light of the fact that Jesus is going to come soon, and he doesn't know how soon, but he's speaking to the fact that Christ could come at any time, and they are in the end times, and therefore how should they behave, and what should they know about themselves."