Word of Salvation – May 2026

Suggested Hymn/songs

Readings: Heidelberg Catechism Lord’s Day 1 Q&A1; 1 Pet 1:13-25;

Sermon: “The precious blood of Christ”

Rev John Zuidema

Congregation, the longer I live and the more pain I see in this world around me, the more I am convinced that there is only one thing that matters in this life.  And the thing that matters is not whether you have the ideal family, or a great career, or the nicest home or grandest car, but whether you belong to Jesus Christ.  There is nothing more important than that! It’s the most important matter, whether you are young, middle aged or even when you are older.

Yes, I know when one is young and full of energy, they may think they are invincible, but we know that young people are struck down with illness and sometimes killed through misadventure.  And when you are middle aged, you start feeling the aches and pains and when you are older, getting up out bed can even be a struggle. So, there is never a time when it is not important to know that you belong to Jesus Christ.

A few months ago, I attended a funeral of a dear friend.  And all anyone could say about the friend is that he was sailing away on the ocean.  How sad.  I hope when the Lord calls you home, that your loved ones can say more about you than that!  Hopefully they can say that you loved the Lord and knew you were safe in his hands in life and death and are now enjoying eternal life in glory!

For me personally, life would be pretty futile and miserable if this were not true!  Where would my hope, comfort and peace be, and for that matter, my loved one’s hope, comfort and peace if they didn’t know I belonged to Jesus Christ as my Saviour?

I really don’t know how people cope with their present life and all its struggles without belonging to Christ when there is so much rubbish and pain in this world.  Indeed, how do they cope?   Yes, some just live for the mighty dollar but that doesn’t give no lasting joy or satisfaction or hope for eternal life in glory!

Some just live for the immediate pleasure of the moment, whether it is sport, sexual pleasure or some other entertainment, only to find it doesn’t last!   Others turn to drugs or alcohol to deaden the pain of living.  All rather sad to say the least.

In direct contrast, we as Christians, because of God’s mercy and grace, and the amazing work of the Holy Spirit, and the completed work of Christ have so much for which to be thankful!   We profess that we have been bought, not with gold or silver, but with the precious blood of Jesus Christ and hence we belong to him forever!

That is what Peter writes in our text.  “For you know that it was not with perishable things such as silver or gold that you were redeemed from the empty way of life handed down to you from your forefathers, but with the precious blood of Christ, a lamb without blemish or defect” [1 Pet 1:18-19].

Did you hear that? Something far more precious than gold and silver has bought you.  Someone without spot or blemish, without defect, has been sacrificed to redeem you from an empty way of life!  What a marvellously comforting truth for the recipients of Peter’s letter who were being persecuted for their faith.   The recipients of Peter’s letter have been scattered throughout various provinces.  And Peter reminds them of the cost of their redemption.

In the past, these people had nothing going for them.  No promise of forgiveness.  No promise of eternal life.  An empty way of life was handed down to them by their forefathers.   This empty way of life was their forefathers telling them that if they didn’t obey the law of God perfectly, they would be doomed!   And sadly, because no one could do that perfectly, there was no hope, no comfort and no peace with God.

But now the good news of Jesus crucified and risen has been preached to them.  And the Holy Spirit has quickened them to life.   They now know they have been redeemed, forgiven and granted eternal life by the broken body and shed blood of Christ who has risen from the dead!

Children, teenagers, young people, if you have been brought up to trust in Jesus Christ as your Saviour, give thanks!  What a wonderful privilege.  Many Christians think far too lightly about their most privileged position in Christ.  If you know you are saved by the shedding of Christ’s blood you are blessed!

For who can forgive your sins?  Who gave himself up to die on a cross for your sins?   Who has risen from the dead showing that you have been justified, made right with a holy God to whom everyone needs to give an account?   I say again, if you know Christ as Saviour, give thanks!  It is just the best news.   Should you be afflicted with persecution, or illness, or lying on your death bed, the one thing that matters is that you belong to Christ.

So many people in the world think that gold and silver is the most precious commodity to be accumulating.  So many spend all their energy chasing the mighty dollar!   But it is nothing more than a clever lie of the devil! In fact, it causes untold pain and brokenness in families. Worse still, it can never help us avoid the ultimate question about life after death.

Whether you have a fortune or whether you are as poor as church mice, it all pales into insignificance when compared to our redemption in Christ.   The rich young ruler couldn’t get into heaven with all his money or his desire to be obedient to God’s law, for he couldn’t do it!  And before you start boasting about how poor you are, neither could the disciples for all their lack of money! (Matthew 19)

To know we are redeemed by the precious blood of Christ is for our comfort and if it doesn’t bring comfort, please start asking some hard questions.   One day the Creator who breathed the breath of life into you is going to ask whether we know Jesus as your Saviour.   Having Jesus is going to be the determining factor of whether your sins are forgiven and can enter eternal life in glory.

So, ask the serious questions of life! “Is there a God? Why am I here?  What is the purpose of my existence?  Where am I going?  Is there life after death?”    God has set eternity in the hearts of man.  We cannot get away from these soul-searching questions.   And the wonder and beauty are that God the Father in heaven has given us the answer to all these questions.  And the answers are found in His word in the person of Jesus Christ!

Now you can blindly carry on as though your sin doesn’t matter before a Holy God, but that would be a foolish thing to do.  All the OT sacrifices point to the ultimate shedding of blood by Jesus Christ.  So instead of going blindly down the dead-end streets of works righteousness, trust in Jesus Christ whom God has sent to pay for your sin.

Realize that you are not saved by good works or church membership or perishable things such as gold and silver, but with the precious blood of Christ!    That means, you no longer belong to yourself.  You now belong to Christ.

Paul states in 1 Cor 6:19-20; “You are not your own, you were bought at a price. Therefore, honour God with your body” The price being his very life!

And it is what Jesus has done that should make funerals different and indeed what makes life worth living!  Paul in Phil 3:8ff considered everything a loss compared to the surpassing greatness of knowing Christ.  In fact, we say with Paul that we would gladly forsake all other things so long as we may gain Christ.  It is a total package.  In life and death, both body and soul, we belong to Christ!

That means we don’t agree with the pro-choice groups who say it’s their body and they will do with it whatever they like!  We don’t agree with indiscriminate abortion, or euthanasia, or recklessly placing our life or someone else’s life in danger! Because we are not our own, but we belong to Christ!    Jesus has bought us with his precious blood, and we belong to him.

That blood was worth more than all the blood of the OT animal sacrifices put together.  It was worth more than all the indulgencies that were paid during the Middle Ages.  It is worth more than all our righteous acts put together.   The precious blood of Jesus was priceless because it belonged to God’s One and Only Son. It was the only blood that could fully pay for our sin for it was sinless!

And that does not only have eternal consequences it also effects our lives now.   Peter calls on these persecuted and scattered Christians to live holy lives, that is the context.  In other words, be obedient and holy, just as your God is holy!   Don’t behave as though Satan has hold over you!   It’s no longer an eye for an eye or a tooth for a tooth!

Rather, turn the other cheek.  Suffer lose if need be.   You now belong to Christ and we are called to live like Christ.  If our Christian faith means anything at all, then that must have an impact in one’s life!   And sometimes we need to make conscious decisions about this. “Hey, I belong to Christ, therefore I will not watch porn, or blaspheme or take the Lord’s name in vain.

I will not seek vengeance but will seek the betterment of my neighbour.   Belonging to Christ means that nothing can happen to us without the knowledge of God.   Indeed Mat 10:29-30 reminds us that, “not a sparrow can fall to the ground or a single hair from our heads apart from the will of the Father in heaven.”  

Since we are worth much more than sparrows, and if the Lord said that of us before his death and payment for our very lives, how infinitely more is it worth now!    In fact, all things that happen to us are so designed and used by God that they will lead to our ultimate salvation and make us more Christ-like.  That is God’s ultimate aim for our lives, and he will do whatever it takes to get us there.

Now the question is, “Why doesn’t everyone believe this wonderful teaching in Scripture?”  Let me answer that in two ways.  First the negative side.  Some are not yet saved because,

1. They thrust the good news of Jesus Christ aside (Acts 13:46). When Paul and Barnabas brought them the gospel, they rejected it.
2. In 1 Cor 2:14; The man without the Spirit does not accept the things that come from the Spirit. They are folly to them, and he cannot understand
3. In Rom 8:7 we read that the mind of the flesh is hostile to God, he does not submit to God’s law nor can he do so.
4. People without the Holy Spirit hate the light, Jn 3:20; they have hard hearts Eph 4:18.

So how come some are saved? Because of God’s gracious election.

1. In Acts 13:48, Those that have been appointed by God believed.
2. God, by his Spirit enables people to repent of their sins (Acts 11:18).
3. God has opened their hearts by the work of the Holy Spirit to receive the good news and to believe! (Acts 16:14)

We need to remember that faith is a gift of God.  The Holy Spirit, sent from the Father and the Son, makes our hearts willing to receive the glorious news of Jesus Christ.  If it were up to us, we would never believe.  There is not one who does right! (Rom 3).  The Scripture’s teach us that left on our own we are enemies of God [Rom 5].

So, how can we reach out to these people, some of whom are our children and grandchildren whom we love dearly. First, pray that the Lord will overcome their resistance by the power of his Holy Spirit.   Second, we have a role and that is to bring the good news of Christ to the world.   Start with your family and your neighbour, for who knows, the Lord may have already moved their hearts to be receptive to the gospel this very day.  But don’t badger them. Don’t be bombastic. Always be ready to give the reason for the hope you have with all gentleness and respect (1 Pete3:15).

Congregation, we are most privileged to be found in Christ!  Why you, why me?  “Why should I gain from His reward? I cannot give an answer, but this I know with all my heart, His wounds have paid my ransom.”

Those of us who are saved could not imagine what it would be like to live without this wonderful comfort.  Now tell me, do you believe with your heart of hearts, that you belong – body and soul, in life and in death – to your faithful Saviour Jesus Christ?   May we all be able to say “Yes” and unreservedly so!  Amen.