Expository Sermons by Dr. W. A. Criswell

Dr. Criswell traces Peter's use of the word "precious" to proclaim the incomparable value of Christ, His blood, the faith, and God's promises.

Precious Gifts of God (1 Peter 1:18-19)

Beginning with Peter's description of the trial of faith, Dr. Criswell follows the apostle's repeated use of the word translated "precious" or "of great value." The central emphasis is 1 Peter 1:18-19: believers are not redeemed with silver or gold, but with the precious blood of Christ. He explains redemption as the ransom paid to free captives, presenting humanity as bound by sin, judgment, and death and Christ's sacrifice as the price of deliverance. He also considers the blood of Christ as cleansing, atoning, and speaking before God on behalf of those who come by faith.

The message then turns to Christ as the precious cornerstone, rejected by the world yet chosen by God and treasured by believers. Dr. Criswell speaks of the comfort and hope found in Christ, especially in the face of death. He concludes by considering the preciousness of the faith as the whole life of Christian worship and fellowship, and the precious promises of God for present help and the Lord's coming.

This message is from the W. A. Criswell Sermon Library.

Dr. Criswell expounds Peter's opening blessing as a message of living hope, secure inheritance, and salvation kept by God's power.

Safe in God: The Glories of the Son (1 Peter 1:1-5)

Working closely through 1 Peter 1:1-5, Dr. Criswell addresses Peter's greeting to scattered believers in Asia Minor and traces its references to the Father, Spirit, and Jesus Christ. He emphasizes that the believers are called according to God's foreknowledge, sanctified by the Spirit, and brought into obedience through the sprinkling of Christ's blood. Grace and peace, he notes, unite the familiar Greek and Hebrew greetings in Peter's salutation.

The sermon centers on the gifts believers receive through being born again: a living hope grounded in Christ's resurrection, an incorruptible and unfading inheritance reserved in heaven, and preservation by God's power through faith. Dr. Criswell relates Peter's living hope to the apostle's own collapse at the crucifixion and renewal at the resurrection. He also distinguishes trials that tempt toward evil from testing that proves faith, particularly in the context of suffering Christians. Finally, he explains salvation as deliverance from judgment, present new life in Christ, and the future salvation to be revealed when Christ appears.

This message is from the W. A. Criswell Sermon Library.

Beginning a study of 1 Peter, Dr. Criswell considers the remarkable strengths, failures, and transformation of Simon Peter.

The Big Fisherman (1 Peter 1:1-2)

Taking the opening word of 1 Peter, "Peter," Dr. Criswell introduces Simon Peter as the strong fisherman and prominent apostle whose forceful personality appears throughout the Gospels and Acts. From the great catch by the Sea of Galilee to the healing of the lame man at the temple gate, Peter is portrayed as a man of unusual physical and personal vigor. His immediate response to Christ's call, his confession at Caesarea Philippi, and his readiness to act reveal the strengths of a decisive, outspoken leader.

Yet the sermon also traces the instability that accompanied Peter's impulsiveness. He could make bold promises and then deny the Lord; he could enter Cornelius's house after God's instruction and later withdraw from Gentile believers at Antioch. Dr. Criswell emphasizes that God's grace does not erase individual personality, but works through it. Peter was teachable, capable of turning, and restored by the risen Christ, who entrusted him with feeding His lambs and sheep. His later boldness in Acts displays what Christ can do with a fallen but responsive disciple.

This message is from the W. A. Criswell Sermon Library.