As you come to him, a living stone rejected by men but in the sight of God chosen and precious, you yourselves like living stones are being built up as a spiritual house…
1 Peter 2: 4-5
Peter, writing to Christians who have been run out of Jerusalem into other parts of the Roman Empire, tells them to not practice the traits of the pagan people but, to drink of the nourishing, pure milk of the salvation they have received. Once an individual has been saved, the Holy Spirit enters that soul, brings new life to it and, begins the life long process of sanctification. Just as with babies, the new Christian must learn about being a Christian in this life and grow in the Grace and Mercy of our Lord Jesus. Next, Peter uses the “living stones” example to describe the Christians making up the body of Christ. Christians are “like living stones (that) are being built up as a spiritual house, to be a holy priesthood, to offer spiritual sacrifices acceptable to God through Jesus Christ.” Peter quotes Isaiah 8 as he writes here of Christ becoming the “cornerstone” to the “building” of the church of the Living God. As living stones, Christians are lain, like stones, upon the cornerstone and the foundation, made of the prophets of the Old Testament and the Apostles of the New Testament, to make a “building” that is holy unto the Lord and offers up spiritual sacrifices for the edification of the body of Christ and the spread of the gospel throughout the world. Then Peter calls Christians, of all time in this creation, “…a chosen race, a royal priesthood, a holy nation, a people for His own possession, that you may proclaim the excellencies of Him who called you out of darkness into His marvelous light.” Once, we, as Christians, were not a people. Yes, we were part of an earthly people group but, we were all in darkness to the wonderful light, salvation of Christ, running from God, like Adam and Eve did after they sinned in the Garden, not wanting to worship our Creator God. Christians, as Peter writes to all Christians through God’s Holy Bible, “Keep your conduct among the Gentiles honorable, so that when they speak against you as evildoers, they may see your good deeds and glorify God on the day of visitation.”
Source: S C Ball September 23, 2023
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