1 Peter 2:4-5 - Living Stones Part II

1 Peter 2:4-5 – Part II

“As you come to him, the living Stone – rejected by men but chosen by God and precious to him – you also, like living stones, are being built into a spiritual house to be a holy priesthood, offering spiritual sacrifices acceptable to God through Jesus Christ.”

Last time we talked about the first part of this passage – Christianity is a religion of community; we must come to Christ to be grafted into His spiritual building, members of a body have no use when they are severed from the body, etc. We’ll finish up with the rest today.

Do you ever wonder, “Who am I? What am I here to do?” Peter gives the follower of Christ the answer: you are God’s spiritual house. You are a holy priesthood. You offer spiritual sacrifices acceptable to God through Jesus Christ. That is who you are and what you do. Whenever you question your worth, or ability to be used in God’s Kingdom, remember these word. As a follower of Christ, they are the truest things about you.

What is our spiritual sacrifice? Why is it acceptable to God? Our sacrifices are prayers and praises, righteousness and mercy, love and beneficence (your word for the day – it means “being charitable”…I had to look it up too), and obedience. Such sacrifices are acceptable because they are offered to God together with the supreme self-sacrifice of Christ.

Nothing of “us” is acceptable to God without the sacrifice of Christ. The other side of that is that everything of “us” is acceptable because of the sacrifice of Christ. (You may want to read those two sentences again – they are critical to living the Christian life.)

A religious building (a church, ministry, or life) constructed on anything other than the foundation of Jesus Christ will become a Tower of Babel, perhaps impressive for a while, but ultimately a pile of rubble. What are you building your life upon…the rock of Christ or something less stable? It’s worth thinking about.