“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…” -1 Peter 2:4-10

The Apostle Peter moves from exhortation back to encouragement. He is telling them who they are in Christ so that they understand the transcendent reality of who they are. It really matters how we see ourselves, for we tend to live out of that vision. Thus the Apostle Peter reminds them/us of the truth of our identity in Christ.

First of all Peter directs us to Jesus, the ‘living stone.’ The imagery he is using is that of the Temple. God’s dwelling place is no longer a temple of stone, but is first of all Jesus, God incarnate. Jesus is the chosen one of God, yet rejected by men. Because the original readers of 1 Peter are experiencing persecution, this is good to know – that Jesus understands rejection. And Peter, before he gets us to look at ourselves, directs us to look at Jesus, the object and essence of our faith. Secondly, Peter calls believers/us ‘living stones.’ Just as Jesus is the ‘living stone’ Believers are ‘living stones.’ And as we come to him – for salvation, in worship, following Him – we are being built into a ‘spiritual house.’ Again, the imagery is that of the Temple. In the Old Testament the Temple was God’s dwelling place and it signified the presence and reality of God. But now, in the New Testament age, we are the Temple with Jesus as the cornerstone. We are the House of God. The church building is not the church – it is the meeting place of the church; it is a tool for God’s use and glory. It is nothing without Jesus, and without the people of God. That way of seeing things is done away with the coming of Christ and the Spirit. Peter then describes us as a priesthood offering sacrifices. It is no longer the Old Testament system of offering blood sacrifices – Jesus has already provided that. But now our sacrifice is our life. Note Romans 12:1-2 and Hebrews 13:15-16. Our sacrifice is our praise and our good deeds; our life.

 Finally, Peter tells us who we are in Christ: we are chosen, a royal priesthood, a holy nation, the people of God. He is lifting us up, not in pride, but so that we realize who we are in Christ. He takes all the Old Testament blessings attributed to Israel, and applies them to the church. The church is now the people of God and His dwelling place. And to see this affects how we live, and gives us a foundation for living. It also gives us purpose in our lives: to declare his praises. The natural outgrowth of the gift of salvation is praise and declaration. It is impossible not to give thanks when one realizes he/she has been given so much. And so the challenge is to know who we are in Christ, and to allow this truth to drive our lives – lives of gratitude, of praise and good deeds.

Pastor Tim, February 10, 2008