A LIVING STONE AND A HOLY PEOPLE – 1 PETER 2:1-12 Our Heavenly Father, Creator of all things and Master Teacher, we humbly come into Your presence to seek Your Holy Spirit to open our eyes to these Holy Scriptures. We earnestly pray for enlightenment as we study together, and we ask You, Father, to open our eyes to see the truths contained in these words. Open our minds to comprehend that which we are reading, and open our hearts to receive the message that You have for us. Finally, dear Father, we ask for the strength and courage to live our lives in a manner of the called, constantly giving You the glory, honor, and praise that You deserve. We pray these things in the name of our Lord and Savior Jesus Christ. Amen. 1 Peter 2:1–3 Wherefore laying aside all malice, and all guile, and hypocrisies, and envies, and all evil speakings, as newborn babes, desire the sincere milk of the word, that ye may grow thereby: If so be ye have tasted that the Lord is gracious. Peter closed the first chapter of his epistle by saying we should love one another fervently because we’re members of the same family. Just as we were all conceived by the incorruptible Word of God, as newborn babes, we’re to continue in the Word of God. If you’re a parent, you know how newborn babes crave milk. In the middle of the night, they want milk. When you’re trying to study, they want milk. Every few hours they want milk. Peter says we’re to be the same way. He doesn’t say if we’re newborn babes, or when we’re newborn babes, but rather we’re to continue all the days of our lives as newborn babes, craving the sincere milk of the Word. If we are all in the Word together, the result will be unity. If you don’t believe me, take a look around. This group of people would never get together for any other reason except the Word. We have different interests, political inclinations, ideas, philosophies, and backgrounds. However, as we study the Word, we are knit together in unity. That is why we are to lay aside the slow-burning anger of malice, the trickery of guile, and the divisiveness of hypocrisy, envy, and evil speaking. The degree to which those attributes exist in our lives will be the degree to which our hunger for the Word will be diminished. No matter how good the meal is that my wife prepares for me, if I stop off at McDonald’s on the way home and score a couple of Quarter Pounders with large fries—and super-size the whole deal—when I get home, I won’t be interested in what she’s made. When people stop reading or studying the Word, it’s because they’re eating the junk food of the world. That’s why Peter says, “First lay aside the junk and then you will desire the milk of the Word.” 1 Peter 2:4, 5 (a) To whom coming, as unto a living stone, disallowed indeed of men, but chosen of God, and precious, ye also, as lively stones… Peter says not only are we children in the same family, but we are stones in the same building. Several years ago, there was a mini controversy in a church that lasted for a few days relating to whether young men should be allowed to wear hats in church. While I understand the concern for respect, the issue wasn’t that guys were wearing hats in church. The issue was that the church was wearing hats. The building isn’t the church—the body is! We are the living stones. People like to be on the church grounds at their respective churches. Why? It’s not because the grounds are anything special. It’s because the fragrance of the church is left behind. These buildings are nothing more than buildings. But because the church is here worshiping and praying, studying and fellowshipping with the Lord, the environment is filled with the fragrance of Jesus. 1 Peter 2:5 (b) …are built up a spiritual house… That we are living stones who are being built up, or fit together, as a spiritual house brings to mind a most interesting Scripture.… And the house, when it was in building, was built of stone made ready before it was brought thither: so that there was neither hammer nor axe nor any tool of iron heard in the house, while it was in building. 1 Kings 6:7 When Solomon’s temple was being constructed, all of the chiseling, hammering, cutting, and chipping was done underneath the old city of Jerusalem. When the stones were taken to the temple mount, they could be fit together in silence. We’re living stones being fit together for an eternal temple in heaven. This life is the quarry, which explains why we always feel like we’re being chipped and chiseled. “Why am I next to this blockhead?” you ask, or, “Why are they part of the family?” You know why? As living stones, we constantly rub against one another, knocking rough edges off one another in the process. You see, God puts us right next to the very people He knows will smooth us down so He can build us up into a temple for His glory. The problem is, I try to get away from the blockhead I’m rubbing against. But because God puts us in fixes to fix us, He puts us with people and in situations He knows will shape us most effectively. So if I try to fix the fix God put me in, He will be faithful to put me in another fix to fix the fix He wanted to fix in the first place! If we don’t learn this, we’ll go from fix to fix until finally we say, “Okay, Lord. I’m not going to try to fix this, or wiggle out of that, but I’m going to embrace and accept where You have me because I know You’re doing a work on me, shaping me for eternity.” 1 Peter 2:5 (c)–8 …an holy priesthood, to offer up spiritual sacrifices, acceptable to God by Jesus Christ. Wherefore also it is contained in the scripture, Behold, I lay in Sion a chief corner stone, elect, precious: and he that believeth on him shall not be confounded. Unto you therefore which believe he is precious: but unto them which be disobedient, the stone which the builders disallowed, the same is made the head of the corner, and a stone of stumbling, and a rock of offence, even to them which stumble at the word, being disobedient: whereunto also they were appointed. According to tradition, during the construction of Solomon’s temple, work went smoothly until the builders were unable to locate the cornerstone. Word was sent to send the missing stone up to the temple mount. “We sent that stone a long time ago,” the quarriers replied. The builders were confused until one of them remembered a perfectly cut stone that was tossed over the gully into the Kidron Valley because no one knew what to do with it. The rejected cornerstone is a biblical allusion that shows up again and again throughout Scripture (Isaiah 28:16–18; Psalm 118:22; Acts 4:11). “It was a mistake to marry him,” she cries. “I can’t figure her out,” he sighs. “This is unworkable. Let’s quit,” they say. The same thing happened to Jesus.… “How can this carpenter, this peasant, be the Messiah?” they scoffed. “He leads no army. He has no credentials. Let’s get rid of Him,” they said. Instead of saying, “Dump them,” you and I must be those who look at people and situations and say, “I bet this is the Cornerstone working in my life. Jesus is using this situation in some way I can’t figure out. It doesn’t fit in with my thinking. It doesn’t work according to my calculation or design—but somehow, even as He was rejected, this could very well be a key to what He is doing in my life.” 1 Peter 2:9 (a) But ye are a chosen generation, a royal priesthood… Not only are we children in the same family and stones in the same building, but we are priests in the same temple.… 1 Peter 2:9 (b), 10 …an holy nation, a peculiar people; that ye should shew forth the praises of him who hath called you out of darkness into his marvellous light: Which in time past were not a people, but are now the people of God: which had not obtained mercy, but now have obtained mercy. As children of the same family, stones in the same building, priests in the same temple, we are also citizens of the same nation. People look at us and say, “What a peculiar group you are.” Any nation that would heavily fine a person for destroying an eagle’s egg, yet actually encourage the destruction of a human embryo is peculiar indeed. Therefore, I’m glad they look at us as being strange! 1 Peter 2:11 (a) Dearly beloved, I beseech you as strangers and pilgrims, abstain from fleshly lusts… As a body, we are to do three things in light of our unity. First, we are to live in purity. Having talked about trials and persecution from without, Peter seems to shift gears here and address the potential danger from within. “I beseech you,” he says. “I beg you. I plead with you. Hear the cry of my heart: Abstain from fleshly lusts that war against your soul.” In times of difficulty, people sometimes say, “Why should I refrain? Why should I abstain? I just can’t take it anymore.” Peter answers, “Even as things get tough, whatever you do, don’t give in to your fleshly lusts. Be careful. You’re vulnerable.” Perhaps better than anyone else, Peter knew what he was talking about, for he was one who succumbed to his fleshly lusts when things got tough. “Watch and pray,” Jesus told him specifically, “lest you enter into temptation” (Matthew 26:41). Peter listened to his flesh, saying, “This Passion Week has been pretty intense. You need a break. Kick back. Relax.” So he did. A few hours later, standing by the fire not of persecution, but of temptation, Peter ended up denying Jesus three times. Shaken in his soul, he wept bitterly (Luke 22:62). Peter knows what he’s talking about when he says to the early believers, to you, and to me, “I beseech you as strangers and pilgrims. Abstain from the lust of this world.” Notice Peter doesn’t say, “Refrain temporarily,” or, “Know when to say when,” or, “Be sure you have a designated driver.” No, he simply says, “Abstain completely.” 1 Peter 2:11 (b), 12 …which war against the soul; having your conversation honest among the Gentiles: that, whereas they speak against you as evildoers, they may by your good works, which they shall behold, glorify God in the day of visitation. The Greek word translated “war” is strateuomai, from which we get our word “strategy.” The Enemy has a strategy to war against your soul—your personality, your emotions, your will, your volition. The strategy of Satan is simply to say, “Abstinence is too old-fashioned, too legalistic, too unrealistic, too harsh. Just know when to say when. Be wise in what you’re doing.” You see, gang, Satan won’t come blasting into your life with a drug dealer in tow. No, his strategy is much more subtle. He simply wants you to compromise a little here and a little there, until there is nothing left of your purity. The problem with lust is not that it hurts God or others. The problem with lust is that it wars against us. It tears us down as it wears us down. Have a blessed day!
Posted on: Sun, 07 Dec 2014 17:13:02 +0000
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