WORD From The Woods
1 Peter 2:1-12
“And this word is the good news that was preached to you.
So put away all malice and all deceit and hypocrisy and envy and all slander. Like newborn infants, long for the pure spiritual milk, that by it you may grow up into salvation— if indeed you have tasted that the Lord is good. 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, to be a holy priesthood, to offer spiritual sacrifices acceptable to God through Jesus Christ. For it stands in Scripture: “Behold, I am laying in Zion a stone, a cornerstone chosen and precious, and whoever believes in him will not be put to shame.” So the honor is for you who believe, but for those who do not believe, “The stone that the builders rejected has become the cornerstone,” and “A stone of stumbling, and a rock of offense.” They stumble because they disobey the word, as they were destined to do. But you are 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 you were not a people, but now you are God's people; once you had not received mercy, but now you have received mercy. Beloved, I urge you as sojourners and exiles to abstain from the passions of the flesh, which wage war against your soul. 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”
In this passage, Peter uses a metaphor about the construction of a stone building to illustrate an awesome spiritual truth to his readers. Peter likens Christ to a cornerstone in a great building made with many stones. The cornerstone of a building was the first stone set upon the foundation and all the other stones would be set in reference to the cornerstone. It was the most important stone in the whole building and if it wasn’t set right, the entire building would be out of alignment and could crumble if not centered upon the foundation. The really awesome part of Peter’s illustration is that we, as believers in Christ, are living stones in this building as well! And this building is like the holy temple of God since the Holy Spirit dwells within us as Christians. As Christians, or “living stones’’ in the temple of God, we are called to seek Christ and to live a Christ-like example before the world. Peter tells us that just as infants seek their mothers milk because it’s good and nourishes them for growth, we should seek Christ if indeed we have tasted His goodness. And in Him we will grow from spiritual infants into mature Christ followers. We are called to seek Christ and His righteousness because the whole world is watching us as living stones in the temple of God. Peter tells us to put away all malice and deceit, to abstain from all worldly passions and sinfulness because we are Christ’s witness to the watching world. I don’t have to give any examples of worldliness to folks in the timber industry, it’s all around us every day and it’s so easy to fall into. Laying these things down and dying to our own selfish pursuits are the spiritual sacrifices that God desires (Psalm 51). We are the gospel in living form bearing witness to all those we come into contact with. If people read the gospel, spelled out by the testimony of your life, what will they see? Will they see the goodness and character of Christ shining through you and desire to have what you have as an infant desires it’s mothers nourishment? When we place our faith and trust in Jesus Christ for salvation, we enter into something so much bigger than ourselves and our own selfish pursuits. As living stones in the temple of God we are an integral part of the greatest building project in all eternity, the Kingdom of God!
God bless and have a great week! -Terry-
1 Peter 2:1-12
“And this word is the good news that was preached to you.
So put away all malice and all deceit and hypocrisy and envy and all slander. Like newborn infants, long for the pure spiritual milk, that by it you may grow up into salvation— if indeed you have tasted that the Lord is good. 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, to be a holy priesthood, to offer spiritual sacrifices acceptable to God through Jesus Christ. For it stands in Scripture: “Behold, I am laying in Zion a stone, a cornerstone chosen and precious, and whoever believes in him will not be put to shame.” So the honor is for you who believe, but for those who do not believe, “The stone that the builders rejected has become the cornerstone,” and “A stone of stumbling, and a rock of offense.” They stumble because they disobey the word, as they were destined to do. But you are 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 you were not a people, but now you are God's people; once you had not received mercy, but now you have received mercy. Beloved, I urge you as sojourners and exiles to abstain from the passions of the flesh, which wage war against your soul. 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”
In this passage, Peter uses a metaphor about the construction of a stone building to illustrate an awesome spiritual truth to his readers. Peter likens Christ to a cornerstone in a great building made with many stones. The cornerstone of a building was the first stone set upon the foundation and all the other stones would be set in reference to the cornerstone. It was the most important stone in the whole building and if it wasn’t set right, the entire building would be out of alignment and could crumble if not centered upon the foundation. The really awesome part of Peter’s illustration is that we, as believers in Christ, are living stones in this building as well! And this building is like the holy temple of God since the Holy Spirit dwells within us as Christians. As Christians, or “living stones’’ in the temple of God, we are called to seek Christ and to live a Christ-like example before the world. Peter tells us that just as infants seek their mothers milk because it’s good and nourishes them for growth, we should seek Christ if indeed we have tasted His goodness. And in Him we will grow from spiritual infants into mature Christ followers. We are called to seek Christ and His righteousness because the whole world is watching us as living stones in the temple of God. Peter tells us to put away all malice and deceit, to abstain from all worldly passions and sinfulness because we are Christ’s witness to the watching world. I don’t have to give any examples of worldliness to folks in the timber industry, it’s all around us every day and it’s so easy to fall into. Laying these things down and dying to our own selfish pursuits are the spiritual sacrifices that God desires (Psalm 51). We are the gospel in living form bearing witness to all those we come into contact with. If people read the gospel, spelled out by the testimony of your life, what will they see? Will they see the goodness and character of Christ shining through you and desire to have what you have as an infant desires it’s mothers nourishment? When we place our faith and trust in Jesus Christ for salvation, we enter into something so much bigger than ourselves and our own selfish pursuits. As living stones in the temple of God we are an integral part of the greatest building project in all eternity, the Kingdom of God!
God bless and have a great week! -Terry-