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Our last segment dealt with the Apostle Peter urging us, as newborn babes, to desire the sincere milk of the word of God.
Text: 1 Peter 2:3 If so be ye have tasted that the Lord is gracious. Peter is believed to be quoting Psalms 34:8 “O taste and see that the LORD [is] good, blessed [is] the man [that] trusteth in him.” Yes, we have indeed tasted that the Lord is good. We came to Him stained with sin and in the very depths of despair. We all came from different paths. Some were visibly broken and addicted to various habits and sins of the flesh, prone to violence and our bodies ravished by the effects of sin. Bitterness consumed us and we felt no joy in living. Others, to all appearances had it all together. We lived outwardly clean lives, but were still separated from God by sin, whether we recognized it or not (Ro. 3:23,5:12). However, when we came to Jesus, things changed, big time. We were born anew and we gained entrance into the kingdom of God (Jn. 3:3; 1Pe. 1:23). We became a new creation in Jesus, old things passed away and all things became new (2 Cor. 5:17). The point that Peter is making is , “there’s no if about it.” We have indeed tasted that the Lord is good, so let us go on to perfection in Him. Text: 1 Peter 2:4 ¶ To whom coming, as unto a living stone, disallowed indeed of men, but chosen of God, and precious, Scholars tell us that the word “unto” is not in the original text and weakens the statement that Peter is making. We have come to a Living Stone, the Rock who followed Israel in the desert and gave them water throughout their journey (1 Cor. 10:4). Daniel referred to Jesus as the stone that was cut out of the mountain without hands, who will destroy the kingdoms of this world (Dan. 2:45). Just as Jesus followed and protected Israel in the desert, He still follows and protects us. He said He would go with us unto the end of the world (Mt. 28:20). Isaiah spoke of Jesus as a man who would be as a hiding place from the wind, and a covert from the tempest; as rivers of water in a dry place, as the shadow of a great rock in a weary land (Isaiah 32:2). He gives us shelter from the storms that rage around us and He gives us the living water of His Spirit to drink so that we will never thirst again (John 4:10, 7:38; Isa. 58:11). See: Speak to the Rock. The God of the Old Testament was called the Rock of Israel (2 Sam. 23:3). Moses, referring to the heathen nations that threatened Israel said, “Their rock is not as our Rock…..” (De. 32:4; Ps. 78:25). In writing about God our Rock, Peter is no doubt remembering the meaning of his own name which meant, “a stone.” He also remembered the promise of Jesus to build His church upon the solid Rock of Himself where all the storms of hell would never prevail against it (Mt. 16:18). At one time God chose to dwell in a temple made of solid rock, but no longer. Jesus, our Rock, is the temple of the eternal God and all the fullness of the Deity dwells in Him bodily (Col. 2:9). Peter had no problem recognizing that the Rock of the Old Testament is the Jesus of the new (Rev. 1:17, 22:13). Text: 1 Peter 2:5 Ye also, as lively stones, are built up a spiritual house, an holy priesthood, to offer up spiritual sacrifices, acceptable to God by Jesus Christ. We are also living stones. As God’s fullness dwells in Christ, His fullness also dwells in us (Jn. 17:21) and we are priests to Him. We have the privilege of sitting in heavenly places in Christ Jesus. We are allowed to come boldly to the throne of God to find help in the time of trouble. We don’t have to have a middleman to go on our behalf, we are priests to God and have access to His throne 24/7 (Heb. 4:16). We offer spiritual sacrifices to God by the lives that we live. As priests, our lives are displayed for all to see. The KJV speaks of our manner of living as our “conversation” (Php. 1:27; Heb. 13:5; Ja. 3:13; 1Pet. 2:12, 3:2). When we set Godly examples, the unbeliever is watching, and we had best believe they will let us know, if and when we miss the mark. When the unbeliever is confronted with troubles, he often will ask us to pray and seek God on his behalf, thus we fulfill our role as a priest. When, as Philippians 2:15 says, “We hold forth the word of life in the midst of a crooked and perverse nation, among whom we shine as lights in the world”, we are acting as a priest. When we pray for our leaders, regardless of how much we disagree with them, we are acting as a priest on their behalf and for our nation as a whole. And most of all, when the word of our testimony causes an unbeliever to cry out for salvation, we know that we are fulfilling our role as priests to God (Jn. 15:16). Text: 1 Peter 2:6 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. We are all a part of the structure of the kingdom of God and no one part is more or less important than another (1Cor. 12:14-26). We are living stones, fitly framed and placed exactly where the Master determined that we should be. We are built upon the foundation of the apostles and prophets, with Jesus Christ being the Chief Cornerstone. The cornerstone of a building serves the function of keeping everything plumbed, leveled and squared. With this sure foundation and Jesus as our cornerstone, all of us combine together to form a spiritual building for the habitation of God. Ephesians 2:19 Now therefore ye are no more strangers and foreigners, but fellowcitizens with the saints, and of the household of God; 20 And are built upon the foundation of the apostles and prophets, Jesus Christ himself being the chief corner stone; 21 In whom all the building fitly framed together groweth unto an holy temple in the Lord: 22 In whom ye also are builded together for an habitation of God through the Spirit. Text: 1 Peter 2:7 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, God ordained that Jesus would be the cornerstone of His kingdom (Ps. 118:25; Mt.21:42), however the religious leaders rejected and killed Him. Peter fervently reminded them of this fact in Acts 4:10-12. Acts 4:10 Be it known unto you all, and to all the people of Israel, that by the name of Jesus Christ of Nazareth, whom ye crucified, whom God raised from the dead, even by him doth this man stand here before you whole. 11 This is the stone which was set at nought of you builders, which is become the head of the corner. 12 Neither is there salvation in any other: for there is none other name under heaven given among men, whereby we must be saved. Text: 1 Peter 2:8 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. Jesus is indeed a stone of stumbling and a rock of offense to the unbeliever who refuses to accept the gospel. Our nations, once blessed by God, now goes to extraordinary extremes to discourage the very mention of His name in government affairs and our everyday living. The display of even the Ten Commandments is resisted and the mention of His name is discouraged in our schools. Not to mention that we are being pressured to not mention His name at the season that was set aside to commemorate His birth. Song: My God, My King and My Redeemer “We must allow the Word of God to confront us, to disturb our security, to undermine our complacency and to overthrow our patterns of thought and behavior.” - John R.W. Stott Our Expository Studies Your thoughts and Inquiries Contact@About-Him.Com Subscribe to this devotional? Subscribe to About-Him Devotional Keep Looking Up! Don and Marie Spooner About Him! Ministries
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