1 Peter Series Be Living Stones and Holy Temples

                                         Be Living Stones and Holy Temples


1 Peter 2:4-8

As I was asked, “What spiritual concerns do you have about yourself at a men’s conference. It was distinguishing the truth that was propagated by the media. It all boiled down to all of the madness of a fallen world of distorted facts and partial truths. Let’s look at the text, 

“As you come to him, the living Stone—rejected by humans 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.”

Peter understood the concept of the foundation of the Church because it was Christ who said to him, “Now I say to you that you are Peter (which means ‘rock’), and upon this rock I will build my church, and all the powers of hell will not conquer it.” Upon changing Simon’s name to Peter, Jesus proclaimed that He would build His Church, and literally all the forces and powers of Hell and the Devil wouldn’t prevail or conquer it. 

Jesus is the living stone of Isaiah 28:16, and Peter was telling the exiled church that the people in Jerusalem and the world would reject Jesus Christ because they stumbled over the truth. Jesus died for the sins of mankind, and rose on the third day (tearing down the old temple and rebuilding a new one John 2:19) Peter knew how difficult living for Jesus was, and yet He was a living example of the living stone being built into the temple of the Holy Spirit. Jesus is the foundation stone.

Application - Being built into a temple of the Spirit. As I said earlier, Jesus said I am the Truth, and today the world has stumbled and rejects the truth of God’s Word. They are replacing it with reasoning and logic from the minds of fallen mankind and the teaching of the Devil. They do not see the danger of Hell and the Devil, for it is the latter who is the one responsible for all lies and the blindness to the real truth, and he is busy at work, disguising himself as an angel of light and truth to destroy the Church if that were possible. The true Church is the temple of the Holy Spirit, and we who are the Church are built of the solid foundation stone chosen by God and precious to him. 

       We are the temple of the Holy Spirit, and it is where Jesus is Lord of our lives and our hearts. This temple is holy to the Lord.

We are also a holy priesthood, under the true high priesthood of Jesus Christ who is sitting at the right side of God's throne, interceding for the Church, and thus we do not need a human priestly mediator to intercede for man any more. We can come before the throne through the veil that was rented from top to bottom in the old Temple in Jerusalem. We are to offer spiritual sacrifices to God through Jesus our Lord (Rom. 12:1-2 “Therefore, I urge you, brothers and sisters, in view of God’s mercy, to offer your bodies as a living sacrifice, holy and pleasing to God—this is your true and proper worship. Do not conform to the pattern of this world, but be transformed by the renewing of your mind. Then you will be able to test and approve what God’s will is—his good, pleasing and perfect will.”)

Next, Peter continues explaining the tragedy of sinful mankind who rejects Jesus’ salvation on the cross for a salvation contrived by the sinful will of man. Let’s look at the rest of the text - For in Scripture it says: “See, I lay a stone in Zion, a chosen and precious cornerstone, and the one who trusts in him will never be put to shame.” Now to you who believe, this stone is precious. But to those who do not believe, “The stone the builders rejected has become the cornerstone,” and, “A stone that causes people to stumble and a rock that makes them fall.” They stumble because they disobey the message—which is also what they were destined for.”

 Peter saw all the idols and temples erected to gods made of stone, clay, wood, or medal. He saw the degradation of sinful lifestyles or debauchery, sexual immorality, violence, and drunkenness. The exiled Church was already admonished to rid themselves of such lifestyles, and cling to the holiness of God through his Son Jesus Christ, for those who believed in Jesus would not be put to shame. The world had rejected Jesus to their own shame and they were rejecting the truth for a jaded lie as Peter stated, “They stumble because they disobey the message—which is also what they were destined for.”

Application - It is no wonder our world seems to be on a collision course for rejecting the truth about Jesus Christ. As I have read the news articles and seen the political maladies brought forth through the guise of man’s wisdom. There is only one way to stop this free fall into debauchery, it is to believe in the Lord Jesus Christ for salvation. I come back to key Bible verses for my life, Proverbs 3:5-6 - “Trust in the Lord with all your heart and lean not on your own understanding; in all your ways submit to him, and he will make your paths straight.” 

Here is the way for a life free of stumbling and being built into a temple for the Holy Spirit. Trust in the Truth of God’s Word. There are many voices in the world proclaiming to be true, but they have a little truth mixed with a lot of misleading reasonings. They lead to the stumbling into further sin and eventual death in Hell. 

Peter later tells us that God doesn’t want anyone to perish, “He is patient with you, not wanting anyone to perish, but everyone to come to repentance. But the day of the Lord will come like a thief. The heavens will disappear with a roar; the elements will be destroyed by fire, and the earth and everything in it will be laid bare. Since everything will be destroyed in this way, what kind of people ought you to be? You ought to live holy and godly lives as you look forward to the day of God and speed its coming. That day will bring about the destruction of the heavens by fire, and the elements will melt in the heat.” 2 Peter 3:9-11 

In closing this lesson, as a living stone built upon the firm foundation of Jesus Christ, I would urge each other to follow the truth of God’s word, and ask yourself the same question, “What kind of people ought you to be? You ought to live holy and godly lives as you look forward to the day of God and speed its coming.  

Until next week,

In His Service, Mike Davis

 

 

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