1 Peter 2:4-5 The Living Stone

Good morning all. God is good all the time, all the time God is good.  TOO BLESSED TO BE STRESSED! Jesu Jevu!!

   1 Peter 2: (NIV)⁴ As you come to him, the living Stone—rejected by humans but chosen by God and precious to him— ⁵ 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.

    (KJV) ⁴ To whom coming, as unto a living stone, disallowed indeed of men, but chosen of God, and precious,  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.    First, please understand that in ancient times the most important part of building was to have the corner stone set.  Now this was not just any stone.  This was a stone that was hewn to be perfectly square and the rest of the building was built from this stone. Because it was perfectly square and flat the walls would be straight, not leaning, and would stand.  So who/what stone are we talking about here?  JESUS!

   You, me, others, we come to the living Stone (Jesus), who was rejected by man, yet chosen by God.  The living Stone (Jesus) was very precious to God. When the verse says "precious to him" it means Jesus had a place of honor with God. Why?  Because now Jesus became the priest we go through to God instead of the ancient Jewish custom of the priests.

    We are like living stones. Huh? How?  Jesus is the cornerstone of the Christian "temple" (meaning all the people); Christians, you and me, are the spiritual temples of God.  Now, just take a moment and stop and think about this.  YOU are the SPIRITUAL TEMPLE of GOD!
            God now builds a spiritual house. He builds it with people. Here spiritual means linked to God’s Spirit, not to a physical building. This spiritual house is the church. When people become Christians, they become part of the church.  That is YOU and ME!

    Now, think about holy priesthood and offering up sacrifices.  In ancient days, the priests would go into the temple, only the priests, to offer animal sacrifices for the sins of the people.  This was the order and how it was to be done. Again, remember, the people did not go into the temple and sacrifice on their own behalf as this was set for the priests to fulfill.

   Then along came the living Stone, Jesus, who was despised by men, yet became the fulfillment of the prophesies and is our (mine, yours) sacrifice, and we are now sitting in the place of the holy priest.    We do not need to sacrifice animals any more. Everyone can come to God through Jesus. ‘Spiritual sacrifices’ are what Christians offer to God.  . We can only serve as priests as we do it through Jesus Christ. In ourselves, we have no priestly authority, but only in Jesus.

         Wow!  A lot of good 'solid' words here in Peter.  How is YOUR TEMPLE?  Is it straight, tall and strong; OR, it is leaning slightly left or right?  If leaning, what can or should you do to correct the lean?  Food for thought!  Love you all.
Soli Deo Gloria
Johnny