SCRIPTURE: 1 Peter 2:4-12
OBSERVATION:
Before Jesus came, God used a stone temple (with priests and sacrifices) to symbolize His relationship with people; Jesus is the reality, the living cornerstone of a living temple where God lives and His people love and serve Him.
Peter uses words that originally described Israel (Exodus 19:3-6, Hosea 1:6-11) to describe God’s new ‘Israel’ – the community of those who believe in Jesus. Like the old Israel, they were rescued to be a kingdom of priests who represent God to the world, a blessing for the nations.
Peter relates our identity (new people, temple, priesthood, kingdom) to our calling (spiritual sacrifices, declaring praises), calling believers to resist worldly living and to live differently so that the world will see, and be drawn to praise God.
APPLICATION:
No matter what trials I experience, I belong to God and need to live that way, so that hopefully those who see my faith and way of life will be convinced and converted.
As a living temple, God lives in/with me, I am chosen and precious to Him. Like a priest, I represent God to the world, my task is to shine the spotlight on Him, to help people find Him.
How I live is as important as my testimony, so that people may see and hear! The trials and temptations I face are the enemy’s way of silencing my witness! He sti l tries to turn God’s temple into a ‘den of thieves’, and many Christians/churches have succumbed to this pressure.
PRAYER:
Lord, I am guilty of failing to live a life set apart from sin, set apart for You. In so many subtle ways I have become worldly. Help me to rediscover my identity and calling, and lead people to praise You. Amen.
Jesus Christ is called the living Stone in this passage – my protection, my security, my foundation. But I too am a living stone, being used by God with other living stone to be His servants – His priest in His world today. And it is Jesus Christ Who unites all His servants together because He is the cornerstone – our sure foundation, our surety, our reason to be. I/We are built upon Him. As His family members, representing Him, I need to do good. My actions and deeds need to reflect Jesus Christ in my life and what He means to me. Help me Lord to be a living letter each day to be read by all who seee me.
Living for Jesus a life that is true;
striving to please him in all that I do,
yielding allegiance, gladhearted and free,
this is the pathway of blessing for me.