An Exposition Of 1 Peter, Part 9: Living Stones

An Exposition of 1 Peter, part 9: Living Stones

1 Peter 2:4-6

Introduction

In the last study, we learned that our faith shapes our conduct. There are tings we are to put off from the past as well as things we are to do. One of the things we are to do is to be nourished by the pure mile of the Word of God. We have tasted the goodness of the Lord. Why should we desire anything less. Or taste of what is coming is like preparing spaghetti sauce. The cook tastes the sauce. The cook then can imagine what the final product will be like. It is true taste, but in part, of the fuller fulfillment.

In today’s text, we are given further encouragement unto good conduct. Paul reminds us that the Holy Spirit in the believer is the down payment of what heaven is like. The taste is a pure one unlike the spaghetti sauce in which the cook might want to add more of this or that ingredient to make it taste better. God’s Word does not change and neither does the Holy Spirit. What needs to change is us. The biggest adjustment is our attitude. We need to realize who we really are and not to be sorrowful because we have lost friends and family. We live in a new reality. So let us not examine the text from 1 Peter 2:4-6.

Exposition of the Text

Coming to Him as a living stone —Peter uses and interesting metaphor here when he calls the church a living stone, Stones are considered inanimate objects. They just do not move of themselves. But it not only says that we are living stones, but stones that are moving towards Him. The “to whom” is placed at the beginning of the Greek phrase for emphasis. It is Jesus who makes us alive, and because we are living stones, we come to the author of life Himself.

Having been rejected by me — The resurrection and life are repeated throughout the epistle. So is the theme of rejection. To be accepted in Christ and by Christ means that the believer will be rejected by the world. the believers to whom Peter addresses were suffering persecution for their faith in Jesus and were greatly troubled. They believed in the greatest news ever proclaimed, and it seems natural that everyone else wants to hear it too. The sad reality is that they usually don’t. If the believers are living stones, then the unbeliever is a dead one, a typical rock which is incapable of response. Even worse is that these dead stones are hurled at the believer by Satan. In a way, they should rejoice in the very fact that the world rejects them, Peter experienced this in Acts 5 when he and john were beaten by the Sanhedrin for the faith. Even though they were wounded, they rejoiced that they were counted worthy to suffer for His name. (Acts 5:41) What should concern the believer is when they are not rejected by the world because it shows a deficiency in one’s faith and service. Remember what it says in 2 Timothy 3:12 “Yes, and all who desire to live godly in Christ Jesus will suffer persecution.” Being persecuted for Christ’s sake should be reliably seen as the badge of one’s election.

But before God, (you are) chosen (and) precious — Peter says on the one hand, believers are rejected by man. On the other hand, believers are His precious elect. The sharp contrast is set up by the Greek use of the construct“ men” and “de”. But it is also emphatic in that in the first phrase, “by man” is placed first and “before God” is first in the second phrase. Peter wants the believer to look at the latter phrase. We are not to wallow in sadness because the world rejects us. We are no longer relevant to the world: therefore, we must not even make the attempt. We are most relevant to God who has the final vote on what is relevant. Earlier, Peter conceded that the Christian must suffer for a little while 1 Peter 1:6). This is in contrast to the eternal inheritance the believer has in Christ which shall never fade away (1 Peter 1:4). Jesus in his parable of the sheep and goats talks about two types of people. the first group is humble and surprised by their Lord’s commendation. “What did we do? They got to enter into the joy of the Lord. The second wanted to display their mighty works, which even though they were done in the name of Jesus, were actually done to gain the glory of men. they had relevance in the world, but when it really mattered, they were not relevant before God. “He tells them, “Depart from me, I never knew you.” (See Matthew 25:31-46)