1 Peter 2:2-10
Who You Are in God’s Eyes
Happy Mother’s Day, church! If you are able to join us for our 11:00 Zoom call today (that is, Sunday), mothers, we’d like you to show us a picture of you and your kids, maybe when they were young, if you have one handy. Mothers often are the glue that holds the family together. Traditionally, they tend to be home more with the kids, at least in the early years. I know there are exceptions. My point is, they perform such a vital role in the formation of character during those first years of life.
Consider a different family image: the family of God. The Apostle Peter wrote today’s scripture as part of a longer letter to believers about 30 years after Jesus ascended back to heaven. Peter wrote about several subjects; yet, here he focuses on what it means to be a Christian believer.
Listen to 1 Peter 2:2-10, and see if you can identify several images—several illustrations—of what it means to be a believer in Christ.
1 Peter 2:2-10
2 Like newborn babies, crave pure spiritual milk, so that by it you may grow up in your salvation, 3 now that you have tasted that the Lord is good.
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. 6 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.”
7 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,”
8 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.
9 But you are a chosen people, a royal priesthood, a holy nation, God’s special possession, that you may declare the praises of him who called you out of darkness into his wonderful light. 10 Once you were not a people, but now you are the people of God; once you had not received mercy, but now you have received mercy.
This is the word of the Lord. (Thanks be to God.)
Peter gives us some illustrations here of what it means to be people of God. Why does it matter? You need to know who you are, especially in trying times like these. When you’re in the middle of a storm, you need something to hang onto. When everything else is changing, your identity as a follower of Christ is locked into place. Some let’s look at some of these images of a Christian together, along with their implications for us.
First, Peter gives a little nod to Mother’s Day as he describes a believer as a...
1. Newborn baby - crave growth
A mother’s primary role after birth is to nurture her babies. In verses 2 and 3, Peter writes,
2 Like newborn babies, crave pure spiritual milk, so that by it you may grow up in your salvation, 3 now that you have tasted that the Lord is good.
Elsewhere, the Apostle Paul would write that some of his church were on milk for too long and were more than ready to move onto more solid foods. But that’s not Peter’s point here. Peter is saying, “Crave what you need to grow!” Healthy babies grow. And healthy Christians grow. Don’t stay the same person you were when you first became a Christian. Seek growth opportunities. Read a Bible verse. Set aside time to pray. Listen to a new Christian song, or find a Christian radio station. Watch a new preacher on TV (but be careful that their teaching lines up with scripture!). Seek an accountability partner, a brother or sister of the faith who has permission to tell you if they think you are drifting away from God. Pick up an “Our Daily Bread” devotional booklet. Try a new way to serve God by serving others. You get the idea. Don’t be content with who you were 40 years ago when you became a believer. Take a step forward! Crave growth like a baby craves milk.
Another image Peter gives is that of a...
2. Living stone - find connection
Stones are tough. They represent strength, permanence. Peter’s very name means “rock.” When Jesus renamed him from Simon to Peter, he wasn’t much of a rock of faith, but he grew into the name over time. It’s a good thing Jesus sees our potential! Listen to verses 4 and 5. Peter writes,
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.
So we are living stones, and Jesus is THE living Stone, and we are to become like him. And what’s more, together with other believers, we become a “spiritual house” or a “temple of God’s Spirit.” Now every believer has the Holy Spirit residing inside. And as we build relationships with other believers, God builds us up into the “spiritual house” he wants. Notice the tense of the verb: we are “being built.” It’s not something we make happen. Rather, we yield to the Holy Spirit working in our life, and when we do that together, that collective effort becomes a healthy church! We find our connection to Christ, and then to each other through Christ. All of our stones build this amazing house of God!
A couple more images: #3, Peter calls us a...
3. Holy priesthood - build bridges
Verses 5 and 9 carry this imagery of a priesthood. Did you know you’re a priest? And you don’t even have to wear a collar! The original meaning of the word “priest” suggested one who builds bridges or connections. We are a “holy” or “royal” priesthood as we build connections between others and God. Our love for God becomes infectious, and others take note.
Now notice in verse 10 that people are only attracted to God when they see our humility. Peter reminds us, “Once you were not a people, but now you are the people of God; once you had not received mercy, but now you have received mercy.” We’re not better than anyone else. We’re simply forgiven. We are part of the priesthood only by God’s mercy, not because of anything special we’ve done.
And then lastly, we are God’s...
4. Chosen people - praise God
Doesn’t it feel good to consider yourself chosen? I always think of middle school PE, waiting for one of my classmates—the super jocks Coach appointed as team captains – to finally choose me to be on one of their teams. “Sanders...Leininger...” and finally, “Haynes.” Whew! Sometimes the last one. Not fun.
But God chose you. And he didn’t choose you last either. He chose you first. Ephesians 1:4 says he chose you “before the foundation of the world.” Does that count as first? You might think you chose God: “Oh, I finally invited Christ to take charge of my life.” That’s our limited perception. But long before we committed to him, he committed to us. Romans 5:8 reminds us, “While we were yet sinners, Christ died for us.”
What are we supposed to do with all this unmerited attention from our God? Simple. We’re supposed to praise him. Get out of your pity party and realize how special you are in God’s eyes! Look at the last half of verse 9: “Declare the praises of him who called you out of darkness into his wonderful light.” And verse 10 again: “Once you were not a people, but now you are the people of God; once you had not received mercy, but now you have received mercy” (v. 10). See, this is not about us, it’s about God. Our chosen state reflects what a great God we have!
A word that goes well with being chosen is the word “adoption.” Listen to Ephesians 1:5: “He predestined us for adoption to sonship through Jesus Christ, in accordance with his pleasure and will.” Maybe someone reading or listening to this has been adopted. Your parents chose you. They didn’t just have you, they chose you! God chose us...to praise him!
Let’s pray through these images today: God, help us to hunger after you like little infants hungering for their milk. Help us to crave growing just a little closer to you and your will for us today and every day. Help us to build the house of God you want us to, as we live interconnected, as living stones, reflecting the first Living Stone, the cornerstone, Jesus Christ. Help us to take opportunities to build bridges between others and you, so that your good news of salvation may cross over. And lastly, help us to know deep down how much you love us, so much that you chose us by name, even before you put the world together. Help us never doubt that we are yours. In Jesus’ name we pray, amen.
