A Priest and A Sacrifice <> 1 Peter 2:4-5

A Priest and A Sacrifice                                

1 Peter 2:4-5

“Coming to Him as to a living stone, rejected indeed by men, but chosen by God and precious, you also, as living stones, are being built up a spiritual house, a holy priesthood, to offer up spiritual sacrifices acceptable to God through Jesus Christ” (1 Peter 2:4-5 NKJV).

In my last post, the focus was verse 4, identifying us as living stones in God’s Kingdom. Today we’ll focus on verse 5.

As living stones in God’s house, we are consecrated by Christ’s blood as holy

priests (Revelation 5:9-10), to offer up sacrifices acceptable to God. This brings us to Paul’s letter to the Romans, which says, “I beseech you therefore, brethren, by the mercies of God, that you present your bodies a living sacrifice, holy, acceptable to God, which is your reasonable service. And do not be conformed to this world, but be transformed by the renewing of your mind, that you may prove what is that good and acceptable and perfect will of God” (Romans 12:1-2 NKJV).          

Paul declared that we are to give our bodies as living sacrifices in service to God and proceeds to explain how this can be accomplished. After all, it’s a big deal—a big commitment—a big sacrifice for a person to give his or her whole self away. 

 

In verse 2 he explains how we can actually make it happen.

1- Do not be conformed to this world. We must not allow the ways of the world to influence and shape us.

2- Instead, we each must be transformed into God’s design for us. When we got born-again we made a choice to follow Christ Jesus. God has a great life-plan for each of us. With the help of the indwelling Holy Spirit He wants to direct our paths and mold us into His own creations. It’s our choice whether or not to let Him have His way.

3- The transformation God wants for each of us can only come about through the renewing of our minds. No matter how good a person is or thinks he or she is, we each must know this: “For My thoughts are not your thoughts, neither are your ways My ways declared the Lord” (Isaiah 55:8 NKJV).

How can we renew our minds? The best place to begin this process is with prayer, asking God to help. Also, reading, meditating on, and systematic study of God’s Word, the Bible. We need to continue to stay connected to God on a daily basis. Renewing our minds continuously helps keep the pipeline to the Throne Room unclogged with the cares of this world and distractions and traps Satan will try to throw our way.

When praying, we can ask God to help us stay focused on Him and His Word. Daily quality time in God’s Word is vital. This is not just reading a devotional. There is certainly a place for meaningful devotionals but real devotion to getting to know the Living God and His Son—our Savior—Jesus Christ is essential to renewing our minds. We want to mature into followers of Christ who are Christ-like (1 Corinthians 11:1) and who have the mind of Christ (1 Corinthians 2:16).

4- So that we “may prove what is that good and acceptable and perfect will of God” (Romans 12:2c). Paul concludes this thought with the important concept of proving out—that is discerning—God’s will is good for us; that it is acceptable according to God for our benefit; and that it is perfect and complete in facilitating the abundant life God desires and has ordained for each of us.

The word prove in Scripture means to test, discern, examine, try out, (Strong’s* #1381). Thayer** describes prove as putting to the proof. As we walk out God’s calling, according to the transformation we’ve experienced through our renewed minds, we will prove that God’s will for us is indeed good, acceptable, to Him and perfect for our individual well-being.

So, we’ve learned from Romans 11 what it means to offer up an acceptable spiritual sacrifice to God through Jesus Christ. Notice that both Paul and Peter stress that it is through Jesus Christ we approach God with these sacrifices. Christ is our Mediator, through which our transformation and the knowledge of God’s will takes place.

Only through Jesus.

When we receive Jesus as our Savior—get born-again—God then bestows upon us the right and privilege of having Jesus stand in the gap for us. Through His crucifixion, some 2000 years ago, He took the punishment we deserved for our sin. He became our Mediator—the One who settled-up with Father God on our behalf. He continues to stand in the gap and we need to be mindful of that truth every day of our lives.

What are examples of acceptable sacrifices we offer up to God? Here are some practical examples: 1- Praise—glorifying God with our lips in awe and gratitude.  2- My self—like my thought life, my eyes (what I look at), my feet (where they take me), my hands (what they do and touch), and my talents. We could go on and on. 3- My time. 4- My finances. 5- My love and affections to God and other people.

With knowledge of God and His Word, along with help from the Holy Spirit we can offer up pleasing sacrifices which are welcome and acceptable to God.

Let’s pray. Holy Father, thank you for choosing me to be a living stone in your Kingdom. I do want to sacrifice to You pleasing things and I want to be a living sacrifice, Honoring Your sacrifice for me. Thank You for showing me and helping me glorify You with my life in this way. Through Jesus and in the glorious name of Jesus I pray—Amen.

Your comments are welcome.

©Copyright 2018 Connie Wohlford

The Stones Are Alive <> 1 Peter 2:4-5

The Stones Are Alive                          

1 Peter 2:4-5

One by one they placed a stone onto the grave of Oskar Schindler. Who were these people and why were they doing this? It was a solemn moment and there were few dry eyes as we watched this take place on the big screen in movie theaters across the globe. 

Those small rocks were released from the hands of Jews who were rescued or descendants of those rescued from the torment or death of Hitler’s Third Reich. Those small rocks were saying to the departed Gentile hero, “My memory of you is solid as rock. You will never be forgotten.”

If you saw the movie, Schindler’s List, I’m sure you remember the scene.

A rock or stone can symbolize many things. It can be used destructively in a riot or as a means of execution as with Steven, an early follow of Jesus (Acts 7:54-60). In Peter’s letter to some First Century followers of Jesus he sees stones as building materials.

Rejected, but chosen … and precious. Who is Peter describing? 

He had just affirmed the recipients of his letter, saying they have “tasted that the Lord is gracious” (1 Peter 2:3b), professing that these people have partaken of the kindness of Jesus. Now he wants them, and us, to understand more deeply what it means to follow Christ. 

“Coming to Him as to a living stone, rejected indeed by men, but chosen by God and precious, you also, as living stones, are being built up a spiritual house, a holy priesthood, to offer up spiritual sacrifices acceptable to God through Jesus Christ” (1 Peter 2:4-5 NKJV).

From being like a new born babe and then maturing into having the ability to put away the traits of a dark heart—that is a sinful past—(v.2), now the Christ follower becomes like a stone—a living stone—like Jesus.

Peter knew about stones. When Jesus called him out to be His disciple, He said, “You are Simon the son of Jonah. You shall be called Cephas,” which is translated, a stone (John 1:42 NKJV).  

Later, when Jesus asked of His disciples, “Who do you say that I am?” Peter spoke up and answered, “You are the Christ, the Son of the living God” (Matthew 16:15-16). 

Jesus affirmed Peter in that moment and confirmed Peter’s revelation statement. The Lord said, “Blessed are you, Simon Bar-Jonah (meaning son of Jonah), for flesh and blood has not revealed this to you, but My Father who is in heaven. And I also say to you that you are Peter, and on this rock I will build My church, and the gates of Hades shall not prevail against it” (Matthew 16:17-18 NKJV).

 Peter is translated, Petros - Petra (Greek), meaning rock.

Jesus is not saying that Peter is the rock on which the church is built, but that his faith, which Peter resolutely expressed, is the foundation stone of the church Jesus is building. Jesus himself is the chief cornerstone and He is the very foundation of His church, the body of Christ. 

 

Peter declares Jesus the living stone on which God’s spiritual house is being built and that as we continuously come to Jesus we recognize Him as the stone that was rejected and crucified by men (Psalm 118:22). He also points out that Jesus was chosen by God and is precious to the Father.  

The imagery of a stone or rock is significant in the Bible as well as in Jewish traditions. In Matthew 7:24-29, we’re instructed to build on rock, not sand, and Jesus is referred to as the Rock of our Salvation in Psalm 89:26.

Jesus is the solid foundation stone and, like Peter, our solid rock belief in Him makes us useful as His living building blocks.

Paul wrote a beautiful metaphor of God building His church: “Now, therefore, you are no longer strangers and foreigners, but fellow citizens with the saints and members of the household of God, having been built on the foundation of the apostles and prophets, Jesus Christ Himself being the chief cornerstone, in whom the whole building, being fitted together, grows into a holy temple in the Lord, in whom you also are being built together for a dwelling place of God in the Spirit” (Ephesians 2:14 NKJV).    

Stone upon stone, we are living, breathing members of God’s eternal construction project. It is our honor and blessing, as Christ followers, to be living stones. We are building materials in the the spiritual house which Jesus is raising up. And not only that, we are a holy priesthood offering up spiritual sacrifices which are acceptable to God (v.4). Let’s take a look at that in my next post. 

“And I also say to you that you are Peter, and on this rock I will build My church, and the gates of Hades shall not prevail against it.  And I will give you the keys of the kingdom of heaven, and whatever you bind on earth will be bound in heaven, and whatever you loose on earth will be loosed in heaven” (Matthew 16:18-19 NKJV).

Your comments are welcome. 

©Copyright 2018 Connie Wohlford