1 Peter 2:1-12 NKJV
2 Therefore, laying aside all malice, all deceit, hypocrisy, envy, and all evil speaking, 2 as newborn babes, desire the pure milk of the word, that you may grow thereby, 3 if indeed you have tasted that the Lord is gracious.
4 Coming to Him as to a living stone, rejected indeed by men, but chosen by God and precious, 5 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. 6 Therefore it is also contained in the Scripture,
“Behold, I lay in Zion
A chief cornerstone, elect, precious,
And he who believes on Him will by no means be put to shame.”
7 Therefore, to you who believe, He is precious; but to those who are disobedient,
“The stone which the builders rejected
Has become the chief cornerstone,”
8 and
“A stone of stumbling
And a rock of offense.”
They stumble, being disobedient to the word, to which they also were appointed.
9 But you are a chosen generation, a royal priesthood, a holy nation, His own special people, that you may proclaim the praises of Him who called you out of darkness into His marvelous light; 10 who once were not a people but are now the people of God, who had not obtained mercy but now have obtained mercy.
11 Beloved, I beg you as sojourners and pilgrims, abstain from fleshly lusts which war against the soul, 12 having your conduct honorable among the Gentiles, that when they speak against you as evildoers, they may, by your good works which they observe, glorify God in the day of visitation.
Today’s reading begins with another encouragement from the apostle to lay aside the things that are contrary to our confession: malice, deceit, hypocrisy, envy, speaking evil. Since we have been born of the Word of God, he would have us act like newborns, who crave their mother’s milk. But a spiritual birth requires spiritual milk. That milk that sustains us and enables us to grow and mature is the pure teaching of God’s Word.
Peter goes on to provide us with some of that very milk. He points to Christ, who is like a living stone—the prophesied stone that would cause many to stumble. His message of the utter inability of men to save ourselves is loathsome to many. His message of being the only Way to the Father is offensive. His teaching that we must reach glory through the cross, just as He first suffered before being glorified, is abhorrent to those who are perishing. They stumble over it and fall.
But Peter is writing to Christians, to those who have come to Christ in humble faith. To us, Christ is like a precious gemstone. More than that, we acknowledge Him as the cornerstone of God’s holy temple, of which we are a part, like living stones built into the walls of God’s house. God has enabled us, as living stones in His temple, to serve as priests, that is, to speak His praises to others, and to offer Him the spiritual sacrifices of thanksgiving and good works, which are acceptable to Him through Jesus. He piles on the noble descriptors with which God has graced us Christians: Chosen generation, royal priesthood, holy nation, His own special people.
If God has so exalted us and sanctified us, then it is surely fitting that we should abstain from fleshly lusts and behave like saints in the world, letting our light so shine before men that they may see our good deeds and praise our Father in heaven! Let us pray: Gracious Father, we thank and praise You for drawing us to Your Son and for raising us up through Him to royal and priestly status in Your house. Help us to serve You faithfully, that we may declare Your praises both with our mouths and with our lives. Amen.