Peter Exhorts the Persecuted Believers Volume 18

 We are a Holy People and a Spiritual House to our Father God

1 Peter 2:4-5 To whom coming, as unto a Living Stone, disallowed indeed of men, but chosen of God, and precious, Ye also, as lively stones, are built up a spiritual house, an holy priesthood, to offer up spiritual sacrifices, acceptable to God by Jesus Christ. KJV Note: NKJV=New King James Version

In the previous three verses of Scripture, we learned that our only way to have the 'life of Christ' rule and reign within us is by our devouring His Word like a baby does his or her Mother's milk. Now the Apostle tells us why it is so important for us to feast on the Word of God, because it is Christ and Him alone who lived the only accpetable human life in the sight of God the Father that none of the rest of we sinful human beings could ever live, then He took upon Himself our sinful lives dying on the Cross ➕ paying our enormous sin debt that we could never pay off by any so called good works or good deeds of our own and then He resurrected (bodily) from the dead. Paul wrote these words to the Colossian Church ⛪, "And He is the head of the Body, the Church, who is the beginning, the firstborn from the dead, that in all things He may have the preeminence." (Colossians 1:18 (NKJV). Having said all of this as our introduction if you will, the Apostle Peter (just like Paul) wants us to know that our Lord Jesus Christ is everything or as Paul declared above preeminent, so Peter writes, "To whom coming, as unto a Living Stone, disallowed indeed of men, but chosen of God, and precious, Ye also, as lively stones, are built up a spiritual house, an holy priesthood, to offer up spiritual sacrifices, acceptable to God by Jesus Christ." (1 Peter 2:4-5) (KJV). Our Lord Jesus Christ was the first human being to come back alive from the dead. Even though He is God, He is man or human just like us, therefore, He is the Living Stone rejected, refused, and resisted by many, but those of us who receive Him receive from Him all of the resurrection life within our inner man 👨 and inner woman 👩 that He has and that He is, as it is written, "Jesus said to her, 'I am the resurrection and the life. He who believes in Me, though he may die, he shall live. And whoever lives and believes in Me shall never die. Do you believe this?'" (John 11:25-26) (NKJV). All human beings come from Adam and are united with Adam by the sinful nature he passed down to each and every human being that has ever lived, that is living now, and that will live in the future, however, not all human beings from the past, present, or future will be united with Jesus Christ except they repent and receive Him as their personal Lord and Savior. Here is what the Apostle Paul wrote to the Corinthian Church ⛪, "And so it is written, 'The first man Adam became a living being.' The last Adam (Jesus Christ) became a life-giving spirit." (1 Corinthians 15:45) (NKJV). Here is what John Wesley had to say of 1 Peter 2:4, "To whom coming - By faith. As unto a living stone - Living from eternity; alive from the dead. There is a wonderful beauty and energy in these expressions, which describe Christ as a spiritual foundation, solid, firm, durable; and believers as a building erected upon it, in preference to that temple which the Jews accounted their highest glory. And St. Peter speaking of Him thus, shows he did not judge himself, but Christ, to be the rock on which the Church was built. Rejected indeed by men - Even at this day, not only by Jews, Turks, heathens, infidels; but by all Christians, so called, who live in sin, or who hope to be saved by their own works. But chosen of God - From all eternity, to be the foundation of His Church. And precious - In Himself, in the sight of God, and in the eyes of all believers."

What is true of our Lord Jesus Christ, that is, of His humanity is also true of us His adopted sons and daughters, for at the very moment of our salvation we became His workmanship, as written by the Apostle Paul with these words, "For by grace you have been saved through faith, and that not of yourselves; it is the gift of God, not of works, lest anyone should boast. For we are His workmanship, created in Christ Jesus for good works, which God prepared beforehand that we should walk/live in them." (Ephesians 2:8-10) (NKJV). So we can furthermore understand why the Apostle Peter uses the English word 'lively' stones in 1 Peter 2:5 to describe each one of us and this word is translated by the Greek word zaō a primary verb; meaning to live (literally or figuratively): - life, lively, quicken. It is the same word used above in verse 4 describing our Lord Jesus Christ. In other words, just as Christ was resurrected bodily from the grave or physical death, so are we true believers resurrected from spiritual death that is, separation from God when we are born again or begotten again by the hearing of the Gospel and the quickening Power of the Holy Spirit. We are at that very moment then 'are built up' and this little English phrase is translated by the Greek word oikodomeō meaning to be a house builder, that is, construct or (figuratively) confirm: - build up, edify, embolden. What sort of house is being constructed? A 'spiritual' house and this English word is translated by the Greek word pneumatikos meaning non-carnal, that is, (humanly) ethereal (as opposed to gross), or (divinely) supernatural, regenerate, religious: - spiritual. The English word 'acceptable' is translated by the Greek word euprosdektos meaning well received, that is, approved, favorable: - accepted. We born again sons and daughters of our Father in Heaven are being built into a new house/body (having been regenerated to newness of life) capable of offering up to Him worship that is true, well received, approved, and honoring Him by and because of our union with The Living Stone Jesus Christ, just as the Apostle Paul reminds us what type of living sacrifices we as sons & daughters of God should be and should live in our houses/tents/bodies, "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). Here is what Alexander MacLaren had to say of 1 Peter 2:5, "‘I beseech you, by the mercies of God, that ye present’—which is a technical word for a priest’s action—’your bodies a living sacrifice,’ in contrast with the slaying, which was the presentation of the animal victim. Now, that ‘body’ there is not equivalent to self is distinctly seen when we notice that Paul goes on, in the very next clause, to say, ‘and be transformed by the renewing of your mind.’ So that he is speaking, not of the self, but of the corporeal organ and instrument of the self, when he says ‘present your bodies a living sacrifice.’ Of course, the central idea of sacrifice is surrender to God; and, of course, the place where that surrender is made is the inmost self. The will is the man, and when the will bows, dethroning self and enthroning God, submitting to His appointments, and delighting to execute His commandments, then the sacrifice is begun. But, inasmuch as the body is the organ of the man’s activity, the sacrifice of the will and of self must needs come out into visibility and actuality in the aggregate of deeds, of which the body is the organ and instrument. But there must first of all be the surrender of my inmost self, and only then, and as the token and outcome of that, will any external acts, however religious they may seem to be, come into the category of sacrifice when they express a conscious surrender of myself to God. ‘The flesh profiteth nothing,’ and yet the flesh profiteth much. But here is the order that another of the Apostles lays down: ‘Yield yourselves to God,’ and then, ‘your members as instruments of righteousness to Him.’ To speak of the sacrifice of the body as a living sacrifice suggests that it is not the slaying of any bodily appetite or activity that is the true sacrifice and worship, but the hallowing of these. It is a great deal easier, and it is sometimes necessary, to cut off the offending right hand, to pluck out the offending right eye, or, putting away the metaphor, to abstain rigidly from forms of activity which are perfectly legitimate in themselves, and may be innocuous to other people, if we find that they hurt us. But that is second best, and though it is better in the judgment of common sense to go into life maimed than complete to be cast into hell-fire, it is better still to go into life symmetrical and entire, with no maiming in hand or organ. So you do not offer the living sacrifice of the body when you annihilate, but when you suppress, and direct, and hallow its needs, its appetites, and its activities. The meaning of this sacrifice is that the whole active life should be based upon, and be the outcome of, the inward surrender of self unto God. ‘On the bells of the horses shall be written, Holiness to the Lord, and every pot and vessel in Jerusalem shall be holy as the bowls upon the altar’—in such picturesque and yet profound fashion did an ancient prophet set forth the same truth that lies in this declaration of our Apostle, that the body, the instrument of our activities, should be a living sacrifice to God. Link all its actions with Him; let there be conscious reference to Him in all that I do. Let foot and hand and eye and brain work for Him, and by Him, and in constant consciousness of His presence; suppress where necessary, direct always, appetites and passions, and make the body the instrument of the surrendered spirit. And then, in the measure in which we can do so, the greatest cleft and discord in human life will be filled, and body, soul, and spirit will harmonise and make one music of praise to God."

If you do not know the Lord Jesus Christ and His amazing healing power, pray this from your heart to the Lord Jesus Christ (you speaking directly to Him), Dear Lord Jesus, I confess to You that I am a sinner and I need Your forgiveness. I believe You shed Your Blood and died for my sins. I believe that You rose from the dead proving that You alone are God. I repent of my sins. I want to turn from my sins. I ask You Dear Lord Jesus to come into my heart and take control of my life. I want You to be my Lord, Savior, and my God. Amen...


Sincerely in Christ,


Clifford D. Tate, Sr.


Author of “Silent Assassins of the Soul - Are you Broken by Pornography and Masturbation? You can be Restored by the Lord Jesus Christ and brought into Deliverance, Freedom, and Victory! A Guide for Men and Women in the Enemy’s Crosshairs” e-book available now @ Amazon Kindle, @ Apple I Bookstore for IPod, Barnes and Noble for Nook, Reader Store for Sony Reade, Kobo, Copia, Gardners, Baker and Taylor, and eBookPie…