1 Peter 2:4-5

1 Peter 2:4-5 “As you come to him, the Living Stone – rejected by men but chosen by God and precious to him – 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.”

This is illustrating one of the purposes of our salvation, mentioned in the first part of 1 Peter. All of the preceding is required to be made into “spiritual houses.” Without being chosen by God, sanctified by the Spirit, and purified by the blood of Christ, we cannot be made into “spiritual houses” that offer sacrifices pleasing to the Lord. Also, it is only by Christ and through Christ, that we’re even able to make pleasing sacrifices to God. Again the fact that he was chosen and precious to God in the face of this was planned. Christ’s sacrifice was not a knee jerk reaction to our sin.

Chuck Smith references the story of Moses hitting the rock and says this concerning Jesus as the Stone:

Even so, we perishing in the wilderness of sin, ready to die, Jesus smitten for us, the water of life flows forth and we drink and we are saved. We have life. That’s why the second time when they cried to Moses for water and he went in to God and God said, “Speak to the rock and it will bring forth water”. But Moses in his anger went out and he said, “Must I smite this rock again to give you water?” And he smote it the second time, and God said, Moses, that was a mistake that you’re going to have to pay for.

You see, the rock once smitten never needs to be smitten again. Jesus doesn’t have to die again. He doesn’t have to be crucified again. Once smitten, all you have to do to receive the water of life is to speak to the Rock. Just call upon Jesus Christ.

I think it is interesting how he ties the Stone in 1 Peter that is obviously Christ with Christ as the rock in the Old Testament. All you have to do to receive the Living Water is speak to the Stone…

He elaborates on what exactly our spiritual sacrifices to God through Christ should be:

But in Psalm 51, “Sacrifice and offering you take no delight in but the sacrifices of God are a broken spirit. And a broken spirit and a contrite heart thou would not despise”. So he speaks of a spiritual sacrifice, a broken spirit before the Lord.

Then in the book of Hebrews chapter thirteen, “Let us then offer unto God the sacrifice of praise, even the fruit of our lips unto him” (Hebrews 13:15). So the spiritual sacrifices that we offer to God are our praises unto Him. Coming before Him with a broken heart, offering our praises to God.”

Smith, Chuck. “1 Peter 1-2” C2000 Series. The Word for Today. Blue Letter Bible. 7 Aug 2005. 3 Mar 2008.

Application:

• We are to continually draw near to God.
• Realize that Christ was chosen by God to save us. He is precious to God.
• Offer sacrifices of praise and a broken/contrite heart to God through Christ.
• Realize that the giving up of ourself is the first sacrifice that must be made to God

“Among spiritual sacrifices the first place belongs to the general oblation of ourselves. For never can we offer anything to God until we have offered ourselves ( 2Cr 8:5 ) in sacrifice to Him. There follow afterwards prayers, giving of thanks, alms deeds, and all exercises of piety” [CALVIN]

Jamieson, Robert; A.R. Fausset; and David Brown. “The First Epistle General of Peter.” Commentary Critical and Explanatory on the Whole Bible. Blue Letter Bible. 19 Feb 2000. 3 Mar 2008.

1 Peter 1:20-21

v. 20 “He was chosen [foreknown] before the creation of the world, but was revealed [made manifest] in these last times for your sake.”

I started out my time looking up a few of the words that caught my eye. Not neccessarily because I don’t know what they mean, but because I want to understand more their meaning in context with the rest of the chapter. Also, because words we use so often become less meaningful or come to mean something completely different over time. Many times I find that I know what a word means, but cannot easily put the meaning into words. Sometimes simply looking at other places where the word is used can help us understand.

Chosen – “Elect”- [or as the KJV uses foreknown] – This word is also used in Romans 8:29; 11:2 in reference to God’s elect

Creation- [foundation in the KJV] – Used the same way in the in 10 other verses “…creation [foundation of the world]…”

Last – Same word used in 1 Peter 1:5

Times – Same word used in 1 Peter 1:17

v. 21 “Through him you believe in God, who raised him from the dead and glorified him, and so your faith and hope are in God.”

Hope – This is the same word used in 1 Peter 1:3 when Peter refers to our “Living Hope”

Jesus Christ was chosen before time began, before even the world was made to take our place. To redeem us by His precious blood. To be our “Living Hope.” Even though God knew full well our rebellious and evil nature. Also, for whatever reason God chose to wait until “these last times” to reveal Christ. This shows that the coming of Jesus was of His timing, which we have to trust is the best timing.
Verse 21 goes on to emphasize the fact that it is through Christ that we have access to God. We are only able to come to Him through Christ. Through Him we have belief and faith in God. Our fellowship with God is restored. God is ultimately the person we believe in and seek, but ONLY through Christ. He raised Christ from the dead and glorified Him. So we place our faith and hope in God. He is our “Living Hope.” However, we can only have all of this through Christ and His blood, His precious blood that purchased our Salvation.

Other Opinions

When using the Inductive method of Bible study I like to read the opinions of others after I pray, read, and think about a scripture. Here are some insights I thought interesting from two sources I read today:

v. 20

“God’s eternal foreordination of Christ’s redeeming sacrifice, and completion of it in these last times for us, are an additional obligation on us to our maintaining a holy walk, considering how great things have been thus done for us….Redemption was no afterthought, or remedy of an unforeseen evil, devised at the time of its arising.”

It is incredible for me to know that God did not just throw this plan together at the last minute. Every detail was planned out and ordained by Him. Our Salvation through Christ was not a knee jerk reaction to the fall that took hundreds of years to plan and execute…wow.

v. 21

“The raising of Jesus by God is the special ground of our “believing”: (1) because by it God declared openly His acceptance of Him as our righteous substitute; (2) because by it and His glorification He received power, namely, the Holy Spirit, to impart to His elect “faith”: the same power enabling us to believe as raised Him from the dead. Our faith must not only be IN Christ, but BY and THROUGH Christ. “

Jamieson, Robert; A.R. Fausset; and David Brown. “The First Epistle General of Peter.” Commentary Critical and Explanatory on the Whole Bible. Blue Letter Bible. 19 Feb 2000. 28 Feb 2008.

Also, in a message on 1 Peter I read a section of Chuck Smith ties the mention of Christ’s sacrifice in with Romans 5:8 “But God demonstrates his own love for us in this: While we were still sinners, Christ died for us.”

Application

• All of this gives us more reason to seek a Holy Life, to please God, and to Love Him.
• Realize that He was chosen for our sake before the world began. This is the ultimate expression of love. (Romans 5:8)
• Realize Christ was revealed at the appropriate time. His sacrifice was not a knee jerk reaction to our sin.
• Realize our faith is not only IN Christ but BY and THROUGH Him. Also, our Living Hope is in God, through Christ.
• Believe in God through Christ.