Day 403: The right Church – 1 Peter 2 vs 1 - 10

1-3 Rid yourselves of all malice and all deceit, hypocrisy, envy, and slander of every kind. Like new born babies, crave pure spiritual milk, so that by it you may grow up in your salvation, now that you've tasted that the Lord is good.

4-6 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.  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.” 7-8 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,” 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. 1 Peter 2:1-10 From the New International Version

The people to whom Peter was writing knew what rejection was all about. Many of them had fled from their hometowns because of persecution. So what does Peter point out to them in vs 4-6?

Jesus Christ, in whom they had put their faith and hope, had also suffered much rejection by many. (Even to the point of being crucified.) Peter uses the example of a building to show that Jesus was like a cornerstone which the builders had tossed aside – but which God had chosen to use. And he likens Christians to stones that were being used for the rest of the building. He then uses some verses from the Old Testament to show how believers in Christ are the true fulfilment of what Israel had failed to be. (See especially vs 9-10) So - whatever rejection they were going through, the Christians could draw tremendous encouragement and comfort knowing that God had made them His people, and they would never be put to shame! There are lessons for us even today. What did Peter say happens to people who simply refuse to believe the gospel and reject Christ? (vs 7-8)

They stumble and fall. The picture is like a workman on a building site falling over the cornerstone they had left lying around and doing himself an injury. But that is what happens spiritually to people who disobey God. They harm their own souls. They stumble at the truth and fall further away from God.

Another lesson is to do with 'being in the right Church'. There are those who cannot see beyond a Church denomination. Whether it's Anglicanism, Methodism, Pentecostalism, Orthodox or Roman Catholicism – they see their Church as 'the right one' and the way to heaven. But Peter says it's the man or woman who trusts in Christ (the cornerstone) who will never be put to shame. Notice, too, that the Church is not the buildings we erect – no matter how extravagantly beautiful they are. The Church is made of 'living stones' - i.e. people who have trusted Christ to save them. And Peter calls them 'a chosen people', 'a royal priesthood, and 'a holy nation'. (They are all priests! No special class needed.) What is their calling as Christians? (vs 4-6 & vs 9)

They are called to declare the praises of their great redeemer. This isn't just in the hymns they sing – it’ also in the life they live. (Remember what vs 1-3 said.) The ‘right Church’ isn’t a Chapel or a Cathedral – it’s the community of people who have welcomed Jesus Christ into their lives and who seek to live for the glory of God. They may be rejected by others because of their love for Christ and be written off as fanatics. But God has accepted them and they have received His mercy.