1 Peter 2:1-10
2 Therefore, rid yourselves of all malice and all deceit, hypocrisy, envy, and slander of every kind. 2 Like newborn babies, crave pure spiritual milk, so that by it you may grow up in your salvation, 3 now that you have tasted that the Lord is good. 4 As you come to him, the living Stone—rejected by humans but chosen by God and precious to him— 5 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. 6 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 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,” 8 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.
Well, this is a text worth returning to many times in your Christian walk.
In verses 4 and 5, the imagery suggests our spiritual maturity as an ongoing process. Hopefully, this is a comfort to both those of us that are new to the faith, and to those that have had the pleasure of being in a relationship with Jesus for a while – i.e., by God’s grace we develop (verse 2) a longing for a deeper knowledge of God’s word.
The passage goes on to point out that ultimately, it’s not us being Christians that non-believers might have a problem with – instead they trip up on the person, message, and work of Jesus. Again, an encouragement as we encounter various people in various life stages and seasons.
Can I leave you with something to ponder – as you’ve received mercy, do you show mercy to those in your life?
A song to consider – Save Me by Liz Vice
Oliver Meehan
