1 Peter 2:1-10

So put away all malice and all deceit and hypocrisy and envy and all slander. Like newborn infants, long for the pure spiritual milk, that by it you may grow up into salvation—if indeed you have tasted that the Lord is good.

As you come to him, a living stone rejected by men but in the sight of God chosen and precious, you yourselves like living stones are being built up as a spiritual house, to be a holy priesthood, to offer spiritual sacrifices acceptable to God through Jesus Christ. For it stands in Scripture:

  “Behold, I am laying in Zion a stone,
    a cornerstone chosen and precious,
  and whoever believes in him will not be put to shame.”

So the honor is for you who believe, but for those who do not believe,

  “The stone that the builders rejected
    has become the cornerstone,”

and

  “A stone of stumbling,
    and a rock of offense.”

They stumble because they disobey the word, as they were destined to do.

But you are a chosen race, a royal priesthood, a holy nation, a people for his own possession, that you may proclaim the excellencies of him who called you out of darkness into his marvelous light. 10 Once you were not a people, but now you are God’s people; once you had not received mercy, but now you have received mercy.

(ESV)

STOP! Think a little 🤔 What is God saying to you?

  • What is the writer saying?
  • How do I apply this to my life?

💡How to do your quiet time


Because we have been born again of imperishable seed (1 Peter 1:23), we should live differently. We should put aside those things that are opposed to the truth. We should not be malicious, spiteful, and hostile towards others. We should not be dishonest. We should not be hypocritical in pretending to be what we are not. We shouldn’t be envious or hateful towards others. And we should not speak badly of others and lie about them. These things have no place in the believer’s conduct. Instead, we should long for the truth of God’s word like a baby longs for its mother’s milk. We should long for God’s word because it nourishes us and matures us, changing us to be more like Christ. Our motive for studying God’s word must be more than just knowledge, but growth and maturity. Peter’s closing question is rhetorical, we should all have indeed tasted that the Lord is good and so be motivated to have more of Him.

We live holy lives by coming to and fellowshipping with Jesus, the living stone. Jesus as the living stone has life and gives life to those who abide in Him. He was rejected by men but God chose Him as precious. We identify with Christ as living stones who, as we become more like Him, are built into a spiritual house. We are the new temple of God (1 Cor 3:16-17) and God lives within all believers. Believers are also a holy priesthood who offer spiritual sacrifices acceptable to God (Heb 13:15-16; Rom 12:1). Jesus is the cornerstone on which everything else is built and all who believe in him will not be put to shame. In contrast, those who do not believe, have rejected the stone and Jesus has become an issue of stumbling and offence for them. They stumble because they do not obey God’s word and suffer the consequences of their choice to reject Him.

Unlike those who have rejected Jesus, believers in the church are a chosen people of God. We are a royal priesthood, a holy nation, and a people for God’s own possession. This was the description given to Israel (Ex 19:6). While God is not done with Israel, and the church has not replaced her, God does have a special place for the church during this time. We are to proclaim the excellencies of God who called us out of darkness into His marvelous light. Our purpose is to display the excellencies of our God. We are God’s people because we have received His mercy.

What wonderful news. We are special to God and we have a special purpose. What are you doing to make sure you are living a holy life that proclaims the excellencies of God who called you from darkness into His marvelous light?


Major Stories of the Bible Reading Plan

Oppressive Jerusalem: Zephaniah 3