What an encouraging word we received from 1 Peter last week.  The fact that we are God’s people chosen through His Son Jesus Christ our Lord.  Looking back to the Old Testament we see that Israel was God’s chosen people, a people that he established a covenant with as He called them to Himself.  However, time and time again Israel left their covenant relationship with God to pursue the false gods of other nations. But, God had a plan that included a new covenant through the blood of Jesus to bring a new people to Himself.  That is what Peter affirms as He calls believers living stones.  That was the message title, but can you remember the key truths the text made about being living stones?  It may be a little more challenging this week, but here they are: Jesus The Living Stone, Believers the LIVING Stones, The Living Stone – the Cornerstone, and The purpose for Living Stones.  How did you do?

Jesus is important in every part of our new covenant with God.  Jesus is the One who died by crucifixion, shedding His blood to pay the price for the sin of men, then arose from the grave victorious over death to remain alive forevermore.  The result is He is the living stone, which God set forth as the cornerstone.  The very stone that would set the foundation for His Kingdom people.  The stone that was prophesied about in the Old Testament.  The cornerstone that men would either believe in and be built upon, or men would reject, and the cornerstone would become a stumbling block.  For all who believe the cornerstone, the living Christ would enable men to become spiritual living stones, a spiritual house in which God would indwell and build up into a holy priesthood to offer spiritual sacrifices acceptable to God the Father through Jesus Christ the Son.  The spiritual sacrifices offered through Jesus that are acceptable to God is the Spirit-led obedience of the believer to do God’s will in worship, in service, in ministry, and in loving Him and loving brothers and sisters in Christ. But we learn more about the purpose God has chosen those who believe in His Son Jesus to be His people.  They are described as a chosen generation, a royal priesthood, a holy nation, a people for His possession…God’s people are a special covenant people because of Jesus and their priority task is to proclaim the praise of the One who called you out of darkness into His marvelous light.  We are to be proclaimers of God’s work of salvation in our lives, which means we must continuously recall God’s amazing mercy, grace, and love that led to our new birth into a new life in Christ.  When we remember we are then to share the Good News, because as Peter wraps up the text, we once we not a people, we were without mercy, but in Jesus we are His chosen people, a people blessed in His mercy.

What an encouragement to understand and remember as we struggle through our daily lives.  Even though we will struggle and will suffer in this life on this earth, it is not our final destination, our permanent home is heaven as God’s chosen people for eternity!  Praise Him and proclaim Him today!