1Pe 2:4-5 “To whom coming, as unto a living stone, disallowed indeed of men, but chosen of God, and precious, Ye also, as lively stones, are built up a spiritual house, an holy priesthood, to offer up spiritual sacrifices, acceptable to God by Jesus Christ.”
We have been admonished of certain things we should do if we have experienced the graciousness of our Lord, Jesus. God the Father uses this experience to draw us to Jesus in spite of the attitude of our peers. The grace of Jesus shown to us draws us just as surely as metal shavings are drawn to a magnet. If we have found Him to be gracious in our lives, we have a great desire to be in His presence. By the drawing power of the Father, we approach unto Him with both joy and amazement; joy that He has saved us, and amazement that He would choose to do so.
We approach Him recognizing that He is alive. He is our living rock; sure, steadfast, and immovable. Men rejected Him in that day, and men still reject Him today. Jesus tells us that men reject Him because their deeds are evil. He is the light, and evil men do not want a light shining upon their deeds. However, His is chosen of God and precious!
Being chosen of God, it does not matter that men reject Him. He still shines a light on their evil deeds just as He shines in us who are called according to His purpose in grace. Since He is chosen (favored, elected) of God, the Father hears and accepts Him. The Father treasures Him (esteems Him as precious), and through His imputed righteousness, we are esteemed precious by the Father also. “Ye also” embraces us in the same relationship with the Father that Jesus has; we are elect and precious.
Jesus being a living stone, we also are living (lively) stones. Since Jesus was rejected of men, we will be rejected by men. Being rejected by men does not hinder the work of God. Men can reject all they want to, but they will not change the fact that Jesus is the cornerstone (Acts 4:11) and the foundation (1 Cor 3:11) on which we build. Through the power and calling of God, they cannot prevent us from being built up a spiritual house and holy priesthood.
Since we are a spiritual house, we are the dwelling place of God. Being a holy priesthood, we are expected to make offering to God in His house. We no longer offer the flesh and blood of dead sacrifices. In tasting that the Lord is gracious, we understand that Jesus was the last sacrifice of blood that would ever be required.
Just as we are lively stones, so are we also a living sacrifice (Rom 12:1). We are chosen of God to offer up praise and worship before His throne. Whether things are going well or ill, we still have reason to offer up our daily sacrifice.
It would be a daunting task to take on this building, this office of the priesthood, and the offering of spiritual sacrifices if we had to wonder if it would ever be good enough. Taking on any of this in our own strength is never acceptable to God. He does not have respect for the work of men’s hands. When that work is wrought in Jesus Christ, we don’t have to worry about whether or not God will be pleased. We are assured that our labor is acceptable because our ability to perform it and the channel to offer it to God have one source; Jesus Christ. All that we receive from God comes through Jesus, and all that we truly offer to God goes through Jesus. He is our all in all and the assurance that we (and our labors) are acceptable to God. No purpose or institution of men to the contrary can prevent the power and purpose of God delivered unto us through Jesus.
May we offer our all to God in the assurance that we are acceptable by Jesus Christ!
