“As you come to him, the living Stone—rejected by humans 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.”
1 Peter 2:4-5 NIV
“Consequently, you are no longer foreigners and strangers, but fellow citizens with
God’s people and also members of his household, built on the foundation of the
apostles and prophets, with Christ Jesus himself as the chief cornerstone. In him the
whole building is joined together and rises to become a holy temple in the Lord. And
in him you too are being built together to become a dwelling in which God lives by
his Spirit.”
Ephesians 2:19-22 NIV
As you read these verses, you might notice that both Peter and Paul reference the
fact that you and I, as Christ followers, are part of something much bigger than
ourselves. We are living stones being joined together by Christ. We have been
brought together for a purpose. Part of that coming together involves worship and
Peter states clearly that as we worship, we are fulfilling the role of priests and he
introduces the idea of the priesthood of the believer. You and I don’t need someone
to present us to the Father or to pray for us so that our sins might be forgiven. In
Jesus we have gained access to God the Father and can boldly approach the Throne
of Grace. In realizing this we are exhorted to worship with thanksgiving and praise. I
received a note from my mother recently which said “Sometimes emotions take you
places you don’t want to go. Hesitate, Think, and Pray. Life and sorrow don’t
match.” She ended her note with Psalm 13:5-6 –
“But I trust in your unfailing love; my heart rejoices in your salvation, I will sing to
the Lord, for He has been good to me.”
Paul and Peter also describe our community as a Spiritual house, a dwelling in which
God lives by His Spirit. This suggests to me that we, individually and collectively,
are a place of peace and sanctuary and can be a comfort to the troubled souls all
around us. What happens when you walk into the room? Are you an ambassador of
peace or drama? Yield to peace. Claim your inheritance. Embrace His in failing love.
LET IT BE
Pastor Brian
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