1 Peter, Day 2
THE MASTER BUILDER
1 Peter 2
As Peter begins Chapter 2, he ends Chapter 1 with Verse 25: “[B]ut the word of the Lord remains forever. And this word is the good news that was preached to you” Peter, like the other apostles, preached the Word.
From Verses 1–12, we discover how much we need nourishment from the Word and by recognizing who we are in Christ Jesus.
What do malice, deceit, hypocrisy, envy, and slander all have in common? They’re ALL evil and should play no part in the life of a Christian. Combined, they will stunt your Christian growth.
When we’re born, in order to grow, we must consume food. For infants, that’s milk from Mom. As we grow and are weaned off her milk, solid foods are introduced. The same analogy can be used when we are “born again.” We don’t jump right into Revelation, Leviticus, or the prophetic books of the Old Testament. Paul, in Ephesians Chapter 1, Verses 11 – 14, explains our growth. Although we’re never fully a “grown” Christian, Jesus is still working in us, and we can surely “taste that the Lord is good” (1 Peter 2:3).
Not everyone believes in Jesus, as Peter pens, “a living stone rejected by men” (1 Peter 2:4). The positive news is that we’re called “living stones,” part of a holy priesthood, to offer spiritual sacrifices acceptable to God. No other religion in the world can describe its followers as such.
Peter now quotes from Isaiah 28:16, identifying Christ as the chosen cornerstone. If you’re an architect, you’re familiar with a cornerstone — It’s the firm foundation of a building.
The Cathedral Quartet sang a song called, “The Master Builder.” This is the chorus:
Jesus is The Master Builder, He built His church upon a rock
He built it upon a firm foundation
And the work is never gonna stop.
Jesus is The Master Builder, He takes the old and makes it new.
He can take a life of sin
Make it clean and pure within
And He can make a brand new you.
God has been in the “construction” business from the beginning. In Genesis 1:6, He creates man; in Genesis 6, He provides Noah with the building plans for the ark, and in Exodus 25, He lays out the plans for The Ark of the Covenant.
Our cornerstone, Jesus, was rejected, and a “stone of stumbling and a rock of offense” (1 Peter 2:8). Why was that? Because they disobeyed the Word.
Peter reminds us who we are. Check these titles out: chosen race, a royal priesthood, a holy nation, and a people for his own possession. Jesus called us out of darkness into His marvelous light, and staying with the positive — we’ve received mercy!
Peter then cautions us in Verses 11 – 12, “to abstain from the passions of the flesh, which wage war against your souls.” Peter later writes about Satan as a “roaring lion.” Finally, “Keep your conduct among the Gentiles honorable.” Why? “[S]o they may see your good deeds and glorify God on the day of visitation.”
Light up the world!
Tom Dye