1 Pet 2.4-10

Psg: 1 Pe 2.4-10 (http://biblia.com/bible/gs-netbible/1Pe2.4-10)
Date: 5/12/12

Read

2:4 So as you come to him,* a living stone rejected by men but*chosen and priceless* in God's sight, 2:5 you yourselves, as living stones, are built up as a spiritual house to be a holy priesthood and to offer* spiritual sacrifices that are acceptable to God through Jesus Christ. 2:6 For it says* in scripture, "Look, I lay in Zion a stone, a chosen and priceless cornerstone,* and whoever believes* in him*will never* be put to shame."* 2:7 So you who believe see* his value,* but for those who do not believe, the stone that the builders rejected has become the* cornerstone,* 2:8 and a stumbling-stone*and a rock to trip over.* They stumble* because they disobey the word, as they were destined to do.* 2:9 But you are a chosen race, a royal priesthood, a holy nation, a people of his own, so that you may proclaim the virtues* of the one who called you out of darkness into his marvelous light. 2:10 You* once were not a people, but now you are God's people. You were shown no mercy,* but now you have received mercy.

Record

You are a chosen race, a royal priesthood, a holy nation, a people of his own, so that you may proclaim the virtues of the one who call you out of darkness into his marvelous light.

Reflect

• We are made all these incredible things.
• A chosen race. Like Israel - chosen by sovereign fiat, not by merit. A race, a distinct grouping of people with an ontological difference from all others.
• A royal priesthood. A religious body with religious duties, but with regal status as well. Priest-kings and king-priests.
• A holy nation. Pure, spotless, righteous. A group with boundaries, citizenship, and a code.
• A people of his own. Finally, a people set apart from all others to belong to God. Owned and attached, known by his name.
• We are made all these incredible things so that.
• An incredible, undeserved state and status for the purpose of proclaiming to all others are not in this state and who do not have this status.
• He bought us and transformed us for the purpose of us becoming proclaimers.
• The message.
• The one who did this work is excellent.
• Not to proclaim that the work is excellent (though it will be), but that he is excellent, and he as excellent attributes.
• Our testimonies are more than about how we've changed, but about the one who did the changing.
• It's like buying a junk instrument, cleaning it up, working out all the dents, oiling the valves or tightening the strings, tuning it, and then playing it to make loud, beautiful music - music about the instrumentalist. The instrument is saying, "I have been pulled out of the junk pile, I've been changed to where I can play this tune somewhat imperfectly, but one day, I'll be so completely repaired that I will play this tune excellently - which is what the instrumentalist deserves."
• We can impede this by:
• Resisting the polishing and the dent fixing.
• Putting new dents in.
• Adjusting to become out of tune.
• Playing the wrong notes on purpose.
• Playing too softly (or too loudly).
• Coming in at the wrong time.
• Soloing during an ensemble.
• Not listening to the other instruments.

Respond

• Tune me. Fix my dents. Polish my finish. Loosen the parts that are stubborn. Make wonderful music through me to proclaim your excellencies.