“The Just Shall Live By Faith”
New King James Version Written by: David Hicks
Romans 1:17 “ For in it the righteousness of God is revealed from faith to faith; as it is written, "The just shall live by faith."
Galatians 3:11 “But that no one is justified by the law in the sight of God is evident, for "the just shall live by faith."
Hebrews 10:38 “Now the just shall live by faith; But if anyone draws back, My soul has no pleasure in him."
“Articles of Faith”
(A Study in I Peter)
Lesson 5- Christ - Chosen By God; His People - Chosen By God:
We are now going to drop the illustration of infant nourishment and the importance of feeding from the word of God. Here, Peter is going to give these Christians, who have given up a great deal to become strangers and outsiders in a foreign place; a shot in the arm.
It is human nature to want to be part of a winning team! This is evident in many ways in our day to day lives, but to the Jews who were for hundreds of years God's chosen people under the Mosaic dispensation; this would mean so much more. They would want to know that they had chosen the winning path in Christ and that the suffering they were enduring was for a greater cause towards God, than that of Moses.
We also can take heart from Peter's teachings to these Christians, in that we have become part of something so great and glorious. Understanding the true greatness of our choice in Christ is the power that will help us overcome the sufferings of this life and the earthly influences that war against us.
Text:
1 Peter 2:4-10 “Coming to Him as to a living stone, rejected indeed by men, but chosen by God and precious, 5 you also, as living stones, are being built up a spiritual house, a holy priesthood, to offer up spiritual sacrifices acceptable to God through Jesus Christ. 6 Therefore it is also contained in the Scripture,
"Behold, I lay in Zion A chief cornerstone, elect, precious, And he who believes on Him will by no means be put to shame."
7 Therefore, to you who believe, He is precious; but to those who are disobedient,
"The stone which the builders rejected Has become the chief cornerstone,"
8 and
"A stone of stumbling And a rock of offense."
They stumble, being disobedient to the word, to which they also were appointed. 9 But you are a chosen generation, a royal priesthood, a holy nation, His own special people, that you may proclaim the praises of Him who called you out of darkness into His marvelous light; 10 who once were not a people but are now the people of God, who had not obtained mercy but now have obtained mercy.”
Christ – Chosen By God.
Living Stone: Nothing could be more lifeless than a stone. Selected and displayed in a prominent place, however, a stone can bear a message and almost become personified. The Ten Commandments were written on stone (this would later be played upon when the prophets would symbolize the stone tablets to that of the hearts of Israel – Ezekiel 36:26 ; Jeremiah 31:33 ); the temple was built out of costly dressed stone ( I Kings 5:17 ), a material more enduring than brick. It was meant to stand for the truth that God was with them always ( I Kings 9:3 ).
All of these physical and lifeless stones had important meanings, however, God would remind His people that these were just teaching tools to bring them to the greatest stone of all, ‘the Living Stone', note:
Isaiah 28:16 “Therefore thus says the Lord G od :
"Behold, I lay in Zion a stone for a foundation, A tried stone, a precious cornerstone, a sure foundation; Whoever believes will not act hastily.”
Here in our text, Peter denotes that Christ is this living stone spoken of by the prophets. The fact that He is a living stone denotes the style of building by which He is the foundation, a spiritual building.
Rejected by Men: In addition to this living stone becoming the foundation of God's great spiritual kingdom ( Ephesians 2:19 -22 ), the prophets would also introduce the idea that the coming of the Messiah would bring division and He would be rejected by many, note:
Psalm 118:22 “The stone which the builders rejected Has become the chief cornerstone.”
Jesus himself; His chosen Apostles, would indicate to the Jews that His effect on them was the very proof that He was the Messiah, note:
Matthew 21:42 “Jesus said to them, "Have you never read in the Scriptures:
'The stone which the builders rejected Has become the chief cornerstone. This was the L ord's doing, And it is marvelous in our eyes'?”
Luke 20:17-18 “Then He looked at them and said, "What then is this that is written:
'The stone which the builders rejected Has become the chief cornerstone'?
18 "Whoever falls on that stone will be broken; but on whomever it falls, it will grind him to powder."
Acts 4:11 “This is the 'stone which was rejected by you builders, which has become the chief cornerstone.'”
Chosen By God: Not withstanding His rejection by the Jewish leaders and many of these Christian's peers; God approved of Him and showed Him to be precious by revealing the eternal riches offered through Him.
Romans 1:1-6 “Paul, a bondservant of Jesus Christ, called to be an apostle, separated to the gospel of God 2 which He promised before through His prophets in the Holy Scriptures, 3 concerning His Son Jesus Christ our Lord , who was born of the seed of David according to the flesh, 4 and declared to be the Son of God with power according to the Spirit of holiness , by the resurrection from the dead . 5 Through Him we have received grace and apostleship for obedience to the faith among all nations for His name , 6 among whom you also are the called of Jesus Christ ;”
Ephesians 1:3 “Blessed be the God and Father of our Lord Jesus Christ, who has blessed us with every spiritual blessing in the heavenly places in Christ,”
His People – Chosen By God.
You Also: Jesus as the Christ is represented as a living stone for a foundation, and thus it is appropriate to consider the parts of the building on it. The foundation of the building and its parts being spiritual, it follows that the whole structure is considered as a spiritual one (it was never God's intent that His kingdom, the church, represent anything earthly in design, organization, and work).
Every building is erected for a specific purpose, and this one is no exception to the rule. In the material building of the temple of the Mosaic era, sacrifices were offered there to please God (the blood of bulls and goats).
Hebrews 9:11-12 “But Christ came as High Priest of the good things to come, with the greater and more perfect tabernacle not made with hands, that is, not of this creation. 12 Not with the blood of goats and calves, but with His own blood He entered the Most Holy Place once for all, having obtained eternal redemption.”
So, in this spiritual house by which we as living stones have been built upon Christ, sacrifices are of a spiritual character, as they are composed of the self offering of the people of God, ‘IN' Christ.
Under the Old Law, only the priests officiated in the sacrifices offered to God for the people. Interestingly enough, under the New Law, only priests are those by which sacrifices are offered. However, since every disciple is a royal priest ‘In' Christ, it means that each one is expected to participate in offerings to God. Just as the things that were offered under the Old Law had to be acceptable to God, likewise, only those who are approved of God can offer acceptable sacrifices to Him.
This concept of the approved of God and those who are not is played out in verses 6-8 . These verses are given to these Christians as a direct point to the condition of their brethren (fellow Jews) who have rejected Christ.
The Chief Cornerstone would act as both a stone of foundation and a stone of judgment. Peter says that those who reject this living stone “stumble” (an origin of a fall). Note the terminology that Jesus would use to the Jews, who would reject Him,
Luke 20:18 "Whoever falls on that stone will be broken; but on whomever it falls, it will grind him to powder."
But You: The various things said in this verse about the disciples of Christ, should cause them to apply themselves to the maximum to live up to the great honor and responsibility given them.
Generation means, race or kind. We have become the chosen race of God by means of a new birth ( Chap. 1:22 -23 ).
Royal priesthood means, a kingly priesthood. Under the Mosaic Law, the same men could not be both priest and king ( II Chronicles 26:18 ), but the disciples of Christ are said to be both, after our Lord and Savior, note:
Revelation 1:6 “and has made us kings and priests to His God and Father, to Him be glory and dominion forever and ever. Amen.”
A holy nation, denotes a number of persons living together as a group, and Christians are such having become holy and consecrated to God by obedience to the Gospel.
His own special people, is from the word that also translates as, ‘peculiar' or ‘purchased'. They are called that because they have been purchased with His blood ( Acts 20:28 ).
That You May: When someone buys something and pays a great price for it, there is an expectation that it produces something for the individual. Accordingly, the Lord who bought us with such a great price has an objective which to us becomes an important work to achieve. This important work was to proclaim the praises of Him who called us out of darkness.
This happens when those who have been called out of darkness, establish a sanctuary within their hearts, where they hold God as greater than all else, and thus are ready to give an answer for the hope that is in them ( Chap. 3:15 ).
Now The People of God: This designation that they were not the people of God, does not indicate they were Gentiles as some would speculate. It is however, an indication of the previous subject of acceptance or rejection of the Living Stone as was discussed in verses 6-8 . It was the children of Israel that were to be the builders (those who would help to usher the kingdom into existence – Acts 4:11 -12 ). However, based on their rejection of the living Stone and God long before this, God would reject them as His people.
This is the same language that was used by Hosea the prophet concerning Israel . In the first chapter of Hosea , a third son would be born to Hosea's harlot wife, and his name would be, ‘ Lo-ammi ', which means, ‘not my people' ( vs. 9 ). In this name, we learn that God would no longer claim them as His own, nor be their God; they would be rejected.
However, in spite of this rejection and scattering of Israel by God, the number of the children of Israel shall be as the sand of the sea ( vs.10 ). The ten tribes are before the prophet's mind. God has named them, ‘not my people' because He would cast them off. However, it would come to pass that they would at some time be called ‘sons of the living God'( vs. 10 ). When would this be? The words of this passage are used by Peter with reference to the redeemed, “who had not obtained mercy but now have obtained mercy” . The words of Peter mirror the words of the prophet, note: Hosea 2:23 “Then I will sow her for Myself in the earth, And I will have mercy on her who had not obtained mercy ; Then I will say to those who were not My people, 'You are My people!' And they shall say, ' You are my God!' "
Peter now confirms to these Christians that they are the very fulfillment of the words of the prophet, in that they are now sons of the living God, via the living Stone.
This then becomes for them the shot in the arm that I mentioned in the opening. They were suffering as pilgrims and sojourners in this life as the true people of God . While back in their homeland, their brethren have stumbled (fallen, having rejected the living Stone), and would soon face judgment, even though they are more comfortable in their physical surroundings.
Likewise brethren, we also have the same comfort of knowing that we are God's people, chosen through Christ our Lord to proclaim His praises. This should also offer us similar strength knowing that our suffering in this temporary life that we pilgrim through, cannot separate us from our God. All those who are ‘In' Christ, both Jew and Gentile, now have access to God through Christ ( Ephesians 3:14 -18 ); where we can present ourselves as living sacrifices before God, which is our reasonable service ( Romans 12:1-2 ).
Next: “ Living Before The World ”