Living Stones in a Spiritual Temple
CLASS 4 ISSUES
Study Scripture: 1 Peter 2: 1 – 12
Background Scripture: Hebrews 31 Peter 2: 1 – 17
Lesson 13 August 30, 2025
Key Verse
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.
1 Peter 2:5
INTRODUCTION
What does being a “stone” mean to you?
Does it represent firmness, stability, resistance to destructing forces, beauty as it is carved, something that can be joined to other stones to make a great edifice?
What could it possibly mean to be a “stone” that is living, meaning it is breathing, has life, can somehow act to reflect its beauty while being firm and give stability?
Our Lesson Study tells us how human beings who are in the Lord Jesus Christ as part of His body can be productive in carrying out the message of salvation, show the beauty of God, and benefit all others in the body of Christ.
It focuses on “redemption”, what “redemption” means, and what follows this redemption for the children of God who are now in the body of Christ.
To help us understand what “redemption” is, and how the stones created by “redemption” can be living, breathing, active, and lively, first we will review the message of Scripture about what happens to those who have come to Christ brought by the work of the Holy Spirit. We will examine briefly some basic teaching in Scripture so we will understand what God has done and why He did what He has done.
We will therefore first remind believers of several terms which will help us to be full aware of what and why we are to be “Living Stones” in a “Spiritual Temple”.
First is the term “propitiation” which is directed toward God.
“But now the righteousness of God apart from the law is revealed, being witnessed by the Law and the Prophets,
even the righteousness of God through faith in Jesus Christ to all and on all who believe. For there is no difference.
For all have sinned and fall short of the glory of God,
Being justified freely by His grace through the redemption that is in Jesus Christ,
Whom God set forth as a propitiation by His blood .through faith to demonstrate His righteousness, because in His forbearance God has passed over the sins that have been previously committed,
to demonstrate at the present time His righteousness, that He might be just and the justifier of the one who has faith in Jesus Christ”.
Jesus therefore offered Himself in eternity past before the creation of the world as a sacrifice to God to satisfy the holy requirements of God.
Then comes the word “redemption” directed toward man but specifically directed toward sin.
“Reconciliation” is another important doctrine in Scripture also directed toward man for man needs reconciliation with God.
All of those actions have been accomplished when the Lord Jesus Christ died on the Cross in His finished work.
So believers have been called, regenerated, benefited from imputation, received justification, sanctification, reconciliation, adoption, glorification, and intercession from their High Priest as well as other things.
Jesus accomplished all these things for us and the Apostle Peter’s word “lutro” in the first chapter of his Book, is a word meaning we have been set free by the payment of a ransom price as what happened to a slave in the Roman auction market when someone set a slave free by paying the price to buy his freedom. 1 Peter 1:18 tells us we have been set free by the shedding of Jesus blood.
Then Peter uses another word agoraz which means to pay to buy a slave in the market place. A price was paid. The Apostle Paul would therefore say in 1 Corinthians 6:19,20
“Or do you not know that your body is the temple of the Holy Spirit who is in you, whom you have from God, and you are not your own?
For you were bought at a price, therefore glorify God in your body and in your spirit, which are God’s”.
This word means the blood of Jesus was the price which was sufficient to pay the price for the salvation of all men. The word means “bought out from” as in Galatians 3:13.
The third word used by the Apostle Peter so that we cannot miss what Jesus had done for us is peripote a word which means “acquisition”. In Acts 20:28 it is used as the Apostle Paul was directing the Ephesian elders also in speaking of the redemption he states Jesus has acquired for one’s own possession.
“”Therefore take heed to yourselves and to all the flock, among which the Holy Spirit has made you overseers, to shepherd the church of God which He purchased (acquired possession of) with His own blood”.
In the first chapter of his Book in verses 13-20 Peter uses these 3 words to cement our understand of the grace and mercy of God in our salvation, our redemption, namely
Lutro, set free by the payment of a ransom price,
Agoraz, to buy in the Forum, the Roman marketplace, and
Peripote, to acquire as a possession.
So Scripture states we have been redeemed by God.
Remember also that Romans 8:27 tells us our “bodies” have been redeemed:
“For we know that the whole creation groans and labors with birth pangs together until now.
Not only that, but we also who have the firstfruits of the Spirit, even we ourselves groan within ourselves, eagerly waiting for the adoption, the redemption of our body”.
Our redeemed spirits have gone at death to be with the Lord, and He will return to have us given our glorious body which has been redeemed, manifesting fully the new life.
A scholar points out that Exodus 12 illustrates the work of Christ for there in that Chapter Israel was taken out of bondage to Pharaoh and Satan.
We similarly have been brought out of Egypt delivered from Pharaoh and Satan and placed under the leadership of the Holy Spirit who takes us through the wilderness and transforms us.
The Apostle Peter therefore tells us that we are kept by the power of God through faith unto salvation ready to be revealed at the last time.
Our Study Scripture can now begin to make sense of what God is saying to His children. One writer calls them:
“These are high level instructions for living a life of flourishing, and they are surrounded by rich theology. Peter doesn’t just instruct us; he gives us instructions mixed into the theology that explains them….so.
we would see a path toward a life of flourishing based based on the overflowing goodness of God”.
The Apostle Peter makes sure to point out that “flesh is like grass” which means that “flesh” will pass away like grass.
But people redeemed by Jesus are born of imperishable seed and so even though they start their relationships here these will last throughout eternity, Redeemed relationships will last forever.
To help the brethren they are given the instruction to love for that will provide the basic energy needed so that relationships will flourish. One writer therefore points out the need for spiritual milk and he comments:
“If we have tasted it, then this is your path toward a life of flourishing. Hope. Holiness. Fear. Love. Longing.
We set our hope on Jesus; we strive to be holy; we conduct ourselves with fear; we love one another, and we long for spiritual nourishment.
Hope, holiness, fear, love, and longing.
This is the life of following Jesus. This is the life of flourishing”.
Note therefor the Apostle Peter is opening the eyes of the brethren to the great reality and the great truth we need to hear often.
THE TEXT
Verse 1. The Apostle provides in these verses good advice for the new Christian, and generally to all Christians, so that as they grow in the faith that their faith is not marred/tainted and develops in healthy God centered and focused manner. The foundation of any point, in terms of character attributes one should exhibit are clearly set upon Jesus. It is with this frame of reference that one should approach everything said in this Chapter.
Peter starts by mentioning that we should look at act in a way that demonstrates mutual charity or love towards each other based on the excellences of the word of God, which clearly points to Jesus. Jesus is that incorruptible seed, as our great example, who is not dead, but is a Saviour God, who is alive and watching over His flock.
Peter says there is no place in a Christian’s life for malice. Such an emotion leads to sins that destroy charity and hinder the efficacy of the Word, and consequently they damage our path on regeneration. He instructs us to put away such sins as malice, guile, hypocrisies, envy, and evil speaking like an old garment that is no longer fit for use.
Malice, which may be taken more generally for all sorts of wickedness (James 1:21; 1 Co. 5:8), but in a more confined sense, malice can be thought of as anger which rests in the heart of fools, or settled overgrown anger, retained till it inflames a man to design mischief, to do mischief, or delight in any mischief that befalls another.
This is nowhere near the behavior that Jesus has shown or condones. Malice, then clearly pulls the soul away from God, and blinds any Christian from being able to grow in faith and maturity.
Guile, or deceit in words, manifests itself as one using crafty machinations imposing upon another’s ignorance or weakness that will lead to their damage. It uses flattery, falsehood, and delusion to distract a believer, or blind others for salvation.
Hypocrisies, and notice it is pluralized, in matters of religion is counterfeit piety. In civil conversation hypocrisy is counterfeit friendship, seen as compliments that are not believed by the speaker, promises made which will never come to fruition, or a false friendship designed only to abuse someone.
Envies, and again pay attention to the fact it is pluralized, basically is a grieving at the good and welfare of another, at their abilities, prosperity, fame, or successful labours.
God is the one who will give you the increase, and He does so for His purpose. If we truly love God, then envy should not be part of our makeup as a Christian. We should seek those gifts only to help forward the Gospel of Christ for others to take part in salvation and eternity with God.
Too often humans and Christians think that the grass is greener on the other side, when they fail to see God giving us all the proper gifts that we need in this world to maintain joy!
Lastly, evil speaking, which is detraction, speaking against another, or defaming him, it is rendered as backbiting (2 Co. 12:20; Rom. 1:30).
At no point in a Christian’s life should this ever be part of their conduct, as it goes against love, against everything that Jesus taught.
Christians should always be on guard against the previously mentioned sins. Even though having the Spirit in them to teach, guide and protect them, for especially new Christians these sins can hinder ones growth.
However no man in immune to their effects while present in the flesh.
Evil speaking is a sign that malice and guile lie in the heart and all of them combine to hinder a Christian’s growth and being able to profit in life by the Word of God.
Verse 2. How can a new Christian grow strong and healthy? Well Peter’s advice is this, especially regarding a new Christian, but also for the growth of a Christian in general.
You start off with milk, and build to consume wholesome and regular food, that will allow you to grow, just as a baby grows into a child, then to an adult.
The word desire is strong. In the Septuagint (an ancient Greek translation of the Old Testament) it is used for man’s deepest longing for God. Ps. 42:1. It speaks of the desire each believer should have for the Word of God.
For those who are parents, they will know already that a healthy new baby has an instinctive yearning, zeal for its mother’s milk. If everything is right, normal with the child, you do not have to tell the baby to drink the milk or when to have milk. The baby tells you in a very convincing manner at times.
They, being newly born, must desire the milk of the word. Infants desire common milk, and their desires towards it are fervent and frequent, arising from an impatient sense of hunger, and accompanied with the best endeavours of which the infant is capable.
Such must Christians’ desires be for the word of God: and that for this end, that they may grow thereby, that we may improve in grace and the knowledge of our Lord and Saviour, 2 Pt. 3:18. [Matthew Henry]
This analogy is meant for Christians so they will understand that they should have a strong and constant desire for the word of God. This desire should be seen in both new and mature Christians. This milk is proper food for the soul, and necessary to the new creation, whereby the mind, not the body, is nourished and strengthened.
All Christians should realize that a strong desire and affection for the work of God is good evidence of a person’s being born again. Should they demonstrate that they desire the word of God as a baby desires milk, then they prove that they are indeed a new-born.
Though small in terms of evidence, this is a good point to look for. Growth and improvement in wisdom and grace are the purpose of any Christian. It highlights a spiritual desire and need for edification and improvement which only exists in digesting the Word of God.
Verse 3. Peter mentions that any Christian that has tasted or experienced the graciousness of the Lord will by no means wish to go back to the old man. They cannot stay where they are either. The only choice for one who has truly experienced the gracious nature of God, is to move forward and grow into that spiritually mature adult that the Bible alludes to.
1. Our Lord Jesus Christ is very gracious to his people. He is in himself infinitely good; he is very kind, free, and merciful to miserable sinners; he is pitiful and good to the undeserving; he has in him a fulness of grace.
2. The graciousness of our Redeemer is best discovered by an experimental taste of it. There must be an immediate application of the object to the organ of taste; we cannot taste at a distance, as we may see, and hear, and smell. To taste the graciousness of Christ experimentally supposes our being united to him by faith, and then we may taste his goodness in all his providences, in all our spiritual concerns, in all our fears and temptations, in his word and worship every day.
3. The best of God’s servants have in this life but a taste of the grace of Christ. A taste is but a little; it is not a draught, nor does it satisfy. It is so with the consolations of God in this life.
4. The word of God is the great instrument whereby he discovers and communicates his grace to men. Those who feed upon the sincere milk of the word taste and experience most of his grace. In our converses with his word we should endeavour always to understand and experience more and more of his grace. [Matthew Henry]
Verse 4. The Apostle gives us a description of Jesus Christ as a “living stone”, foundational to our understanding of who Jesus is and His purpose. To the outsider, or an infidel, the comparison of Jesus to a stone may not seem flattering, or reverent, however to the Jews who placed much of their religion in their magnificent temple, and who understood the prophetical style, which calls the Messiah a stone (Isa. 8:14; 28:16), it would be a very elegant and proper comparison.
In this metaphorical description of Jesus Christ, he is called a stone, to denote his invincible strength and everlasting duration, and to teach his servants that he is their protection and security, the foundation on which they are built, and a rock of offence to all their enemies. He is the living stone, having eternal life in himself, and being the prince of life to all his people. The reputation and respect he has with God and man are very different. He is disallowed of men, reprobated or rejected by his own countrymen the Jews, and by the generality of mankind; but chosen of God, separated and fore-ordained to be the foundation of the church (as ch. 1:20), and precious, a most honourable, choice, worthy person in himself, in the esteem of God, and in the judgment of all who believe on him. [Matthew Henry]
It is this person, Jesus who all Christians are to march towards. It should be our greatest desire to be with Jesus; we are obliged to come to Him as our Saviour, the author of our salvation.
We move towards Him by faith, but one day will be united to Him in body and spirit.
It is not an understatement to say that Jesus is the very foundation of our beliefs, the foundation-stone of all our hopes and happiness, strength and joy. Jesus has communicated the true knowledge of God (Matt. 11:27), so that we may continually improve and be worthy to approach the Father, and be made partakers of all spiritual blessings (Eph. 1:3).
Those who expect mercy from Jesus, our Redeemer must come to Him, which is our act, though done by God’s grace. We act in contrast to the others, who as mentioned by Peter, disallowed Christ!
We therefore are either for Christ or against Christ.
Those against (Is. 53:3), populate an ungrateful world, who choose not to see the great actions of mercy, the precious gift He has given to them. And so, even though chosen by God, made the Lord of the universe, the head of the church, the Saviour of His people, and the Judge of the world, those against are blinded from seeing the excellency of His nature, the dignity of His office, and the gloriousness of His service. This guarantees much to their doom.
Verse 5. Peter’s picture is of God building a Spiritual Temple (a spiritual house) using Christians (living stones), who are set about the foundation of Jesus (The Living Stone).
Israel had a temple, and viewed it as a spiritual house,
Christians too have one. But for a Christian, their temple is spiritual, and they themselves as previous lessons have eluded too are the Temple.
Remember that the Holy Spirit resides in the believer, and you the believer are the temple of the Holy Spirit.
Jesus is first called “the living stone”. As believers we are then referred to as “living stones”. We have life because and only because we are connected with Jesus who is the source of life.
Christians are warned they should not boast against Israel and should not put themselves above Israel, trying to replace them, but understand that we have been grafted into this covenant with God. One day Israel, a redeemed Israel will find its way back to God.
Understanding this, just as how God chose the then lowly Israel, He has also chosen the church, making us an holy priesthood in which Christians must offer up spiritual sacrifices acceptable to God. As a holy priesthood the individual believer does not need any mediator except his great High Priest, Jesus. Therefore we should conduct ourselves in a manner consistent with that of such a holy commission, and fit for the Master’s service.
Verse 6. The Apostle is recommending the Christian church and constitution recognize the Christian church has a temple, which is themselves. This is not meant to compete or even compare in any substantial way to the Jewish temple. The Apostle says we should consider that the Christian church is a much nobler creation than the Jewish temple as the body of Christ is a living temple, consisting not of dead materials, but of living parts.
Christ, the foundation, is a living stone. Christians therefore are lively stones, and these make a spiritual house, and they are a holy priesthood.
No longer are the bloody sacrifices of beasts offered, when a much better and more acceptable one in the form of Jesus Christ was offered once and for all. Believers have an altar too on which to present their offerings; for they offer spiritual sacrifices, acceptable to God by Jesus Christ.
(1.) All sincere Christians have in them a principle of spiritual life communicated to them from Christ their head: therefore, as he is called a living stone, so they are called lively, or living stones; not dead in trespasses and sins, but alive to God by regeneration and the working of the divine Spirit.
(2.) The church of God is a spiritual house. The foundation is Christ, Eph. 2:20. The builders are ministers, 1 Cor. 3:10. The inhabitant is God, Eph. 2:22. It is a house for its strength, beauty, variety of parts, and usefulness of the whole. It is spiritual foundation, Christ Jesus,-in the materials of it, spiritual persons,-in its furniture, the graces of the Spirit,-in its connection, being held together by the Spirit of God and by one common faith,-and in its use, which is spiritual work, to offer up spiritual sacrifices. This house is daily built up, every part of it improving, and the whole supplied in every age by the addition of new particular members.
(3.) All good Christians are a holy priesthood. The apostle speaks here of the generality of Christians, and tells them they are a holy priesthood; they are all select persons, sacred to God, serviceable to others, well endowed with heavenly gifts and graces, and well employed.
(4.) This holy priesthood must and will offer up spiritual sacrifices to God. The spiritual sacrifices which Christians are to offer are their bodies, souls, affections, prayers, praises, alms, and other duties.
(5.) The most spiritual sacrifices of the best men are not acceptable to God, but through Jesus Christ; he is the only great high priest, through whom we and our services can be accepted; therefore bring all your oblations to him, and by him present them to God. . [Matthew Henry]
Verses 7 & 8. To understand the importance and greatness of Jesus, one just need look at the references throughout the Bible to appreciate who Jesus is.
He is the cornerstone (Ps. 118), the stumbling stone (Is. 8), the foundation stone (Is. 28), the supernatural stone (Dan. 2), and the rock that miraculously gave Israel water in the wilderness (1 Cor. 10:4).
There can be no doubt that Jesus is indeed precious, and those that reject the chief cornerstone deserve their place apart from Him in eternity.
Those who have rejected the chief cornerstone, that being Jesus, it is said will stumble over Him. Jesus is our salvation, but it is promised that those who reject Him and are unbelieving, shall find this same Jesus to be a rock of offense to them.
Take Ps. 118 and Matt 21:42, Jesus refers to Himself as the cornerstone, which is the starting point of a building. Everything from that point is laid out according to its connection to the cornerstone, just as how Christians are held and strengthened by the Chief Cornerstone (that which stands at the corner, the same stone is the staring place for two walls).
These two walls figure in as Jew and Gentile fitted together into one glorious house for God.
So one cannot say that Christians are the new Israel because neither the Bible nor the apostles have taught that.
We both together, Jew and Gentile form a body that God claims as His own. Both Jew and Gentiles need to see each other as Children of God and move together to glory and their Father that is in heaven, under Jesus and the guidance of the Holy Spirit.
This is why Jesus is such a stumbling block and rock of offense for many, especially first century Jews. Peter says that Jew and Gentile through Christ now can all partake in God’s covenant, and be His people.
Those who reject Jesus, will fall and be broken, and this fall will leave them utterly crushed (Matt. 21:44).
Verses 9 & 10. Verse 9 begins with three Old Testament descriptions of the chosen people of God. They are called a race, a priesthood, and a nation.
This is clearly a community pf redeemed people for they are a people for God’s own possession.
Israel was a pattern showing the world that God took a people who were not highly regarded by the nations or by anyone.
They were nothing as the prophet Ezekiel plainly describes the nation in Ezekiel 16, But as one writer noted
“It has always been God’s pattern to make something out of nothing — flawed patriarchs, Egyptian slaves, flawed kings, returned exiles.”
So Peter would point out we were “once nobody, now God’s people”.
The pattern is clear. God is merciful and so He has given those once ‘nobodies’ a high calling
At this point Peter had prepared them to understand a truth about what Jesus Christ has done for all those who has believed on Him. All true Christians are a chosen generation, a chosen race.
They make one family, a healthy family, a distinct community from the common world, which only occurs as they have been chosen by Christ to be so, and sanctified by His Spirit.
This makes true servants of Christ a royal priesthood. What makes them royal is their relation to God and Christ, in their power with God, and over themselves and all their enemies. This royal priesthood is consecrated to God, and should be continually offering to God spiritual services and oblations, acceptable to God through Jesus Christ.
When we examine the role of the priesthood in Israel we see that the essential ideal of priesthood is access. It functioned to allow man to have fellowship with God and so the Levitical priesthood had a mediatorial function so that the people of Israel would have fellowship with God. God therefore determined who would be the High Priest and have access between the beings He created and Himself. Aaron’s family was assisted by Levites who ere priests who carried out certain necessary administrative and temporal functions, and would teach the law, offer sacrifices, and make intercession for the people. But they had limited access to God. The animal sacrifices could not offer a final forgiveness of sin and they had to be repeated continually.
When Jesus died on the Cross however there was no limited access to God.
The Book of Hebrews gave believers a full exposition of the priesthood of Christ and tells us He is the only High Priest.
He offered one sacrifice and that Sacrifice removed sin and gave access. As a result of that sacrifice He lives to intercede for believers.
Scripture tells us Aaron was the type and Jesus is the antitype.
Under the priesthood of Jesus Christ the whole church, each member of the body of Christ is a priest. So the body is a holy priesthood whose duty it is is to offer up spiritual sacrifices.
Romans 12:1 instructs that believers are to offer their bodies as a living sacrifice.
The third metaphor or image is now stated again. All Christians around the world compose one nation under Christ, agreeing in the same spiritual manners and customs, and governed by the same laws, because we are consecrated and devoted to God, renewed and sanctified by His Holy Spirit.
We are God’s servants because we have been acquired by God Himself. As such we are called to be a peculiar people, meaning we are distinct and different from this world’s people.
As people of His acquisition, choice, care and delight it is and should be our joy to show by words and actions the virtues and praises of Him who hath called us.
If we compare our current state to our former state, there is joy knowing we have obtained a great mercy, being once again reunited with God, and made a people of God.
Verse 11. The believers to whom Peter wrote were in difficult circumstances, facing slander and false accusations.
Persecution had driven them to various hostile, pagan lands where they were being persecuted for their faith.
After reminding them of their favoured position and divine privileges (2:9-10);”Dearly beloved….”, that is, the beloved of God;he reminds them they were the objects of God’s love and that they were to reciprocate that love through obedience. Having laid the foundation for their conduct in this world (vs. 4-10) where he defined them as “the people of God”, their identity becomes the basis for their conduct in the world. As citizens of heaven they must therefore live in a way that sets them apart (holy).
Peter addressed the believers as strangers and pilgrims, a name they could certainly identify with, though not necessarily in the sense we might mean. He identified them as such, because as believers, their citizenship was in heaven (Phil. 3:20).
The term “strangers” refers to a visitor making a brief stay. They were really pilgrims staying for a while in a foreign land. Sojourners were literally settlers having a house in a city, without being citizens and having therefore no rights of citizenship.
Note, our heavenly citizenship is a privilege, but the price of that privilege is to live by God’s standard, not the worlds’.
Although we live in the world alongside unbelievers, we are not ‘of the world’, thus we have different beliefs, values, and morals. Our true home is in heaven. For here we do not have an enduring city, but we are looking for the city that is to come. (Heb. 13:14 NIV).
As a result we are to live in godliness, abstain from fleshly…. The fact is, a life lived in obedience to God’s commands, attracts unbelievers to Christ and adds credibility to what we say.
Note, our conduct is not only the critic’s greatest point of attack, but also our greatest point of vulnerability. Scandalous conduct fuels the fires of criticism, but godly living extinguishes them.
Speaking of fleshly lust, one writer comments:
The believer is “to abstain from fleshly lusts.” The Greek term translated “abstain” (apech[ma]o) literally means “to hold away from.” The phrase “fleshly lusts” refers to the strong cravings of our sinful nature. Although we have a transformed life in Christ, we still remain in a spiritual battle, fighting against desires that would lead to sin (cf. Rom. 7:14-25).
Yielding to fleshly lusts manifests itself in various ways: “immorality, impurity, sensuality, idolatry, sorcery, enmities, strife, jealousy, outbursts of anger, disputes, dissensions, factions, envying, drunkenness, [and] carousing” (Gal. 5:19-21).
The believer is to resist and give no place to the cravings of the sinful nature, which continually war against the soul. James speaks of this internal conflict and this should be a matter of serious consideration. What causes fights and quarrels among you? Don’t they come from your desires that battle within you,
James 1:4. “Soul” essentially refers to what’s inside a person. And the Lord God formed man of the dust of the ground, and breathed into his nostrils the breath of life; and man became a living (being) soul, (Gen. 2:7).
The notion of war is that of a long-term military campaign, an unending protracted conflict. One writer comments:
In 1 Peter 2:11 fleshly lusts are personified as an army of rebels who intend to capture, enslave, and destroy the human soul. The verb implies not just antagonism, but constant and malicious aggression. Fleshly lusts wage an incessant search-and-destroy mission against us.
Note, unlike many of today’s ‘popular’ preachers, Jesus did not appeal to men on the basis of their fleshly lusts. Rather, He called on men to deny fleshly lusts to follow Him. Rather than appeal to man’s greed and materialism, Jesus called on those who would follow Him to give up their attachment to things (Matthew 6:19-24; Mark 10:21; Luke 9:57-62; 16:1-31).
Note that in this warning, we must be aware of certain implications.
The Apostle Peter implies that even the best people, the chosen ones, the elect people of God, need to be warned do keep clear of these worst kind of sins that he has listed above. The saved ones have to be very careful about their boasting in themselves and their inmate abilities, and lack of humility.
It is so important that they be warned, that Peter gives his warning in the most earnest and affectionate manner, showing extremely great interest in them. He calls them “Dearly beloved”, and he goes on to “ beseech” in personal terms. This is a most important duty.
Clearly, lusts can impede our journey through the country in which we pass.
These sins are extremely dangerous, for as stated above, they war against the soul, destroying the liberty of the soul, weakening and corrupting it by damaging its understanding and witness, robbing the soul of peace, dignity, prosperity and producing misery, making the soul odious to God.
Verse 12. We should keep in mind here that godliness, outwardly acceptable Christian behaviour, flows from a heart that has experienced the new birth.
Anything else but godliness, whether things similar to that done by an un-renewed mind or simply the exercise of gross carnal appetites is unacceptable.
By “behaviour” (conversation), Peter refers to one’s daily conduct or manner of life. Honest (excellent) is synonymous with winsome, attractive, fine, or noble. It is goodness in the purest and highest sense. Our conduct should be so wholesome and attractive, as to give the lie to all and any slander the ungodly may invent and it should give substance to the doctrine we profess and proclaim.
This is the standard of behaviour to be modelled before the ‘Gentiles’, all those who do not know Christ. Consistently good conduct should characterize the life of any true Christian and by seeing the believers’ good deeds over a period of time, some unbelievers will “glorify God in the day of visitation“.
Note, Peter’s exhortation rules out the closet Christian. Our conduct is to be open to public scrutiny and serve as an open witness.
Ye are the light of the world. A city that is set on an hill cannot be hid. Neither do men light a candle, and put it under a bushel, but on a candlestick; and it giveth light unto all that are in the house. Let your light so shine before men, that they may see your good works, and glorify your Father which is in heaven. (Matt. 5:14-16).
It is a measure of the hostility, contempt, mistrust and hatred directed at Christians in that day and increasingly in ours, that one who lived such a life would be slandered as an ‘evildoer’, (Acts 17:6, 28:22). An ‘evildoer’ here, would be a very evil individual, worthy of severe punishment. Christians were routinely accused of such things as insurrection against the Roman government, cannibalism, and immorality. They were also accused of damaging trade and social progress, ruining family life, leading slaves into rebellion, and hating people.
Note that though living a godly life is the most peaceable path, it is not always so, a praiseworthy life will sometimes bring anything but praise.
Though the unbelievers might speak against the elect now, nevertheless at some future time, when they have a chance to inspect us closely, and examine your good works, they, the heathens, would be led to praise God instead of uttering hatred and evil speaking.
Note that God thinks it very important that glory be given to Him through the exemplary conduct of Christians. All men were made to praise God and must not do good for our own glory but for the glory of God.
The “day of visitation” is a reference to a visit from God.
A look at some instances of God visiting men in the Old Testament shows that God visited man for two basic reasons: blessing or judgment.
In Isaiah 10:3–The Lord said to the nation Israel,
“What will ye do in the day of visitation, and in the desolation which shall come from far?” (KJV). The Lord was going to visit Israel with judgment because of its sin.
Genesis 50:24–“Joseph said unto his brethren,
‘I die: and God will surely visit you, and bring you out of this land’” (KJV). Joseph was certain that God would deliver His people from Egyptian bondage.
Jeremiah 27:22–The Lord said, “They shall be carried to Babylon, and they shall be there until the day I visit them…. Then I will bring them back and restore them to this place.” The Lord was promising to deliver His people from the Babylonian Captivity.
1 Samuel 2:21–“The Lord visited Hannah; and she conceived and gave birth to three sons and two daughters. And the boy Samuel grew before the Lord.” God visited Hannah and blessed her with a child.
In the New Testament on the other hand, God’s visits were specifically related to redemption or salvation.
Luke 1:68–Zechariah, the father of John the Baptist, said, “Blessed be the Lord God of Israel, for He has visited us and accomplished redemption for His people.”
b) Luke 7:16–“God has visited His people!” That was the people’s response after Christ raised a widow’s son from the dead.
c) Luke 19:44–In weeping over Jerusalem, Christ said, “You did not recognize the time of your visitation.” He mourned that Israel as a whole failed to realize the salvation He would provide.
The day of visitation is the day of salvation for an individual, when an unbeliever is saved; and often times we hear Christians testify of the godly behaviour of faithful Christians being instrumental in their being saved and glorify God for the godly behaviour of those Christian.
Note that it is not us but God who is praised, because it is in His power that we are able, it is He that has worked in us both to “will and to work for His good pleasure”, Philippians 2:13.
CONCLUSION
We have been placed in a grand position. We believers were once lost and headed for a painful eternity. But “now” we are new beings having access to God.
We have been redeemed. The words describing this leave no room for us to doubt who we are. It leads to a life of honouring and glorifying God by our spiritual sacrifices showing we are worthy of the love of our Kind and Saviour and Redeemer.
So show you are lively stones, praising God and doing good works, as priests, both men and women, showing the world the way to access the Living God.