“Living Stones” - Pt 2 on His Church

“You also, like living stones, are being built into a spiritual house (‘temple’ NLT) to be a holy priesthood, offering spiritual sacrifices acceptable to God through Jesus Christ.” (1 Peter 2:5) The term “living stones” in today’s text refers to genuine believers who have a personal love relationship with Jesus Christ. Peter is teaching us that every believer – every spiritual (living) stone - is being shaped and made ready for use in the divine construction of God’s house – His Holy Temple – the Body of Christ. Like natural stones, every spiritual stone has a unique shape (no two are exactly the same) and every stone has jagged and irregular edges from our creation (i.e. from having been born into sin) which leaves us unusable for any type of spiritual construction if left in that condition. Like a river stone that has been made smooth over the constant flow of water across its surface, God has crafted a plan to immerse every spiritual stone into the continuous flow of the “living waters of our Lord Jesus Christ”(John 7:38) through the daily washing in His Word (John 1:1, Ephesians 5:26). If we as His living stones will choose to stay in this constant flow of His living waters, then the once rugged, jagged surface of our souls will be divinely transformed into smooth, “living stones” for the Great Architect’s (‘God’ Hebrews 11:10) specific use / placement (1 Corinthians 12:4-14, 24-27) into His House which He is building. The Apostle Paul echoes this same construction imagery when he decries that, "God’s temple (i.e. God’s building) is holy, and you (i.e. Christians) are God’s building!" (1 Corinthians 3:9, NLT). Paul again shares in Ephesians 2:20-21, “Together, we are His house … the cornerstone is Christ Jesus Himself. We are carefully joined together in Him, becoming a holy temple for the Lord.” (excerpted, NLT) Did you catch that last statement that says we are each “carefully joined together in Him” … the life of every believer is in the hands of the Master Stonemason who is in charge of “chiseling each living stone (molding-fashioning it)” into just the right shape to be inserted in just the right place in His temple/house. How honoring and humbling to know that the Great Architect/Builder of all Life (Hebrews 3:4) has personally chosen to divinely join each of us as living stones into His Spiritual House (“the family of God” Ephesians 2:19)! So each day, choose to spend time immersed deeply into the flowing waters of His Word because as we have been reminded in today’s devotion, we as “living stones” are His royal building materials which He is handcrafting / chiseling for placement in His Eternal House (His family) … and that makes each of us – PRICELESS / INDESPENSABLE! …Selah!
Today's Spirit-led CCM video is one of our family's favorite CCM artists, 4HIM and can be viewed by clicking on the on the praise & worship song title, "Chisel Meets the Stone" - G3 for sharing His power-filled words thru CCM & Praise!