1 Peter 2:1-10 (verse-by-verse)

Passage: 1 Peter 2:1-10

Title: God is Building Something; a Family

Summary: A beautiful passage before us today as God speaks of the building He is building, and it is His Church, His Bride, and that is all of us, and He will tell us how we all fit perfectly together in the glorious temple He is forming, His Church, His Bride, Our Family.

1 Peter 2:1–10 (NKJV) 1 Therefore, laying aside all malice, all deceit, hypocrisy, envy, and all evil speaking, 2 as newborn babes, desire the pure milk of the word, that you may grow thereby, 3 if indeed you have tasted that the Lord is gracious. 4 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.

Peter’s Credentials / Still Feeding

Written by the Apostle Peter, whose credentials have been challenged because of his lack of education and training; but Peter walked with the Lord, the second Apostle called, and all could see that his power and boldness came because he had been with the Lord. For 3 years he walked with Jesus step-by-step, and now it is 30 years since the resurrection and Peter is still faithfully doing what the Lord commissioned him to do, “feeding His sheep”.

The Dispersed

He is writing to the Believers that have been spread out, dispersed form their homeland, thrown into foreign countries. Many of them are struggling and suffering; but their greatest struggle is yet to come, for in just several months Roman Empire Nero is going to launch and all-out attack and persecution against Christians, and over the next 2 centuries over 6 million Christians will die for their faith.

Why Peter Writes / Remember

Peter tells us in the Second Epistle why he writes to them (and us), to stir us up, to remind us, that we hang on to the things we have been taught in the Old Testament, the Epistles of the Apostles, and the teachings in the Gospels. He says remember these things, hold on to them, no matter how hard life may get.

(2 Peter 3:1 NKJV) Beloved, I now write to you this second epistle (in both of which I stir up your pure minds by way of reminder),

(2 Peter 3:2 NKJV) that you may be mindful of the words which were spoken before by the holy prophets, and of the commandment of us, the apostles of the Lord and Savior,

Doctrine – Duty – Declaration

Peter pretty much breaks this letter into 3 areas. Doctrine, Duty, and Declaration; this book takes on the frame work of Ephesians, except Peter adds on the Declaration – The Lord is Returning – Remember that! Doctrine, what we believe and why. Duty, doctrine in action, living it out. Declaration, soon and very soon we are going to see the King, Hold-fast until then.

Doctrine: Remember Our Great Salvation (1:1 - 2:10)

The Certainty of Our Salvation (1:1-12)

The Calling with Our Salvation (1:13-25)

The Chosen of Salvation (2:1-10)

Duty: Remember Our Example Before Men (2:11 - 4:6)

Honorable Living Before Unbelievers (2:11 - 3:7)

Submission to the Government (2:11-17)

Submission to Masters (2:18 - 25)

Submission in the Family (3:1- 7)

Honorable Living Before Believers (3:8 - 12)

Submission to One Another (3:8 - 12)

Honorable Living in the Midst of Suffering (3:13 - 4:6)

The Principle of Suffering for Righteousness (3:13 - 17)

The Perfection of Suffering for Righteousness (3:18- 22)

The Purpose of Suffering for Righteousness (4:1 - 6)

Declaration: Remember Our Lord Will Return (4:7 - 5:14)

The Responsibility of Christian Living (4:7 - 11)

The Rewards of Christian Suffering (4:12 - 19)

The Requirements for Christian Leadership (5:1 - 4)

The Realization of Christian Victory (5:5 - 14)

Theme

He tells us to remember because of the theme of this book. The theme of this book is given to us in chapter 5:

(1 Peter 5:10 NKJV) But may the God of all grace, who called us to His eternal glory by Christ Jesus, after you have suffered a while, perfect, establish, strengthen, and settle you.

The word suffering is used 16 times, glory 12, and grace 8. Peter unties these 3 words to write a letter of encouragement to those who are struggling and suffering, that their suffering will one day be transformed into glory.

Perfect / Establish / Strengthen / Settled

He writes to us so that we may be:

· Perfect- (mature) which means to mend (what has been broken or rent), to repair, to complete, to fit out, equip, put in order, arrange, adjust, to fit or frame for one’s self, prepare;

· Established– to set fast, confirm one’s mind;

· Strengthen – to make one strong;

· Settle – to lay a foundation.

Building a Body / Favorite

In these verses, God is going to talk about His body, for that is what He is doing, He is building Himself a body:

(Ephesians 1:22 NKJV) And He put all things under His feet, and gave Him to be head over all things to the church,

(Ephesians 1:23 NKJV) which is His body, the fullness of Him who fills all in all.

He builds His body out of those that have given their life to Him, called Him Lord and Savior. He calls those who have, His favorite, for that is what the word “chosen” means, “favorite and elected”.

Outline: The Chosen of Salvation (2:4 - 10)

· The Feeding of the Body (2:1-3)

· The Fitting of the Body (2:4-8)

· The Favoring of the Body (2:9-10)

Prayer

The Word of God is Living and Powerful, and is ready, and will do a mighty work in our lives.

Hebrews 4:12 (NKJV) 12 For the word of God is living and powerful, and sharper than any two-edged sword, piercing even to the division of soul and spirit, and of joints and marrow, and is a discerner of the thoughts and intents of the heart.

In Every Study

· Who Is God? (How Great is He?)

· What Does He Think of Me? (How Wonderful Are His Thoughts Towards Me?)

· What Does He Want Me to Do?

· What Can I Boldly Request of Him?

· What Do I Need to Be on Guard of When I Leave Here Today?

Boldly come to the throne of grace, ask God to reveal Himself in a mighty way to you, and to do I might work in you, and through you.

Hebrews 4:16 (NKJV) 16 Let us therefore come boldly to the throne of grace, that we may obtain mercy and find grace to help in time of need

The Feeding of the Body (2:1-3)

We are told to desire the pure milk of the word to nourish, feed, and strengthen our spiritual bodies. Remember no chapter breaks, and we finished chapter one talking of the power of the enduring word of God. How the power of the word can penetrate and impact our lives everyday, just as powerful as it did the first time we received it and became born again.

(1 Peter 2:1 NKJV) Therefore, laying aside all malice, all deceit, hypocrisy, envy, and all evil speaking,

Lay Aside / Hinders Appetite

Peter warned his readers to “lay aside” (means to rid yourself) certain wrong attitudes of heart that would hinder their appetite and spiritual growth.

· “Malice”- means wickedness in general. Ill willed intentions to others. The dictionary says, “congealed anger”. Congealing is when a liquid turns into a solid. In this case it is anger that hardens over time, it becomes a solid part of us. Anger over time turns into bitterness.

· “Deciet/Guile” - is craftiness, using devious words and actions to get what we want.

· “Hypocrisy” - of course, if we are guilty of malice and guile, we will try to hide it; and this produces “hypocrisies.”

· “Envy”- Often the cause of ill will is envy, which is to be resentful towards others with discontentment.

· “Evil Speaking” – gossip, and one result of envy is evil speaking, conversation that tears the other person down. Remember from the mouth flows the condition of the heart.

Billy Sunday

Billy Sunday, the baseball evangelist and reformer, never spared himself nor those he wanted to help in the vigor of his attacks on sin. He thundered against evil from the Gay Nineties through the Great Depression. He preached Christ as the only answer to man’s needs until his death in 1935.

“I’m against sin,” he said. “I’ll kick it as long as I’ve got a foot, and I’ll fight it as long as I’ve got a fist. I’ll butt it as long as I’ve got a head. I’ll bite it as long as I’ve got a tooth. When I’m old and fistless and footless and toothless, I’ll gum it till I go home to Glory and it goes home to perdition!”

Word Needs Applied – Like the Blood

Verse one, the word of God can and will lay these things aside, but I, we have to choose. They need laid aside the word will outlast these things and eventually bring victory in all these things. But the word like salvation's, a choice to apply or reject as the blood over the door at the first Passover had to be applied for them to be set free. The word over our heart and our mind has to be applied for us to be set free from these things. The word lay aside literally means to take off a garment. It's as though you are stripping something off of yourself.

Evil Speaking needs Evil Ears

There's speaking, but the evil speaker doesn't speak alone. Therefore, there is evil listening. Those who listen to those who speak evil are equally guilty. How do I know if I am listening to gossip and slander? It's real easy. The other person is not there to defend themselves or counter with being spoken. Proverbs 18 says, A matter sounds so sure until the neighbor comes and cross-ex examines. And this is how you know if you're listening to the gossip and slander, and that is that the person that's being spoken of is not there.

Proverbs 18:17 (NKJV) 17 The first one to plead his cause seems right, Until his neighbor comes and examines him.

Proverbs 18:13 (NKJV) 13 He who answers a matter before he hears it, It is folly and shame to him.

Gossiper are Always Wrong – Always in the Flesh / Scary = Galatians 5

I always know the person who gossips and slander are in the wrong because they are going against the word of God, therefore they are in the flesh. And I'll even say they're being fueled and influenced by the devil. It's something scary. And God spends time here because he's building something. He's building a body, but he starts with the things that destroy the body. And therefore, he starts with this list of things which no one wants to say because everyone comes across like they're bringing a prayer request or they're making a statement of how they've been hurt.

But what they do is they have an intent to tear down and destroy. And what's scary is read Galatians chapter five and see where they fall in. It's called the works of the flesh.

Galatians 5:19–21 (NKJV) 19 Now the works of the flesh are evident, which are: adultery, fornication, uncleanness, lewdness, 20 idolatry, sorcery, hatred, contentions, jealousies, outbursts of wrath, selfish ambitions, dissensions, heresies, 21 envy, murders, drunkenness, revelries, and the like; of which I tell you beforehand, just as I also told you in time past, that those who practice such things will not inherit the kingdom of God.

7 Things Lord Hates / Destroying His Body-Bride

Proverbs says, these are the things God hates. And the seventh thing he lists is those who so discord among the brethren because he, they are destroying and dividing God's body because it's not just an attack on an individual, but it's an attack upon God's very body. It's an attack upon his church. It's an attack upon his bride. We should all be fearful to divide God's body and his bride.

Proverbs 6:16–19 (NKJV) 16 These six things the Lord hates, Yes, seven are an abomination to Him: 17 A proud look, A lying tongue, Hands that shed innocent blood, 18 A heart that devises wicked plans, Feet that are swift in running to evil, 19 A false witness who speaks lies, And one who sows discord among brethren.

Desire is to Manipulate

So it's not really hard to determine, am I listening to gossip or slander,

And many times the whole approach is to manipulate a person's choice. And what a manipulation is, it removes the ability to choose. And therefore, a person doesn't have the ability to choose when the other person's not present. And that's what the manipulator wants to do, is to remove the person's ability to say, is this right or is this wrong? And if I go against them, will they be upset with me? And will I lose my friendship with them? God is building a body and anyone that divides is destroying the body of Christ.

Passage is Wonderful – It is Invitation to a Family

Our passage is wonderful and beautiful. It's an invitation to something. It's an invitation to something wonderful. It's an invitation to a family, the family of God.

(1 Peter 2:2 NKJV) as newborn babes, desire the pure milk of the word, that you may grow thereby,

Not a Rebuke – Babies Love Milk

Verse two is not the rebuke that Hebrews says that you should be moving on from being babes and desiring meat, but it's making the analogy that babes love milk. They can't get enough, and they literally cry for it. When they're done with one bottle, they want another, and then when they take a nap, they wake up, they're ready for more. And that's what the picture is. God's saying that's how you should be desiring the word of God.

Hebrews 5:12–14 (NKJV) 12 For though by this time you ought to be teachers, you need someone to teach you again the first principles of the oracles of God; and you have come to need milk and not solid food. 13 For everyone who partakes only of milk is unskilled in the word of righteousness, for he is a babe. 14 But solid food belongs to those who are of full age, that is, those who by reason of use have their senses exercised to discern both good and evil.

Verse 1 is Destroyed by Verse 2 (and vice-versa)

Verse one will destroy verse two, but verse two will destroy verse one. When I see verse one in someone I know, verse two doesn't exist. I don't see a pure spring, but a poisonous spring. I don't see someone who's crying out for more of God and milk. They're not growing. They're stagnant. But when I see someone in verse two, desiring the milk and growing and enjoying the sweetness and the grace of God, verse one will be destroyed. Oh yeah. Verse one will have its moments because we're in this flesh. But verse two, when we take in the milk, it will outlast anything of the flesh and anything of these things, and it'll deliver us into the sweetness that God has for us.

(1 Peter 2:3 NKJV) if indeed you have tasted that the Lord is gracious.

Lost Appetite / Junk Food

Sometimes children have no appetite because they have been eating the wrong things. If the things in verse one are not laid aside, my appetite for the word will diminish. When people start to lose their appetite for the word, it is because sin is in their life. My wife can make me the greatest steak and potato dinner, but if on the way home I stop at the 7/11 and chow a bag of Doritos, I won't have an appetite for the delicious and nutritious meal my wife has prepared me. When Christians are chewing on junk food, it will diminish their appetite for the delicious and nutritious Word. Lay aside the junk of verse one, then you will desire the milk of the word. We must ask the Lord to search our hearts, show us is there something in my heart that has dulled my appetite for the word.

Grace is Sweet

In verse three, talks about grace and the word is sweetness and see the grace and the sweetness makes you hunger for the word because it's so sweet. Grace, race overflow me. Verse three is not an if, but it's a since. And then you can correlate that the Psalm 34, verse eight, oh taste and see, that the Lord is good.

Psalm 34:8 (NKJV) 8 Oh, taste and see that the Lordis good; Blessed is the man who trusts in Him!

Lens of Grace or Lens of Law

When we read the scriptures through the lens of grace, our eyes open to its sweetness. Well, sometimes people read this word through the lens of the law, and therefore they feel themselves being judged and they're reading it through the wrong lens because in it we find God's great grace and the sweetness and what he thinks of us and all that we can ask of him. Sometimes people study it strictly as a doctrine and principal, and it becomes a bunch of rules and it becomes a textbook like a college course. And there's a place, of course, we must study and know our doctrine and theology, but that is to lead us to who God is and what he thinks of us as we come and see his holiness and see the sweetness of his grace and his love. And then we read the word for God who cleanses us and covers us, and also then gives us the ability to overcome and walk away from these things taking us back to the pre-fall condition of the heart, just the sweetness of intimacy and love with God and love with one another when you read these three verses.

The Fitting of the Body (2:4-8)

Let the Word impact you like it first did when you first got saved. God is building Himself a Body, and now we will see he is fitting all of us together to make Himself a body.

(1 Peter 2:4 NKJV) Coming to Him as to a living stone, rejected indeed by men, but chosen by God and precious,

Living Stone

Jesus is first called the living stone; then we are called living stones. We live because we are connected with Him who is the source of life. “It is in union with him that they live, and answer the end of their regeneration; as stones of a building are of no use but as they occupy their proper places in a building, and rest on the foundation.” (Clarke)

We have the Stone described. Peter calls it “a living stone.” The word translated “living” comes from zōē and refers to life in all of its forms, from the life of God Himself down to the life of the most insignificant thing. It refers to active life, life as the opposite of death. The word is used for both resurrection life and eternal life. Here, Christ is Himself the Living Stone (Phillips)

When David Livingstone, that greatest of all missionaries, died alone in the heart of Africa, his native porters found him kneeling beside his bed. They cut out his heart and buried it in his beloved Africa. Then they took his body and handed it over to the British authorities. It was transported back to England and laid to rest in Westminster Abbey amid the mourning nation. A brass plate in the floor marks the spot, and a text tells the tale: “Other sheep have I which are not of this fold, them also I must bring.” Such was his noble epitaph. However, he had another one. One of Britain’s periodicals said it best. Across its front page in banner headlines, it carried the legend:

Granite may crumble

But this is LIVINGSTONE!

Such was the missionary. Such is the Master. (Phillips)

Precious

The word “chosen” is not a verb in the Greek text but a noun, literally “a chosen-out one,” thus “elect.” “Precious” is the translation of a Greek word used in Luke 7:2, describing the centurion’s servant as “dear” to him. The word speaks of one being held in honor and as dear to another. “Of God” is literally “in the sight of God.” (Wuest),

(1 Peter 2:5 NKJV) 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.

Church is Not a Building / Body is Living Stones / Like Grounds – Fragrance

Peter says not only are we children in the same family (chp 1), but we are stones in the same building. The building isn’t the church—the body is! We are the living stones. People like to be on the church grounds, hanging out together. I like to be there, too. Why? It’s not because the grounds are anything special. It’s because the fragrance of the church is left behind. These buildings are nothing more than buildings. But because the church is here worshiping and praying, studying and fellowshipping with the Lord, the environment is filled with the fragrance of Jesus.

God Building Body / Eph

God is building Himself a body:

(Ephesians 1:22 NKJV) And He put all things under His feet, and gave Him to be head over all things to the church,

(Ephesians 1:23 NKJV) which is His body, the fullness of Him who fills all in all.

(Matthew 16:18 NKJV) "And I also say to you that you are Peter, and on this rock I will build My church, and the gates of Hades shall not prevail against it.

The Spiritual House / 1 Kings 6

Verse 5 - are being built up a spiritual house: That we are living stones who are being built up, or fit together, as a spiritual house brings to mind a most interesting Scripture in 1 Kings 6:7:

(1 Kings 6:7 NKJV) And the temple, when it was being built, was built with stone finished at the quarry, so that no hammer or chisel or any iron tool was heard in the temple while it was being built.

Hammering Done Away from Temple / Then Brought & Fit

When Solomon’s temple was being constructed, all of the chiseling, hammering, cutting, and chipping was done underneath the old city of Jerusalem. When the stones were taken to the temple mount, they could be fit together in silence. We’re living stones being fit together for an eternal temple in heaven:

(1 Corinthians 6:19 NKJV) 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?

Stones Quarried Under the Cross / Each Time Someone Believes

Interestingly the stones for the temple were cut out from Mount Moriah. From Herod's gate to the Damascus gate, right up a hill called Golgotha, the Place of Skulls, what we call Calvary. The Christ was crucified on the top of this Mount, right above where all the stones were cut out to build the Temple. The stones were quarried underneath the place of the cross. Believers are living stones in His building. Each time someone trusts Christ, another stone is quarried out of the pit of sin and cemented by grace into the building. It may look to us that the church on earth is a pile of rubble and ruins, but God sees the total structure as it grows (Eph. 2:19-22).

All The Hammering / This Life the Quarry – Why we are Chipped / Why Next to Him/Her

So, all of the chiseling, hammering, cutting, and chipping was done underneath the old city of Jerusalem. When the stones were taken to the temple mount, they could be fit together in silence. This life is the quarry, which explains why we always feel like we’re being chipped and chiseled. “Why am I next to this hard-headed person?” you ask, or, “Why are they part of the family?”

Why? / Rubbing & Knocking / God Knows who Will Smooth You / Can’t Pick Family

You know why? As living stones, we constantly rub against one another, knocking rough edges off one another in the process. You see, God puts us right next to the very people He knows will smooth us down so He can build us up into a temple for His glory. You know what, we can pick our friends, but we can’t pick our family, and we are.

The Problem / Get Away / Fixes to Fix Us / Don’t try to Fix the Fix / Embrace It

The problem is, I try to get away from the person I’m rubbing against. But because God puts us in fixes to fix us, He puts us with people and in situations He knows will shape us most effectively. So if I try to fix the fix God put me in, He will be faithful to put me in another fix to fix the fix He wanted to fix in the first place! If we don’t learn this, we’ll go from fix to fix until finally we say, “Okay, Lord. I’m not going to try to fix this, or wiggle out of that, but I’m going to embrace and accept where You have me because I know You’re doing a work on me, shaping me for eternity.”

How Know if Have Malice

How do you know if you have malice or envy this bitterness towards someone? It's real easy. And if we're real honest, when we think of their name, they come across us. Something just turns inside of us that isn't beautiful, that isn't sweet. That's when we can recognize something's not right in us of how we feel towards them. And thus, we need to come before the Lord to recognize and say, Lord, I need this agape love and only you can do something about this in me.

We can Be Cruising – Then Lord Stirs

And you know, we can be cruising in life. We can think we've reached the point. It's any of these things, whether it's that feeling towards someone or whether it's financial security and or insecurity, whether it's a lust or something that draws the flesh. And we can be cruising for years and think that we've overcome and feel that we've arrived into a place of maturity. And then the Lord allows it to stir whatever that may be so that we can look inside our heart and we can see, oh, far be it how far I am from this complete victory, this complete triumph over this thing.

Cod Fish vs. Catfish / Frozen – Soft / Throw Some Catfish In – Across the Country / Sold Premium

Several years ago on the East Coast, cod fisherman began to experience a real demand for their product and they began to ship frozen cod all over the country. They discovered one draw back however; in the freezing process, the cod lost their flavor. To remedy the situation, the fisherman shipped their cod live in salt-water tanks to be processed once they reached their destination. Well the fish got their ok, but because they were sitting in these tanks, they became spongy and soft. For several years the fisherman didn’t know what to do. Then someone had a brilliant idea: Ship the fish in the saltwater tank, but throw in some catfish - the natural enemy of the codfish. They tried it. The catfish chased the codfish all around the tank as they traveled across the country, and when they arrived, those that made it alive were flavorful and sold at premium price.

Catfish Necessary Keep Cod Moving / Catfish in Our Life

The catfish were necessary to keep the codfish moving, there-by enhancing their texture and flavor. God says the same to us, since I want the best for you both now and in eternity, I will allow an occasional catfish to come into your tank and chase you around for a little while. Otherwise you will just sit around and get soft.

The Marvelous Temple – It Glistens Like Gold / Not One Stone Identical

And the Lord allows these things to come back around so that we can see in our heart what needs to be dealt with in our heart so that we can continually be chiseled, informed, and fashioned into the image of Christ.

This temple and what Peter is writing of, you say the word temple, it immediately takes you to the temple of Jerusalem. That's just plain fact. And the temple in Jerusalem was marvelous. It was magnificent, it was glorious. Even the remnants that we see close to 4,000 years later, we see even the remnants, the beauty of it as you look at western wall of that temple,

But it's amazing when you look at these stones, some of them forming the wall, some of them, the remnant that were toppled and still there from when Rome sacked and destroyed Jerusalem. When you look at those stones, not one stone is identical because they were all hand chiseled. And yet when you look at the wailing wall, you see how perfectly they fit together. And amazingly, when you look at that Western wall, also known as the Wailing Wall, the reason it's called the wailing wall is because the Jewish people wail at that wall because their temple no longer stands. And sadly because they miss that the new temple is being built, they're invited to it, and it's the temple of the Living God fit together with all of us who've received Jesus as savior, fitted and joined perfectly together. And that's the beauty of that wall. When you look at it today, that wall hasn't moved a quarter inch in 4,000 years. What was laid and the direction that was given by David that was past the Solomon, it stands in that perfection together and is unmoved. It is quite a sight to see. You really can't even put a knife blade between the stones.

God Building Something Greater

And then there's just something beautiful about it. When you watch that sun hit that wall, it literally listens like gold. It's beautiful. And there's nothing like it. Jerusalem, the holy city, just beautiful, nothing like it.

And God's building something even greater. And when the Son of God shines upon this temple, it listens and it invites, it declares. There's nothing like it in the whole world, in the whole universe. And every last one of us have a piece in this temple. Did you hear that? Every last one of us have a piece in this temple. And anyone ever tells you that you don't fit, you reject that. That's a lie from their flesh, from the world and the pit of hell itself. Because God's fitting and building a beautiful temple that he inhabits and it's all for his glory.

Every Last One of Us – Fit Together

And every last one of us have a place in it and are a peace and part of it. And he counted us worthy to be redeemed. And then as we walk this earth chiseled so that we fit perfectly into this beautiful temple that he's building called his church, called His bride. He's giving physical descriptions of something spiritual, but something that all of us can relate to and understand and see. It's a beautiful picture.

You fit and you fit perfectly.

(1 Peter 2:5 NKJV) 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.

Spiritual Sacrifice – Offering (Here I am Lord)

These sacrifices we talk about here are not as we would deem them in our culture of I'm doing something that cost me something. No, it's completely different. This sacrifice is an offering. It's an offering of love. It's an offering of thanksgiving. It's an offering of and to someone, something that's greater. And it's our Lord and Savior, your Jesus Christ. I'm offering myself to you. I'm offering my praise to you because you're worthy. I'm offering to put away these things because I want to get as close to you as I possibly can. Totally different word for sacrifice here. It's an offering. And you get the opportunity today to make an offering to the Lord. Here I am. Here's my heart. Take it, seal it in the courts above. Lord, here's my heart, because I considered you worth giving you my heart. I love you. I praise you for what you've done for me.

And my only response is to say, here I am. Please take me as the greatest love offering that I can give.

Romans 12:1–2 (NKJV) 1 I beseech you therefore, brethren, by the mercies of God, that you present your bodies a living sacrifice, holy, acceptable to God, which is your reasonable service. 2 And do not be conformed to this world, but be transformed by the renewing of your mind, that you may prove what is that good and acceptable and perfect will of God.

We Don’t Bring Animal / Bodies – Lips – Good Works – Money – Soul Winning

Christians today do not bring animal sacrifices as did the Old Testament worshipers; but we do have our own sacrifices to present to God.

We ought to give “our bodies” to Him as living sacrifices (Rom. 12:1-2):

(Romans 12:1 NKJV) I beseech you therefore, brethren, by the mercies of God, that you present your bodies a living sacrifice, holy, acceptable to God, which is your reasonable service.

(Romans 12:2 NKJV) And do not be conformed to this world, but be transformed by the renewing of your mind, that you may prove what is that good and acceptable and perfect will of God.

As well as the praise of “our lips” (Heb. 13:15)

(Hebrews 13:15 NKJV) Therefore by Him let us continually offer the sacrifice of praise to God, that is, the fruit of our lips, giving thanks to His name.

The “good works” we do for others (Heb. 13:16).

(Hebrews 13:16 NKJV) But do not forget to do good and to share, for with such sacrifices God is well pleased.

The money/material things we share with others in God’s service is a spiritual sacrifice (Phil. 4:10-20).

(Philippians 4:16 NKJV) For even in Thessalonica you sent aid once and again for my necessities.

(Philippians 4:17 NKJV) Not that I seek the gift, but I seek the fruit that abounds to your account.

(Philippians 4:18 NKJV) Indeed I have all and abound. I am full, having received from Epaphroditus the things sent from you, a sweet-smelling aroma, an acceptable sacrifice, well pleasing to God.

Even the “people we win to Christ” are sacrifices for His glory (Rom. 15:16).

(Romans 15:16 NKJV) that I might be a minister of Jesus Christ to the Gentiles, ministering the gospel of God, that the offeringof the Gentiles might be acceptable, sanctified by the Holy Spirit.

We offer these sacrifices through Jesus Christ, for only then are they acceptable with God. If we do any of this for our own pleasure or glory, then it will not be accepted as a spiritual sacrifice. Jesus, Our High priest, came to suffer, to be rejected (the stone that was rejected), so that we might have eternal life. Yet for some reason we so often think I came into the world to be happy, and to have things my way.

Young Man in Nepal – Reach the Unreach

I met a young man in Nepal. He said his heart was to go to the remote villages because there people still have yet to hear the gospel of Jesus Christ. And we find that hard to believe with all the internet and social media,

But he testifies that it's true and it's become his mission.

And what moved me so greatly was that he spoke of a missionary from America who spent 15 years there raising him because he had no family and he was brought into this home, rescued from the streets, rescued from abuse, and he would say to me, she gave the best 15 years of her life so that I might have this life. Could I do anything less than do the same and go and give my life to Christ like she sacrificed for me as an offering. So therefore I will go and do what she did for me to these people so that they can have what I have. This relationship with Christ. It's a beautiful story.

(1 Peter 2:6 NKJV) 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."

Quoting:

Isaiah 28:16–17 (NKJV) 16 Therefore thus says the Lord God: “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. 17 Also I will make justice the measuring line, And righteousness the plummet; The hail will sweep away the refuge of lies, And the waters will overflow the hiding place.

Never Put to Shame

Verse six shall not be put to shame. Now that's good news, isn't it? There is no shame and I'll never be put to shame and, and I praise the Lord when I show up in heaven. I'm coming before a father, not a judge. I'm not coming in my own righteousness, but his righteousness and I can be received.

Peter Great Handle on the Scriptures

Here, Peter quotes Isaiah, we've watched multiple quotations of Peter, this fisherman, and it goes back to Peter learning the scriptures, absorbing the scriptures, taking the scriptures into his heart. And we see two reasons why. First in Acts four, because we see Peter had been with Jesus. Peter spent time with the Lord. And I don't mean this as his three years of discipleship. I mean his 30 years now in this writing, three years with Jesus as he walked the earth with Jesus, and 30 years of walking with Jesus in the Spirit, seeking him and calling him. And Peter's magnificent handling of the scriptures are because what he just said in verse three, desire the pure milk of the word. There was something in Peter that continually desired the milk of the word, that he continually hungered for it and desired for it. And it was always in his appetite for more of it. And thus here he is studying the scripture's, old Testament, applying them into the new life and the application of the life. And we get the double blessing in our hands, the Old Testament that foreshadowed and foretold of Jesus. Then we get the New Testament that looks back at all the fulfillments of Jesus. We should be studying them both. And here's just a challenge for myself, and I think it applies to you too.

We should be yearly, monthly, monthly advancing in our knowledge of the scriptures. If we were stumped two years ago by someone's question, we should have went, researched it and been ready to give an answer as Peter tells us to be ready to give an answer of what we believe and why. It's why it's imperative that we study as we do, not just here on Sunday, but all the other ministry opportunities. It's why we need to continually crave the milk of the word. And it's why we need to continually seek the Lord in spirit and truth, so the like Peter, we can continually be growing in the knowledge of the Lord.

Confounded – Straightened Out

Verse six, the word shame also means confounded. And you know, I find I can be all twisted up, confounded, scattered, but when I come back to the word of God and put my trust in the word of God, all of a sudden I find peace. I'm no longer scattered. I'm no longer confounded. I just come into a peace because of the word of God. And that's where we need to go when we feel confounded, not to people, not to, what's the survey on social media? We need to go to the word of God, which is then going to God. And he will straighten all these things out and he will bring us into a peace. And it will be a peace that will settle us. And it will be a peace that passes understanding. And I can attest to it so many times. I must say. So many times when I've come to the Lord by faith, this word just settles me down, straightens me out, and I get up and I can face whatever it is that seemed so insurmountable or challenging before me.

We Must Build Off the Cornerstone

And here's just the fact for anyone, if you don't build everything off of this foundation, stone, the cornerstone of Jesus Christ, nothing is gonna come together in your life and nothing will be solid. And sure in your life, you cannot separate Jesus Christ, the cornerstone from the other building of your life.

· The cornerstone needs to be the cornerstone of your marriage.

· The cornerstone Jesus Christ needs to be the cornerstone of your ministry.

· The cornerstone Jesus Christ needs to be the cornerstone of your family upbringing with your children.

· The cornerstone needs to be the cornerstone of your personal holiness.

And if we try to build any of those things off anything other than the cornerstone, the building's not gonna stand. And the building will crumble when the storms arise and they show.

(1 Peter 2:7 NKJV) 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,"

Quoting:

Psalm 118:22 (NKJV) 22 The stone which the builders rejected Has become the chief cornerstone.

Peter Building Off Jesus’ Teaching

Peter is building off of what he heard Jesus say to the religious leaders. Have you not heard the chief cornerstone rejected? Well, Peter will also build off of this when he preaches in Acts, that first sermon, he comes back to this. So we have an Old Testament thread. We have the Book of Acts thread, and now we have an epistle thread that weaves all these together of Jesus being the chief cornerstone. And so this word still resonates today for the Jews today. The message is still being preached to them. The chief cornerstone, you missed and rejected, but there's still opportunity to be received by him if you repent and turn today.

Matthew 21:41–42 (NKJV) 41 They said to Him, “He will destroy those wicked men miserably, and lease his vineyard to other vinedressers who will render to him the fruits in their seasons.” 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 Lord’s doing, And it is marvelous in our eyes’?

Acts 4:8–12 (NKJV) 8 Then Peter, filled with the Holy Spirit, said to them, “Rulers of the people and elders of Israel: 9 If we this day are judged for a good deed done to a helpless man, by what means he has been made well, 10 let it be known to you all, and to all the people of Israel, that by the name of Jesus Christ of Nazareth, whom you crucified, whom God raised from the dead, by Him this man stands here before you whole. 11 This is the ‘stone which was rejected by you builders, which has become the chief cornerstone.’ 12 Nor is there salvation in any other, for there is no other name under heaven given among men by which we must be saved.”

Tradition of Rejection / Thrown Kidron Valley / Builders Confused – Doesn’t Fit Anywhere

According to tradition, during the construction of Solomon’s temple, work went smoothly until the builders were unable to locate the cornerstone. Word was sent to send the missing stone up to the temple mount.

“We sent that stone a long time ago,” the quarriers replied. The builders were confused until one of them remembered a perfectly cut stone that was tossed over the gully into the Kidron Valley because no one knew what to do with it.

Places in Scripture

The rejected cornerstone is a biblical allusion that shows up again and again throughout Scripture:

(Isaiah 28:16–18; Psalm 118:22; Acts 4:11).

(1 Peter 2:8 NKJV) and "A stone of stumbling And a rock of offense." They stumble, being disobedient to the word, to which they also were appointed.

Quoting

Isaiah 8:14 (NKJV) 14 He will be as a sanctuary, But a stone of stumbling and a rock of offense To both the houses of Israel, As a trap and a snare to the inhabitants of Jerusalem.

3 Rocks

Notice three rocks.

1. Chief Cornerstone – v.6-7

2. Stone of stumbling – v.8

3. Rock of offense – v.8

Rock of Offense – to the Jews, Jesus was an offense to them, and thus they turned Hm over to be killed.

The stumbling rock. And that stumbles religious people. They don't understand how all their religious efforts can be of not when it's as simple as coming by faith and asking the Lord for the forgiveness of sin. And that's hard for the religious person that we receive by faith, not by works. New paragraph.

And so many stumble that it's that easy, they want to do works. But the Bible says the works are filthy rags. Ephesians two tells us it's by grace, which is God's riches at Christ expense that he paid there upon the cross, not of works, least any man should boast. That's why there cannot be works because God will not be a debtor to anyone. He is God. So it comes down to faith and that a person is believes by faith, puts their trust in one thing and one thing only. Jesus Christ and Him crucified. That's what it comes down to. And people are stumbled by that because they want to do works. And that's why so many people stumble on this. You must be born again. They say, I'm saved, but I don't buy into this born again thing. If you don't, then you're probably not saved.

Because you have to be born into the family of God. No one joins the family of God like joining a church. You have to be born into it. And you're born into it by the birth of God, God, through the spirit of God, through the faith that you have, that Jesus Christ has provided the way for you to be born into the family. And here we are in our context that we look at. We're talking about a family, we're part of a family, and we're being built and knit together as a family.

God doesn't want you to be a member of the church. He wants you to be one of his kids in his family, but

For others, he's the solid foundation. He is the cornerstone. And we built our whole life off of him. Not our works, not anything that we think we can do. Everything is built off of who he is and what he's done. And when you can build your life off of that foundation of who he is and what he's done, what he thinks of us, then we can do anything. There's nothing that can stop us. There's nothing that can keep us from coming in and being formed into his image. And anything that we can overcome, everything will overcome because of who he is and what he's done. Because we lay that foundation and build off the cornerstone. We measure our lives according to him, not ourselves. And that will is what will change everything. And then when we know we're part of a family, then we do it together and we can help each other get there together and then we can change the world

The Rest of the Building in Accordance with Cornerstone / Measure Off Of

It says that Jesus is the chief cornerstone and therefore all the rest of the building is to be measured off of that cornerstone. It's to be fitted off of that cornerstone. It is literally to be in accordance with that cornerstone. And so our personal morality and in integrity and wholesomeness, it must be in alignment with the cornerstone Jesus Christ. Not in a cornerstone of the world and the foundation that the world lays, but in accordance to the chief cornerstone. And so I have to ask myself, how am I doing? How do I measure and fit in accordance to my chief cornerstone? And what it should be is my aim to be like him. That when the people look at the building, they see my brick in the building fits what the cornerstone modeled.

And that's my heart's desire.

I want to be like my chief cornerstone. And how is that? Then I read this blueprint, this word, and by the spirit of God, I ask to be conformed and fashioned and chiseled into the cornerstone image and model.

What a high calling. What a beautiful calling. What a glorious calling. What a purpose to live for. And I give thanks to Lord. I have reason to live now. I'm not aimless, wondering and meandering through the world. I have a purpose. God's given me a purpose.

I remember at the age of 27 looking into the mirror and looking into the bottom of the depths of my soul and my heart. And all I saw was emptiness. Even though I had all that the world would say was to be had, but I knew something was empty and something was missing in my life. Yes, I was aimless, hoping to find a way, but praise God through his spirit revealed you're aimless because you're empty. And then the living God revealed himself to me. And then I came with a purpose to live for and haven't looked back since in 32 years.

Everything in my life, he is the measure and I'm to measure off of him. Hey Christian, just dwell on that for a while. Everything, parenting, marriage, ministry, witness everything. He's the measure.

Michelangelo

The story is told that the great sculptor Michelangelo came across a discarded piece of marble. It had been ruined by some other sculptor and still bore the marks of that persons incompetence. It lay rejected and forlorn, ruined and unwanted in a yard. Michelangelo looked it over and saw his David in it. He purchased it and turned it into one of his masterpieces.

Phillips, J. (2009). Exploring the Epistles of Peter: An Expository Commentary (1 Pe 2:4). Kregel Publications; WORDsearch Corp.

And so what the Lord is doing with you and I.

The Favoring of the Body (2:9-10)

God has a favorite, its true, and it is you.

(1 Peter 2:9 NKJV) 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;

(1 Peter 2:10 NKJV) who once were not a people but are now the people of God, who had not obtained mercy but now have obtained mercy.

But you are a chosen generation,

Chosen / Favorite / Dwell on That

Verse 9 - But you are a chosen generation: Chosen - eklektos, ek-lek-tos'; from G1586; select; by implication of favorite:--chosen, elect. You are a favorite of God. We all need to know this. You mean God, me, with all my failings and faults, yet you call me your favorite – God says yep, my favorite. Think about that for a moment sometime, I am God’s, the Creator of the Universe, I am His favorite. Amazing, no matter what you are going through or where you have been, he says, “you are my favorite”.

Back to:

(1 Peter 1:2 NKJV) elect according to the foreknowledge of God the Father, in sanctification of the Spirit, for obedience and sprinkling of the blood of Jesus Christ: Grace to you and peace be multiplied.

Chosen Race

Verse nine. You are a chosen generation. The word there is race. We are a race of people. Everybody talks about race. Everybody wants to divide over race. And sadly, here's the race that we're called that we should all

Be part of that. We should all be one. And it must be, especially among the family of God, we're one race regardless of color, regardless of gender, regardless of country. We're one race. We're the race of God's chosen children.

a royal priesthood,

Priests / Come Into His Presence

a royal priesthood: Not only are we children in the same family and stones in the same building, but we are priests in the same temple. We are a “holy priesthood” and a “royal priesthood In the Old Testament God’s people had a priesthood; but today, God’s people are a priesthood. Each individual believer has the privilege of coming into the presence of God (Heb. 10:19-25). We do not come to God through any person on earth, but only through the one Mediator, Jesus Christ (1 Tim. 2:1-8).

Live as Priests of the Temple

Because He is alive in glory, interceding for us, we can minister as holy priests. This means that our lives should be lived as though we were priests in a temple.

We're part of a royal priesthood because our father is the king. Moses and Aaron, their priesthood was through a lineage of Levi. Our priesthood is through the lineage of Jesus Christ. Therefore, our priesthood is through the lineage of Melchizedek. Takes us all the way back to the book of Hebrews.

Hebrews 7:11–17 (NKJV) 11 Therefore, if perfection were through the Levitical priesthood (for under it the people received the law), what further need was there that another priest should rise according to the order of Melchizedek, and not be called according to the order of Aaron? 12 For the priesthood being changed, of necessity there is also a change of the law. 13 For He of whom these things are spoken belongs to another tribe, from which no man has officiated at the altar. 14 For it is evident that our Lord arose from Judah, of which tribe Moses spoke nothing concerning priesthood. 15 And it is yet far more evident if, in the likeness of Melchizedek, there arises another priest 16 who has come, not according to the law of a fleshly commandment, but according to the power of an endless life. 17 For He testifies: “You are a priest forever According to the order of Melchizedek.”

a holy nation

Holy Nation / Scattered – Disconnected / Pride in Nation / Palm of God’s Hand

Verse 9 - a holy nation: As children of the same family, stones in the same building, priests in the same temple, we are also citizens of the same nation.

Peter wrote this letter to believers living in five different provinces, yet he said that they all belonged to one “spiritual house.” What beautiful words these must have been to people that are scattered abroad. The Jewish people took such pride in their nation, and now they are scattered, but Peter reminds them, God still has you in the palm of His hand, no matter where your mail is being delivered. This is waters of refreshing to these people scattered abroad. God says to you, you may think you are scattered, disconnected from being a nation, but I am making a whole new nation, and you are it. Believers are living stones in His building. Each time someone trusts Christ, another stone is quarried out of the pit of sin and cemented by grace into the building. It may look to us that the church on earth is a pile of rubble and ruins, but God sees the total structure as it grows (Eph. 2:19-22).

The description of the church in these verses here in 2:9-10 parallels God’s description of Israel, in Exodus 19:5-6 and Deuteronomy 7:6. They would put two and two together, and say Lord you are awesome, you bless me Lord, and I am yours forever:

(Exodus 19:5 NKJV) 'Now therefore, if you will indeed obey My voice and keep My covenant, then you shall be a special treasure to Me above all people; for all the earth is Mine.

(Exodus 19:6 NKJV) 'And you shall be to Me a kingdom of priests and a holy nation.' These are the words which you shall speak to the children of Israel."

(Deuteronomy 7:6 NKJV) "For you are a holy people to the LORD your God; the LORD your God has chosen you to be a people for Himself, a special treasure above all the peoples on the face of the earth.

(Deuteronomy 7:7 NKJV) "The LORD did not set His love on you nor choose you because you were more in number than any other people, for you were the least of all peoples;

(Deuteronomy 7:8 NKJV) "but because the LORD loves you, and because He would keep the oath which He swore to your fathers, the LORD has brought you out with a mighty hand, and redeemed you from the house of bondage, from the hand of Pharaoh king of Egypt.

We are a chosen generation, which immediately speaks of the grace of God. God did not choose Israel because they were a great people, but because He loved them (Deut. 7:7-8). God has chosen us purely because of His love and grace. “You did not choose Me, but I chose you” (John 15:16, niv).

We are a holy nation. We have been set apart to belong exclusively to God. Our citizenship is in heaven:

(Philippians 3:20 NKJV) For our citizenship is in heaven, from which we also eagerly wait for the Savior, the Lord Jesus Christ,

We are the people of God. In our unsaved condition, we were not God’s people, because we belonged to Satan and the world (Eph. 2:1-3, 11-19). Now that we have trusted Christ, we are a part of God’s people. We are a “people of His own special possession,” because He purchased us with the blood of His own Son:

(1 Peter 1:18 NKJV) knowing that you were not redeemed with corruptible things, like silver or gold, from your aimless conduct received by tradition from your fathers,

(1 Peter 1:19 NKJV) but with the precious blood of Christ, as of a lamb without blemish and without spot.

Each time someone trusts Christ, another stone is quarried out of the pit of sin and cemented by grace into the building. It may look to us that the church on earth is a pile of rubble and ruins, but God sees the total structure as it grows (Eph. 2:19-22).

We are a holy nation. The word means uncommon, unique, and we are an uncommon nation, especially when you compare it to the nations of the world. We are a nation of God. We're one nation under God, the true one nation under God. What a calling, what a privilege. And therefore, what a citizenship that we need to live and represent as citizens of this great nation of Jesus Christ.

His own special people,

A special people, the word here in the Greek meant to make a point, a dot and then draw a circle around it. And what a beautiful picture word picture that's being spoken of is that we're the center of God's of his eye. We're in the circle of his love and his attentive care onto us.

Special People / Favorite / Valued Property / A Treasure

Verse 9 - His own special people (a peculiar people KJV), Not weird people, but special. How special to God, He would call you His bride (see Genesis 24 study).

Special - [câgullah /seg·ool·law/] meaning, possession, property. A valued property, peculiar treasure. Treasure:

(Matthew 13:44 NKJV) "Again, the kingdom of heaven is like treasure hidden in a field, which a man found and hid; and for joy over it he goes and sells all that he has and buys that field.

(Matthew 13:45 NKJV) "Again, the kingdom of heaven is like a merchant seeking beautiful pearls,

(Matthew 13:46 NKJV) "who, when he had found one pearl of great price, went and sold all that he had and bought it.

We are a valued purchased property, and He keeps His eyes upon us, for He favors us, He calls us His favorite:

(Deuteronomy 32:9 KJV) For the LORD'S portion is his people; Jacob is the lot of his inheritance.

(Deuteronomy 32:10 KJV) He found him in a desert land, and in the waste howling wilderness; he led him about, he instructed him, he kept him as the apple of his eye.

that you may proclaim the praises of Him who called you out of darkness into His marvelous light;

(1 Peter 2:10 NKJV) who once were not a people but are now the people of God, who had not obtained mercy but now have obtained mercy

Much Is given Much Required / I See the Light

All of these privileges carry with them one big responsibility: revealing the praises of God to a lost world:

(Luke 12:48 NKJV) …………………. For everyone to whom much is given, from him much will be required; and to whom much has been committed, of him they will ask the more.

The verb translated “proclaim” means “to tell out, to advertise.” Because the world is “in the dark,” people do not know the “excellencies” of God; but they should see them in our lives. Each citizen of heaven is a living “advertisement” for the virtues of God and the blessings of the Christian life. Our lives should radiate the “marvelous light” into which God has graciously called us. When a rooster crows in the morning, all he is really saying is, I see the light, I see the light.

(1 Peter 2:10 NKJV) who once were not a people but are now the people of God, who had not obtained mercy but now have obtained mercy

After all, we have obtained mercy from God! Were it not for His mercy, we would be lost and on the way to eternal judgment! God reminded Israel many times that He had delivered them from the bondage of Egypt that they might glorify and serve Him, but the nation soon forgot and the people drifted back into their sinful ways. We are God’s chosen people only because of His mercy, and it behooves us to be faithful to Him.

Conclusion

And God calls His own. He calls you today. It doesn’t matter who you are or to which race you belong. Jesus is calling to you to be His own. He wants you to join a chosen generation and a royal priesthood, he is not inviting you to wear robes or recite rituals but to join a priesthood that has access to God. He is asking you to belong to a new nation, not Germany, USA, or England. He asks you to belong to that great company of believers out of every nation. What a wonderful position we have in Christ. Remember the Calling of Our Salvation.

Outline: The Chosen of Salvation (2:4 - 10)

· The Feeding of the Body (2:1-3)

· The Fitting of the Body (2:4-8)

· The Favoring of the Body (2:9-10)

Prayer

The Word of God is Living and Powerful, and is ready, and will do a mighty work in our lives.

Hebrews 4:12 (NKJV) 12 For the word of God is living and powerful, and sharper than any two-edged sword, piercing even to the division of soul and spirit, and of joints and marrow, and is a discerner of the thoughts and intents of the heart.

In Every Study

· Who Is God? (How Great is He?)

· What Does He Think of Me? (How Wonderful Are His Thoughts Towards Me?)

· What Does He Want Me to Do?

· What Can I Boldly Request of Him?

· What Do I Need to Be on Guard of When I Leave Here Today?

Boldly come to the throne of grace, ask God to reveal Himself in a mighty way to you, and to do I might work in you, and through you.

Hebrews 4:16 (NKJV) 16 Let us therefore come boldly to the throne of grace, that we may obtain mercy and find grace to help in time of need