1 Peter 2:1-10 Sermon (Short Version)

1 Peter 2:10 ESV

Once you were not a people, but now you are God’s people; once you had not received mercy, but now you have received mercy.

We are currently in a crisis of identity. In Western culture, people are seeking something to place their hope and trust in. Many turn to politics, demographics, education, or philosophies, hoping that these will provide fulfillment. But are these identities working? Are they providing the hope and the purpose in people’s lives that people desperately need? The suicide rate is rising, depression is becoming more prevalent, and a sense of hopelessness is spreading worldwide. While there are various factors contributing to these issues, it’s hard to deny that the search for identity plays a significant role.

Consider the questions now permeating our culture: What is your sexual identity? What is your gender identity? What is your racial identity? What is your political identity? These questions reveal the deep human need for a sense of identity. People are striving to place their identity in anything, but what happens when these things fail to provide the fulfillment we long for?

I believe this is one of the questions Peter’s audience is grappling with in 1 Peter 2:1-10. In the previous section, Peter urges them to prepare their minds for action, to remain sober in spirit, and to fix their hope completely on the grace that will be revealed in Jesus Christ. Then, in 1 Peter 2:1-5, he writes:

“Therefore, putting aside all malice and all deceit and hypocrisy and envy and all slander, like newborn babies, long for the pure milk of the word, so that by it you may grow in respect to salvation, if you have tasted the kindness of the Lord. And coming to Him as to a living stone which has been rejected by men, but is choice and precious in the sight of God, you also, as living stones, are being built up as a spiritual house for a holy priesthood, to offer up spiritual sacrifices acceptable to God through Jesus Christ.”

Peter’s audience was rejected by the world around them. Christianity was a counter-cultural movement that seemed strange to those in power, and its followers were viewed with suspicion and hostility. The identity that many people had placed in the culture was suddenly being ripped away, and they were faced with a choice: either return to the culture or place their identity in something new.

Imagine being a first-century Christian in this situation. You have converted to Christianity, perhaps because it brought you a sense of fulfillment that you hadn’t experienced before. But after your conversion, everything changes. Your family cuts ties with you. Your friends avoid you because they fear what you’ve become. People you once admired now call you a fool. You feel isolated and lonely. You begin to question whether it’s worth it to stay with this strange new group, or if you should go back to the life you knew before.

What does Peter say to encourage you? First, he urges you not to return to the culture’s wickedness. He writes in verses 1-3:

“Putting aside all malice and all deceit and hypocrisy and envy and all slander, like newborn babies, long for the pure milk of the word, so that by it you may grow in respect to salvation, if you have tasted the kindness of the Lord.”

Peter’s advice begins with abandonment—abandoning the cultural identity shaped by malice, deceit, hypocrisy, envy, and slander. The culture does not resist these vices; it embraces them. As a Christian, you cannot continue to identify with a culture that rejects you and your new identity in Christ. Imitating the culture won’t make things better. In fact, it will only make you indistinguishable from the very culture that rejected you.

Peter is calling Christians to be distinct, to embrace something higher. You are not meant to be like the culture, but to live in a way that reflects a new identity in Christ.

In verses 4-6, Peter continues:

“And coming to Him as to a living stone which has been rejected by men, but is choice and precious in the sight of God, you also, as living stones, are being built up as a spiritual house for a holy priesthood, to offer up spiritual sacrifices acceptable to God through Jesus Christ. For this is contained in scripture: ‘Behold, I Lay in Zion a choice stone, a precious corner stone, and he who believes in Him will not be disappointed.’”

Peter reminds his audience that they are rejected by the world but valued by God. While the world may disregard them, they are being built into something far greater—a spiritual house, a holy priesthood, offering spiritual sacrifices to God. Their identity is not grounded in the fleeting things of the world but in the eternal and unshakable foundation of Christ.

This identity in Christ offers the security and fulfillment that worldly identities cannot. Identities rooted in politics or cultural norms may address certain longings, but they cannot fill the infinite void within us. These identities are finite and ultimately leave us longing for more. Peter emphasizes in verses 7-8:

“This precious value, then, is for you who believe; but for those who disbelieve, ‘The stone which the builders rejected, this became the very cornerstone, And, A stone of stumbling and a rock of offense.’ For they stumble because they are disobedient to the word, and to this doom they were also appointed.”

Christ is the cornerstone—the foundation for those who believe. But for those who reject Him, He becomes a stumbling block. When people refuse to accept the fulfillment found in Christ, they remain lost in their search for identity.

Peter’s encouragement is clear: even though the world may reject you, you have an identity in Christ that is both eternal and fulfilling. This new identity is not just a label but a profound transformation. As Christians, we are “a chosen race, a royal priesthood, a holy nation, a people for God’s own possession, so that you may proclaim the excellencies of Him who has called you out of darkness into His marvelous light.” (1 Peter 2:9)

While the culture may look down on you, you have been called out of darkness into light. You may have once been displaced, but now you are part of God’s people, with a secure and lasting identity. You may have been searching for fulfillment in temporary things, but in Christ, you have found the fulfillment that everyone else is longing for. You have an identity that will never fade away.

Put simply, the world offers countless identities, but they will never satisfy our deepest needs. Only in Christ do we find an identity that is secure, eternal, and fulfilling. When you feel rejected by the world, remember that in Christ, you have an identity that cannot be shaken. You have been called into His marvelous light, and in Him, you have all that you need.