1 Peter 2:1-10 Treasuring Christ above all things, together.

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Teaching biblical truth about God—to children, youth, and adults—is essential to the mission of this church.

The phrase “through Jesus Christ” carries more meaning than meets the eye. Paul said in ,

1 Peter 2:1–10 CSB

Therefore, rid yourselves of all malice, all deceit, hypocrisy, envy, and all slander. Like newborn infants, desire the pure milk of the word, so that you may grow up into your salvation, if you have tasted that the Lord is good. As you come to him, a living stone—rejected by people but chosen and honored by God—you yourselves, as living stones, a spiritual house, are being built to be a holy priesthood to offer spiritual sacrifices acceptable to God through Jesus Christ. For it stands in Scripture: See, I lay a stone in Zion, a chosen and honored cornerstone, and the one who believes in him will never be put to shame. So honor will come to you who believe; but for the unbelieving, The stone that the builders rejected— this one has become the cornerstone, and A stone to stumble over, and a rock to trip over. They stumble because they disobey the word; they were destined for this. But you are a chosen race, a royal priesthood, a holy nation, a people for his possession, so that you may proclaim the praises of the one who called you out of darkness into his marvelous light. Once you were not a people, but now you are God’s people; you had not received mercy, but now you have received mercy.

For God who said, “Let light shine out of darkness,” has shone in our hearts to give the light of the knowledge of God’s glory in the face of Jesus Christ.

What you see with the eyes of the heart when you become a Christian—when you are born again and have a new nature—is “the glory in the face of Jesus Christ.”

Christ “is the radiance of God’s glory and the exact expression of his nature...” ()

Two verses earlier () “the glory of God in the face of Christ” is called “the light of the gospel of the glory of Christ, who is the image of God.”

The place we see the glory of God most clearly is in the glory of Jesus Christ who

is his image,

his radiance,

his exact nature.

And the place we see the glory of Christ most clearly is in the terrible and glorious events of the gospel

—the death and resurrection of Christ,

the pinnacle of his strength and wisdom and obedience and love.

So when we say that we exist to spread a passion for the supremacy of God in all things

for the joy of all peoples

through Jesus Christ,

we mean that God’s supremacy was most clearly shown in the gospel of Christ crucified,

and we mean that our passion for it was dearly bought in the gospel of Christ crucified.

This is what love is! Love is laying down your life to spread a passion (to other people!)

for the supremacy of God in all things

for their joy through Jesus Christ.

Any action that does not have this as its aim is not Christian love.

If you don’t want your life to be spent to awaken and sustain a passion for God in the lives of others

so that that they share this everlasting joy through Jesus Christ,

then you are not a truly loving person.

Love for others means striving to spread a passion for the supremacy of God in all things

for the joy of all peoples through Jesus Christ.

That’s what love is.

And it is very costly for us—just like it was for Jesus.

let’s turn now to the word of God and the glory of Christ as Peter exults in it in . What does this passage tell us about treasuring Christ.

First, it makes crystal clear that treasuring Christ is God’s response to Christ and therefore should be ours.

Peter is pondering and applying several Old Testament texts that point to Christ as a stone.

Therefore the Lord God said: “Look, I have laid a stone in Zion, a tested stone, a precious cornerstone, a sure foundation; the one who believes will be unshakable.

And The stone that the builders rejected has become the cornerstone.

Look with me at v4 As you come to him, a living stone—rejected by people but chosen and honored by God—

Note carefully the word “precious”. Then look at v6

For it stands in Scripture: See, I lay a stone in Zion, a chosen and honored cornerstone, and the one who believes in him will never be put to shame.

Again Peter gets our attention with the word “precious.”

Very simply and very amazingly think of the implications that God almighty with

infinite knowledge and

infinite wisdom and

infinitely perfect capacities to

Piper, J. (2014). Sermons from John Piper (2000–2014). Minneapolis, MN: Desiring God.

see and savor what is infinitely valuable and beautiful—

this God values Jesus Christ as precious.

This is simply another way of saying He treasures Christ.

Treasuring means feeling the preciousness of what you value or what you prize.

So my argument is very simple: if God, who sees all things as they truly are and feels all things as they truly are, treasures Christ, so should we.

In fact it is clear that God treasures Christ above all other things.

There is nothing more valuable in the universe than Christ, because He is God and He is the manifestation of God

precisely so that we might

see Him and savor Him—that is, treasure Him.

God embraces Christ as infinitely precious. So should we.

Treasuring Christ Together is first and last an act of the heart—

seeing and prizing Christ as our greatest treasure.

Second, this text makes clear that treasuring Christ is more, not less, than knowing Christ is precious. It is feeling it and acting on it.

vv2-3 Like newborn infants, desire the pure milk of the word, so that you may grow up into your salvation, if you have tasted that the Lord is good.

Notice the word “desire” and “tasted”.

Desire for the milk of God’s word, because in it you taste the goodness of the Lord himself.

These are emotion words, not just knowing words. These are feeling words.

Knowing that the Lord is good and tasting that the Lord is good are not identical.

Knowing is involved.

But being a Christian must mean more.

So when we speak of treasuring Christ, we mean something very full and very satisfying.

To live is Christ and to die is gain, because Christ is more valuable to us than all that this earth holds.

Just as the old heart felt the value of earth, the new heart feels the value of Christ—and earth for Christ’s sake.

And verse 1 makes it clear that this emotional, affectional treasuring of Christ changes the way you act:

Therefore, rid yourselves of all malice, all deceit, hypocrisy, envy, and all slander.

When you treasure Christ above all you never need to be deceitful.

Why would you? You never need to pretend.

Why would you if you have an infinite all-satisfying treasure?

Why would you envy anyone?

In Christ is hidden every treasure you ever could want.

Why would you slander and be malicious?

What craving for revenge does Christ not overcome?

Treasuring Christ is the Spirit-given power to be free from the dominion of sin.

Third, this text shows that treasuring Christ defines a new race of people.

I choose the word “race” consciously and provocatively and because it’s in the text. Verse 9:

But you [you who for whom Christ, a cornerstone not a stumbling stone, you for whom Christ is precious, you who treasure Christ] are a chosen race, a royal priesthood, a holy nation, a people for his possession, so that you may proclaim the praises of the one who called you out of darkness into his marvelous light.

Peter uses all three words that Israel used to define herself (race, ethnic nation, and people—the people)

Piper, J. (2014). Sermons from John Piper (2000–2014). Minneapolis, MN: Desiring God. are a chosen race, a royal priesthood, a holy nation, a people for his possession, so that you may proclaim the praises of the one who called you out of darkness into his marvelous light.

and applied them to the Gentiles and Jews who treasure Christ. He applied them to us, the church.

Those who treasure Christ above all are a new race, a new ethnicity, and a new people-group.

Piper, J. (2014). Sermons from John Piper (2000–2014). Minneapolis, MN: Desiring God.

Piper, J. (2014). Sermons from John Piper (2000–2014). Minneapolis, MN: Desiring God.

Piper, J. (2014). Sermons from John Piper (2000–2014). Minneapolis, MN: Desiring God.

We are the living stones being built into a new temple—or a new race. And the defining trait of this new race is the manifold and unified reflection of the infinite value of Christ by the way he is treasured among diverse people. Therefore let us praise this diversity and pursue it.

Piper, J. (2014). Sermons from John Piper (2000–2014). Minneapolis, MN: Desiring God.

Piper, J. (2014). Sermons from John Piper (2000–2014). Minneapolis, MN: Desiring God.

Piper, J. (2014). Sermons from John Piper (2000–2014). Minneapolis, MN: Desiring God.

One last brief point.

Fourth, this text shows that the heart act of treasuring Christ is meant to be spread.

v9 But you are a chosen race, a royal priesthood, a holy nation, a people for his possession, so that you may proclaim the praises of the one who called you out of darkness into his marvelous light.

We treasure him for his excellencies, especially the excellency of His death for our sins and His resurrection and His glorious saving work in building a new race of people who treasure Him above all.

Piper, J. (2014). Sermons from John Piper (2000–2014). Minneapolis, MN: Desiring God.

And now we see the clear purpose—and it is at the heart of our mission and our strategy—

“that you may proclaim the praises of the one who called you out of darkness into his marvelous light.”

We exist to spread a passion for His supremacy in all things for the joy of all peoples through Jesus Christ, by treasuring him together above all things in Worship, Life, Mission.

May God keep us faithful till he comes or till he calls.

Piper, J. (2014). Sermons from John Piper (2000–2014). Minneapolis, MN: Desiring God.

Piper, J. (2014). Sermons from John Piper (2000–2014). Minneapolis, MN: Desiring God.

Piper, J. (2014). Sermons from John Piper (2000–2014). Minneapolis, MN: Desiring God.

Piper, J. (2014). Sermons from John Piper (2000–2014). Minneapolis, MN: Desiring God.

Piper, J. (2014). Sermons from John Piper (2000–2014). Minneapolis, MN: Desiring God.