Living Stones and Royal Priesthood

Come To Him The Living Stone

Jesus is alive today and reigns over His church. Jesus Christ is the foundation on which the church is built. His gospel is the purpose of the church. God loves us, we are sinners, God sent His Son to pay the penalty of death for our sins, Jesus did this on the cross of Calvary, He was resurrected on the third day, He ascended into heaven and will return one day. He has made a way for us to be justified through mercy, sanctified by grace, and glorified by faith. This is how we can have a relationship with God the Father.

People rejected Him

Jews rejected Him because He didn’t fit what they thought He should be. He claimed to be the Messiah. They didn’t believe Him because he did not meet the criteria of a strong military leader that was going to free Israel from the oppression of Rome. They wanted freedom from the authority of Rome so they could have their own worldly power and wealth. Since Jesus did not give them what they wanted they rejected him. Jesus was wanting to give them something much greater than world dominance. He wanted to give them eternal life and a relationship with the Father.

This is the very reason people reject Jesus today. He doesn’t meet what they want him to be. They want a life of freedom to do what they want to do, without a commitment to Him. They want the blessings of God more than they want God. If Jesus can’t solve their problem and take away their pain then they don’t want to follow Him.

We must love who Jesus really is. We must not make Him out to be something that He is not. The only way to know Jesus is to have a relationship with Him. This comes by allowing the Holy Spirit to be the driving force in your life. He will guide you into all truth.

13 But when He, the Spirit of truth, comes, He will guide you into all the truth; for He will not speak on His own initiative, but whatever He hears, He will speak; and He will disclose to you what is to come. 14 He will glorify Me, for He will take of Mine and will disclose it to you. 15 All things that the Father has are Mine; therefore I said that He takes of Mine and will disclose it to you.

God Chose Him

God sent His Son Jesus Christ to pay the penalty for our sin so He could highly exalt Him.

10 But the Lord was pleased To crush Him, [l]putting Him to grief; If [m]He would render Himself as a guilt offering, He will see His [n]offspring, He will prolong His days, And the [o]good pleasure of the Lord will prosper in His hand. 11 As a result of the [p]anguish of His soul, He will see [q]it and be satisfied; By His knowledge the Righteous One, My Servant, will justify the many, As He will bear their iniquities. 12 Therefore, I will allot Him a portion with the great, And He will divide the booty with the strong; Because He poured out [r]Himself to death, And was numbered with the transgressors; Yet He Himself bore the sin of many, And interceded for the transgressors.

Because Jesus the Son was obedient to the Father, the Father will highly exalt Him.

The Church Is A Living Stone

The church is active in building the kingdom of God. God has placed within us everything necessary to carry out His will for our lives.

We are a holy Priesthood

We are set aside by God to do the work of God. God has equipped us for everything we need for this life and the life to come.

3 seeing that His divine power has granted to us everything pertaining to life and godliness, through the true knowledge of Him who called us [d]by His own glory and [e]excellence. 4 [f]For by these He has granted to us His precious and magnificent promises, so that by them you may become partakers of the divine nature, having escaped the corruption that is in the world by lust.

We offer up spiritual sacrifices.

12 Therefore I urge you, brethren, by the mercies of God, to present your bodies a living and holy sacrifice, [a]acceptable to God, which is your [b]spiritual service of worship. 2 And do not be conformed to this [c]world, but be transformed by the renewing of your mind, so that you may [d]prove what the will of God is, that which is good and [e]acceptable and perfect.

Don’t conform, be transformed, prove that the will of God is perfect.

We will not be disappointed

Faith in Jesus Christ will never lead you to disappointment. I am not saying that if you have faith in Jesus Christ you will never be disappointed. We live in a fallen world that is full of disappointment. What I am saying is that the promises of God will never disappoint you. You will experience Christ in the promises of God. This will always bring you peace and satisfaction.

33 These things I have spoken to you, so that in Me you may have peace. In the world you have tribulation, but take courage; I have overcome the world.”

We can have abundant life in this world and the one to come.

People that reject Jesus will be doomed

Peter states that those who choose not to place their faith in Jesus will be doomed. They have no hope and must be judged for their sin. The only thing that can satisfy this is the wrath of God being poured out on them for all eternity. You may say that punishment is too harsh for the crime.

You must consider the cost of the gift that is offered that you rejected.