The Maker of Holiness- 1 Peter 2:4-10

Peter has been discussing holiness since chapter one, and this discussion extends further into chapter 2. Now, we must remember that this originally was one letter written to the exiles. They would have read it through in its entirety. And I encourage you to do that. Sit down today and read the entire letter of 1 Peter. I think you will delighted to see the cohesiveness and connectivity of this letter in relation to his discussions.

However, we return to 2:4-10. We have observe the Call to Holiness in which we are to be like God and The Method of Holiness in which we are to avoid evil and long for growth in Christ.. But Peter, inspired by the Holy Spirit, reminds us from whence our holiness comes.

Contrary to positive thinking and bad Christian understanding, our initiation into and growth of holiness does not depend upon us. Yes, we are responsible to do certain things (e.g., Scripture reading), however this does not mean that if we do these things in a robotic fashion that we will be holy.

No, we are made holy. Jesus Christ, upon His sacrificial death on the cross, purchased His people, as Peter himself declares in 1:2-3. He, that is God, has caused us to be born again. You were ransomed by the precious blood of Christ. It is through Christ that we are believers in God. We have been born again through the living and abiding Word of God.

We are made holy by the Maker. What we will see in this passage is how the two groups of people in human history exist in relation to Jesus Christ. I say human history, for as Scripture describes, we are either in Adam or in Christ. We are either under the curse of the law or free from the law. We are either children of God or children of the devil. That is true of every single human being that has lived, is living, or will live in the future.

And one’s relation to Jesus Christ depends upon the Triune God. We will see three points from this section of Scripture. We will note first that The Identity of the Holy, second, The Danger of the Unholy, and third, The Sovereign Grace of the Holiest.

Now, before we dive into our passage I want to highlight something in your notes (for those who have them) about how the Scripture is one cohesive whole. The London Baptist Confession of Faith states,

Although the price of redemption was not actually paid by Christ till after his incarnation, yet the virtue, efficacy, and benefit thereof were communicated to the elect in all ages, successively from the beginning of the world, in and by those promises, types, and sacrifices wherein he was revealed, and signified to be the seed which should bruise the serpent's head; and the Lamb slain from the foundation of the world, being the same yesterday, and to-day and for ever. ( 1 Corinthians 4:10; Hebrews 4:2; 1 Peter 1:10, 11; Revelation 13:8; Hebrews 13:8 )

I. The Identity of the Holy- 2:4-7a

Peter begins this section with the identity of the holy. I say this because last week we examined verses 1-3 and Peter directly discusses those who have tasted that the Lord is good.

“As you come to him,” marks this continual thought upon which Peter elaborates further. He alludes to Scripture in his description of the Lord: a living stone rejected by men but in the sight of God chosen and precious. Remember, he is writing to elect exiles, which is a reminder for us that this world is not our home. We are opposed by all, directly or indirectly, because this world belongs to the devil. At times, we can become discouraged and disheartened. But Peter encourages us with the chosenness of Christ. The Father loves His Son, but we move on.

Peter describes the identity of the holy in several ways.

A. A Spiritual House

He says we are like living stones that “are being built up” as a spiritual house. God is at work in our lives, constructing us into His temple. God is sanctifying us. That is our identity. We are perpetual works-in-progress, a testament to the longsuffering God whom we serve. He is crafting us into a Temple, a place where His presence dwells. This is wonderful! But Peter moves on to describe us as...

B. A Holy Priesthood

Now, we must not miss this connection. We are a priesthood through Christ. The Levitical priesthood has ceased to exist, and we are the priesthood of God. God’s plan, from eternity past, involved the work of Christ applied to His people.

Whereas only one individual, a man of the tribe of Levi, of Aaron’s descent, free from blemish, could minister as high priest, we are a people of holy priests. We can, as the author of Hebrews notes, approach the throne of grace with confidence to find mercy and help in time of need.

This means that around 4:35, after I have finished cooking my eggs and unloading the dishwasher, sitting on my couch, I can enter the throne room of God through prayer. This is our identity, brothers and sisters!!

C. A Working People

We are a working people, it is our identity. In other words, if you are a chosen people, you are a working people, and if you are not a working people, you are not a chosen people.

What are the spiritual sacrifices? Scripture gives us several:

Humility- Ps. 51:17

Love and knowledge of God- Hos. 6:6

A life in-line with Scripture- Rom. 12:1

Giving to those in need- Phil. 4:18

Praise to God- Heb. 13:15-16

Do these characterize you? Can someone point to these aspects of your life (and it is not exhaustive)? Remember, if we have tasted that the Lord is good we will be living up to our identity! But what about the unholy? What about those who reject the Lord?

II. The Danger of the Unholy- 2:7b-8a

This involves those who do not believe. They reject Jesus as Messiah or Lord. They refuse to believe, and therefore remain unholy and in a perilous position. These are people who “do not believe.” And they are in danger, grave and eternal danger.

Peter quotes more Scripture, this time with regards to those who reject Christ. They stumble, Peter tells us, because they disobey the word, as they were destined to do. They do not believe and stumble (Isa. 8:11-15) on this Stone (connected with Yahweh in Isaiah and now with Christ in 1 Peter).

They are in danger, not of just stumbling and falling. No, they are in danger of hellfire, as Christ describes it (Matt. 7:21-23). If you reject Christ, you will go to hell and live in torment eternally.

Now, please note that it is not the actions that make one holy. It is the grace of God. It is, however, the act of rejecting God that damns an individual to hell. They are destined for the fires of hell.

These are the two responses of every human being, as I mentioned at the beginning. But now we move on to something incredible.

III. The Sovereign Grace of the Holiest- 2:8b-10

Peter contrasts this unholy group with the holy group, but he makes an important distinction that we must all be aware of: God is the holiest, and it is He who makes holy.

Peter begins by once again reminding us of who we are in Christ. We are a chosen race, a royal priesthood, a holy nation, a people for his own possession. Those, in and of themselves, deserve their own treatment. However, I want to summarize the contrast Peter is making here because it is vital to our understand of God’s goodness and grace throughout human history generally and throughout biblical history specifically.

God, in his grace, made a covenant before the world began to save His people. This covenant was revealed incrementally as Scriptural history progressed, beginning with the promise of the Seed of the woman in Gen. 3:15 and throughout the OT development of the worship of God and the sacrifices. This plan came into further light through the Psalms and the prophets. This plan erupted into broad daylight when Jesus was born. He lived his perfect and flawless life in the views of all the people of Israel.

As Peter quotes Psalm 118, we are reminded of their response. The people of Israel rejected the Messiah. But this rejection did not catch God by surprised, He knew exactly what the children of Abraham according to the flesh would do. In fact, Sam Renihan reminds us of the supremacy of God’s plan,

“The building built on Christ, comprised of living spiritual stones, is the church. It is the body of Christ, consisting of all those united to Christ the head.” (Renihan, The Mystery of Christ, 190)

By faith, as Paul reminds us in Galatians 3:26-28, we are now the children of Abraham, and as such are the children of God, and thus a chosen race in Christ, a royal priesthood in Christ, a holy nation in Christ, a people for his own possession in Christ.

(Read Psalm 118 as a New Covenant Believer)

Our response:

Rejoice in the unimaginable grace and mercy of our Lord and Savior Jesus Christ—”who called you out of darkness into his marvelous light”

Live up to the calling of Jesus Christ through the power of the Holy Spirit—”offer spiritual sacrifices acceptable to God”

Share the remarkably good news of the Gospel of Jesus Christ—to know Him and to make Him known—”that you may proclaim the excellencies of him”