Wednesday, April 22, 2026

Opening Scripture

So then you are no longer strangers and foreigners, but you are fellow citizens with the saints, and are of God’s household, having been built on the foundation of the apostles and prophets, Christ Jesus Himself being the cornerstone, in whom the whole building, being fitted together, is growing into a holy temple in the Lord, in whom you also are being built together into a dwelling of God in the Spirit. Ephesians 2:19-22

Opening Prayer

How firm a foundation, ye saints of the Lord, is laid for your faith in His excellent Word! What more can He say than to you He hath said, to you who for refuge to Jesus have fled? “Fear not, I am with thee; O be not dismayed, for I am thy God, and will still give thee aid. I’ll strengthen thee, help thee, and cause thee to stand, upheld by My righteous omnipotent hand. When through fiery trials thy pathway shall lie, My grace all sufficient shall be thy supply. The flame shall not hurt thee, I only design thy dross to consume and thy gold to refine. The soul that on Jesus hath leaned for repose I will not, I will not desert to his foes. That soul, tho’ all hell should endeavor to shake, I’ll never, no, never, no, never forsake!”

Daily Bible Reading

1 Peter 2:4-25

As you come to him, the living Stone—rejected by humans but chosen by God and precious to him—you also, like living stones, are being built into a spiritual house to be a holy priesthood, offering spiritual sacrifices acceptable to God through Jesus Christ. For in Scripture it says: “See, I lay a stone in Zion, a chosen and precious cornerstone, and the one who trusts in him will never be put to shame.”

Now to you who believe, this stone is precious. But to those who do not believe,

“The stone the builders rejected has become the cornerstone,” and, “A stone that causes people to stumble and a rock that makes them fall.” They stumble because they disobey the message—which is also what they were destined for.

But you are a chosen people, a royal priesthood, a holy nation, God’s special possession, that you may declare the praises of him who called you out of darkness into his wonderful light. Once you were not a people, but now you are the people of God; once you had not received mercy, but now you have received mercy.

Dear friends, I urge you, as foreigners and exiles, to abstain from sinful desires, which wage war against your soul. Live such good lives among the pagans that, though they accuse you of doing wrong, they may see your good deeds and glorify God on the day he visits us.

Submit yourselves for the Lord’s sake to every human authority: whether to the emperor, as the supreme authority, or to governors, who are sent by him to punish those who do wrong and to commend those who do right. For it is God’s will that by doing good you should silence the ignorant talk of foolish people. Live as free people, but do not use your freedom as a cover-up for evil; live as God’s slaves. Show proper respect to everyone, love the family of believers, fear God, honor the emperor.

Slaves, in reverent fear of God submit yourselves to your masters, not only to those who are good and considerate, but also to those who are harsh. For it is commendable if someone bears up under the pain of unjust suffering because they are conscious of God. But how is it to your credit if you receive a beating for doing wrong and endure it? But if you suffer for doing good and you endure it, this is commendable before God. To this you were called, because Christ suffered for you, leaving you an example, that you should follow in his steps. “He committed no sin, and no deceit was found in his mouth.”

When they hurled their insults at him, he did not retaliate; when he suffered, he made no threats. Instead, he entrusted himself to him who judges justly. “He himself bore our sins” in his body on the cross, so that we might die to sins and live for righteousness; “by his wounds you have been healed.” For “you were like sheep going astray,” but now you have returned to the Shepherd and Overseer of your souls.

Reflection  

In today’s passage, Peter shifts the metaphor from nutrition to construction. Collectively, the nation of Israel had rejected Jesus as the Messiah. However, “before the creation of the world,” God the Father had already chosen Jesus the Son to be the “cornerstone” of the new “temple” He was establishing.

As followers of Jesus, you and I are like “living stones” functioning as a “spiritual house” and a “holy priesthood.” We are both the “temple of the Holy Spirit” and the “royal priests” offering ourselves as “living sacrifices” to God through Jesus Christ. As such, the community of believers – the Church – is now serving as the new Temple of God!

“As you come to him” implies a continual, habitual, personal coming to Jesus. It’s a familiar, intimate association between a disciple and the Lord. That special relationship serves as the firm foundation for our function as the spiritual house, the royal priest, and the living sacrifice in service to God.

Peter references Psalm 118:22-24, “The stone the builders rejected has become the cornerstone; the LORD has done this, and it is marvelous in our eyes. The LORD has done it this very day; let us rejoice today and be glad.” For those who trust in Jesus, He is the precious cornerstone of their lives. For those who reject Jesus, He is a stumbling stone that causes them to fall. Everyone must choose one or the other.

God established His universal redemption plan before the creation of the universe. He corporately ordained the destiny of those who either choose to be saved by grace through faith in Jesus or who choose to reject His offer of forgiveness and salvation. The most important and urgent question in life is when Jesus asks, “What about you? Who do you say that I am?”

Peter contrasts those who reject Jesus and are “destined for destruction” with those who trust in Jesus and are “a chosen people, a royal priesthood, a holy nation, God’s special possession,” echoing God’s promise to Moses in Exodus 19:5-6, “Now if you obey me fully and keep my covenant, then out of all nations you will be my treasured possession. Although the whole earth is mine, you will be for me a kingdom of priests and a holy nation.”

Peter then offers real-life examples of how his listeners can “declare the praises of him who called you out of darkness into his wonderful light” and “live such good lives among the pagans that, though they accuse you of doing wrong, they may see your good deeds and glorify God on the day he visits us.”

Peter has made it abundantly clear that followers of Jesus are exiles, aliens, strangers, and sojourners in this world. As such, they must obey the laws of the country where they live, while honoring the values and customs of their “homeland.”

The first directive is extremely basic: abstain from sinful desires, which wage war against your soul. Jesus’ disciples should always resist unbridled, ungodly impulses! In a general sense, we are to show respect to everyone, sincerely love our fellow believers, relate to God with reverence and awe, and honor civil authority.

Christians should obey the law, not just to avoid punishment, but to honor God. Regardless of what we might think about our elected officials, Peter was living under the reign of Emperor Nero, who was likely beginning his campaign of persecution against Christians.

In its various forms, slavery was extremely common in the Roman Empire. Often, these were household or domestic servants. Slaves and servants made up a large portion of the early church, and mistreatment was typical. Peter urged these believers to work hard, conduct themselves appropriately, and live as a witness for Jesus. It’s worth noting that, though slaves had no standing in society, they were full and equal partners in the Church.

Flourishing Habit

Flourishing Christian

As a “spiritual house” and a “holy priest,” what are the “sacrifices acceptable to God” that we’re supposed to offer through Jesus Christ?

Hebrews 13:15 offers this insight: “Through Jesus, therefore, let us continually offer to God a sacrifice of praise—the fruit of lips that openly profess his name.” Our praise and worship of God, our faithful and loving relationships, and our service to the church and community are all opportunities for acceptable submissions. Offering yourself as a “living sacrifice” is even better! It entails presenting all that you are to God for His purpose and pleasure.

Warren Wiersbe offers this insight: “Worship is the believers’ response of all that they are – mind, emotions, will and body – to what God is, says and does. This response has its mystical side in subjective experience and its practical side in objective obedience to God’s revealed will. Worship is a loving response that’s balanced by the fear of the Lord, and it is a deepening response as the believer comes to know God better.”

When in doubt about what following Jesus should look like, it’s good to reflect on Paul’s instruction to the Galatians:

“So I say, walk by the Spirit, and you will not gratify the desires of the flesh. For the flesh desires what is contrary to the Spirit, and the Spirit what is contrary to the flesh. They are in conflict with each other, so that you are not to do whatever you want. The acts of the flesh are obvious: sexual immorality, impurity and debauchery; idolatry and witchcraft; hatred, discord, jealousy, fits of rage, selfish ambition, dissensions, factions and envy; drunkenness, orgies, and the like.”

“But the fruit of the Spirit is love, joy, peace, forbearance, kindness, goodness, faithfulness, gentleness and self-control. Those who belong to Christ Jesus have crucified the flesh with its passions and desires. Since we live by the Spirit, let us keep in step with the Spirit. Let us not become conceited, provoking and envying each other” (Galatians 5 selected).

What is God saying to you today?

What do you need to say to Him?

Remember: Nothing changes until something changes!