SPIRITUAL ISRAEL

First Peter 1 speaks of what has come to Christians, “Salvation” and where they are going, heaven, where an inheritance which is imperishable, undefiled, and unfading is awaiting them and what they ought to do and be. The first part of 1 Peter 2 deals with where Christians are now. He discusses their present status. We are all concerned about where we stand. At the beginning of the year, we take inventory. We ask ourselves: Where do we stand financially, physically, and socially? In this passage we learn something about where we stand spiritually. For the faithful Christian, the news is indeed good news! How do we stand before God? Isn’t it great to learn that we are a spiritual temple, a holy priesthood, a chosen race, a holy nation, God’s own people? That we who were once no people are now God’s people? That we who once had not obtained mercy have now received mercy? In fact, this passage seems to be saying that we who are Christians today have the same relationship to God that God’s chosen people, the Israelites had in a previous era.

When Peter’s first readers heard the words of 2:9, these passages would have immediately leaped to their minds, and they would have reacted: “We are to God today what Israel was to God when God delivered Israel from Egypt! They would have concluded, as the New Testament teaches in other places: “We are God’s Israel today; we are spiritual Israel! (See Romans 2:28, 29; 4:11-17; Galatians 3:27-29; 4:28-31; 6:16.) When the first readers reached that conclusion, they would have rejoiced. They would have known how God delivered Israel from Egypt, cared for Israel in the wilderness, gave Israel the Promised Land, and made Israel victorious over its enemies. They would have thought:“That is how God cares for me and loves me! He delivers me, saves me, feeds me, gives me water to drink, protects me from my enemies, and gives me victory! Their reaction would surely have been:“Praise the Lord for all His goodness!”That should be our reaction, too, when we learn that we are spiritual Israel!

First, we are a spiritual house. The RSV says, Come to him, to that living stone . . . and like living stones be yourselves built into a spiritual house. . . .. (2:4, 5). Another possible translation would be: As you are coming to Him, you are being built into a spiritual house.. Men come to Christ initially to be saved by Him. But that is not the end of the coming; Christians are always coming to Christ, constantly drawing nearer to Him. As they do, they become a .spiritual house. This spiritual house is surely synonymous with the temple of God. The same figure is used in Ephesians 2. Christ is the cornerstone and the church members are built together into a building. In Ephesians 2 the structure is called a temple (v. 21; see also 1 Corinthians 3:16; 6:19). This building is a place where priests serve and sacrifices are offered; in fact, we are built together into the temple in order that we as priests might offer sacrifices.

If we as a people make up God’s temple, what are we as individuals? Peter says we are living stones.” Each of us is a stone, a brick; when we are put together in the right way we together make up that spiritual house where God is worshipped. What makes the difference between those of us who are living stones and others who are not? It is how individuals react to the Christ, who is the living stone.

Word Affirmation: “ Thou wilt keep him in perfect peace, whose mind is stayed on thee: because he trusteth in thee." – Isaiah 26:3 (Don't just say it, mean it!)

“ We are to God today what Israel was to God when God delivered Israel from Egypt! "

MIND THIS