The Lord’s House – Part 2 – Living Stones
(1 Peter 2:4-10)
We come to Him and are born of His very life. That same Spirit that raised Christ form the dead gives us a life we never had before. Every human, every man and woman, is born with a spirit, and the Spirit of God searches the whole earth and finds hearts who are open to receive that Life. We can only call this a mystery, similar to natural childbirth. When a child is born, it is not simply a physical being, it is a living soul. The spirit of everyone of us then hungers for something naturally indefinable. But God is searching for us. He sent Jesus Christ, as the good Shepherd, to find us like lost sheep. Some of us appeared to be more lost than others. Indeed some of us were really lost.
He found us, saved us, cleaned us up and we knew Him. We became aware, not only of ourselves now, but of the Living God. Just before the referenced passage, Peter refers to us as newborn babes. He continues with the description of us as living stones, being built up as a spiritual house, a holy priesthood, to offer spiritual sacrifices acceptable to God through Jesus Christ. Sacrifices of praise and worship are inspired in us by that Spirit He filled us with. To be sure, we do more than praise, pray, and worship but these activities are the foundation of all else. And our listening, our sitting at the feet of Jesus, the Master Teacher is primary. None compares to His wisdom, His life, His love. His words are Spirit and they are Life.
We have written, as we have heard, that we are His workmanship. Peter writes we are being built up. When Solomon built his temple, no sound of human working or human tools were heard at the temple site. The stones were fitted together forming a perfect harmonious structure. The Lord is bringing us all to that. Everything that hinders the flow of His life, everything of self is being removed. He brings us to a place of being living stones and His life flows from one member to another. It is all built upon the chief cornerstone, Jesus Christ himself. No other foundation can be laid.
Often, other materials, other stuff that is not founded upon Christ is used in building. Such material cannot stand the test of God’s fire. If we pay attention, He will teach us to build His way as He taught the disciples. We find we can be in the place where His fire is a gentle burn easily removing chaff and burning it up. His sanctifying work. As we abide in Him growth will happen. We grow down deeper into Him and blossoms come, His fragrance comes forth, and then pleasant fruit, pleasing to Him and a blessing to others.
A few years ago, I attended a conference where a pastor, Steve Chua, was teaching from the letter to the Ephesians. During that weekend or shortly after I had a picture of God’s building in my spirit. I was aware of us as living stones fitted together. Each “stone” was alive, organic if you will. A mortar was between each stone as would be used in natural building. I have understood that mortar to be the love of Christ working in each one of us. Each stone was not static but growing and expanding. As each would grow, the whole building would expand. Finding ourselves to become a spiritual house is a beginning, not the end. He will expand the house to hold more of His glory and presence.
As He adds to the stones with new members, what an awesome house we can expect. The glory of this latter house will be greater than the former. We understand this on several levels, different perspectives, but we remain focused on this spiritual house, even the body of Christ, not mystical, but spiritual. Real and substantial, built by God Himself as a city not made with hands, or any human effort, but by the Spirit of God. His ways are higher than ours and past our finding out, except by that Spirit that opens our eyes and ears. My we continue to grow in grace, truth, and love ever being aligned with His plumb line. Such as necessary for the building to truly become what He desires to inhabit.