In 1 Peter 2:4, Jesus Christ is depicted as a “living stone” that was rejected (“disallowed”) of men but selected and deemed precious by God. When one rejects Jesus Christ, spiritual ruin is certain, it is sure (1 Peter 2:8). Yet, all men had not rejected Jesus, and by coming to Him would not be ashamed (1 Peter 2:6). Instead, Jesus had given them a new identity and an extraordinary responsibility in Christ. This new identity and extraordinary responsibility continues to be bestowed today.
Jesus Christ, the living stone, transforms those who come to Him into “lively stones” built up as a “spiritual house.” Peter understood that Jesus Christ possessed the “words of eternal life” (John 6:68-70), and it is obedience to His words that allow men to possess a “newness of life” (Romans 10:17; 6:4; Mark 16:16). When one obeys the Gospel, the Lord adds that individual to His “spiritual house,” the church (1 Timothy 3:15; Acts 2:47).
As part of God’s spiritual house, the Christian has a great responsibility to serve within His house. Peter, inspired of God, proclaimed that Christians had become “a holy priesthood” (1 Peter 2:5). When one comes to Jesus by obeying the Gospel, the blood of Christ cleanses that individual of his sin and makes him “holy,” separated for His service (Acts 20:28; Colossians 1:14). Christians, as a “holy priesthood,” are granted access to God, but they must maintain holy living (1 Peter 1:15-16).
Holy living is a challenge for everyone. Often there is confusion about what God really wants from His people. Peter offered clarification with these words, “to offer up spiritual sacrifices, acceptable to God by Jesus Christ” (1 Peter 2:5). Under the Old Law, God required priests to offer up the blood of animals to satisfy the sins of His people. However, the blood of bulls and goats could not truly serve as a remedy for sin, which made it necessary for Jesus to offer Himself on the cross “once for all” (Hebrews 10:10). With the perfect physical sacrifice having been made, God expects “spiritual sacrifices”! Spiritual sacrifices are those things God has asked His people to do in His Word, the Bible. In Hebrews 13:15-16, praise and thanksgiving to God is called a sacrifice, and in Romans 12:1, Christians are instructed to present their “bodies a living sacrifice.”
When spiritual sacrifices are offered, they are “acceptable to God by Jesus Christ.” The word translated “acceptable” means “well-received.” Too often, men have concluded that God is required to accept and appreciate whatever they decide to offer Him. However, God rewards those who give Him exactly what He desires, nothing more and nothing less (Matthew 7:21; Micah 6:6-8). Are you offering spiritual sacrifices that are acceptable to God?
