SPIRITUAL
DIARY
Date: 12-18-03
My Worship Time Focus: Christ the Living Stone
Bible Reading
& Meditation Reference: 1Peter 2:4-8
Message
of the verse: “4 ¶
Coming to Him as to a living stone, rejected indeed by men, but chosen
by God and precious,5 you also, as
living stones, are being built up a spiritual house, a holy priesthood, to
offer up spiritual sacrifices acceptable to God through Jesus Christ. 6
Therefore it is also contained in the Scripture, "Behold, I lay in
Zion A chief cornerstone, elect, precious, And he who believes on Him will by
no means be put to shame. "7 Therefore, to you who believe, He is
precious; but to those who are disobedient, "The stone which the builders
rejected Has become the chief cornerstone,"
8 and "A stone of stumbling And a rock of
offense." They stumble, being disobedient to the word, to which they also
were appointed.” (NKJV)
In this section Peter talks about
the Lord Jesus Christ who is a living stone because He was raised from the
dead, He is a chosen stone of God the Father, and He is precious. (V-5)
Now he goes on to say that all of His true believers are living stones
too, and are put into a building, a spiritual house. (See Eph. 2:19-22) He says that we are a holy priesthood and
because of that are able to offer up spiritual sacrifices acceptable to God
through Jesus Christ. All NT believers
are priests and the main reason for that is we have access with God. When Christ died on the cross the curtain
between the Holy place and the Holy of Holies was torn into showing that NT
believers would have direct access with God.
Peter continues his theme of stones in verses 6-8, using some OT verses
to show that those who believe in Jesus Christ as Savior and Lord will not be
put to shame, but those who trip over Him, who is the chief cornerstone
certainly will be disappointed because of their disobedience. How did they stumble? They did not believe the Word of God that
they read and heard. Peter then says in
the last phrase in verse 8, “to which they also were appointed.” Dr. MaCarthur says this about this
phrase: “These were not appointed by God
to disobedience and unbelief. Rather,
these were appointed to doom because of their disobedience and unbelief. Judgment on unbelief is as divinely appointed
as salvation by faith.”
Spiritual
meaning for my life today:
By God’s grace and mercy He has not allowed me to trip over The Chief
Corner Stone, and I am thankful for that.
I am also in awe of the truth that I am a priest to God, and that I can
come directly to Him in worship and praise and prayer. This is such a wonderful privilege He has
given me and I want to praise Him for it today.
The
Word of God was both challenging and refreshing to my heart as I read it this
morning.
My Steps of
Faith Today: My memory verse
this week which is 1Cor. 10:13, shows me that God will not allow any trial or
temptation into my life that is not common to men. It goes on to say that God is faithful, and
because of His faithfulness to me will not allow me to be tempted in such a way
that I am not able, by His grace and mercy, to handle. The verse then goes on to say that God will
find a way of escape so that I will be able to land on my feet.
Memory
verse for the week: 1Corthians 10:13
13.
No temptation has overtaken you but such as is common to man, and God is
faithful, who will not allow you to be tempted beyond what you are able, but
with the temptation will provide a way of escape also, that you may be able to
endure it.
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