1 Peter 2:4-8 – We are God’s dwelling place

Since every believer is called into the family of faith, Peter now shifts from focus on the individual to the believers collectively as the spiritual house of God. He was looking at corporate growth of the fellowship of believers. His purpose was to help each believer see the importance of each being related to Christ. The Church is God’s temple and Christ is the foundation stone. Each member must relate to Christ. Because Jesus is the Living Stone, each believer is also described as a living stone. As every believer aligns himself or herself with Christ, all together they become God’s spiritual house to accomplish His purpose. Collectively, they become God’s royal priesthood to offer spiritual sacrifices to Him through Jesus Christ.   

Here Peter quoted from a series of Old Testament Scriptures. In verse 6 he quoted from Isaiah 28:16, saying that believers who put their trust in Christ will never be disappointed. Lives that are built in Him will be able to weather the storms of life. He would be their security and they will never be put to shame. As the foundation stone, Christ will last forever. When believers build their lives in Him, they will never crumble in the midst of storm. There is security in Him and those whose lives are built in Him will never be put to shame. Christ the foundation stone will stand forever and those who built their lives in Him will not be disappointed. Peter added his commentary in the first part of 7, saying that, to the believers, Christ is precious. Why? It is because their security is in Him. He also provided a contrast for those who would not believe in Christ. To emphasize what they would experience for their unbelief in Christ, Peter quoted from Psalm 118:22 to show that those who would reject Christ would lose eventually. They would be rejecting the very stone that God has placed as the Cornerstone. Christ is the main stone in the building of the Church, the people of God. To reject Him would be putting one’s life in danger. These two verses define clearly two categories of people, those who would believe and those who would not. Their outcome would depend on whether they chose to build their lives in Christ or not. But in verse 8, he emphasized the loss to the one who would reject Christ. Peter quoted Isaiah 8:14 to drill home the point that: if they chose disobedience instead of obedience; self-reliance instead of self-abandonment, they would be choosing their ultimate destruction.  

Just think of this: we believers are right smack at the core of God’s work in the world. Corporately, we are the very building of God where His presence dwells. We are God’s unique building, a spiritual house. Each and every one of us individually is a living stone fitted together to be His glorious dwelling. Knowing that we are the center of God’s activity should lift us upward and cause us to bring praises and worship to our matchless Lord. So let’s praise and worship Him!