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Updated: Sunday, 11 May 2008, 23:33 (BST)

3 May 2008 | 1 Peter 2 v 1-5

So then, rid yourselves of all evil, all lying, hypocrisy, jealousy, and evil speech. As newborn babies want milk, you should want the pure and simple teaching. By it you can mature in your salvation, because you have already examined and seen how good the Lord is.

Come to the Lord Jesus, the "stone" that lives. The people of the world did not want this stone, but he was the stone God chose, and he was precious. You also are like living stones, so let yourselves be used to build a spiritual temple - to be holy priests who offer spiritual sacrifices to God. He will accept those sacrifices through Jesus Christ.

Notes

Before he met Jesus, Peter was known as "Simon". In Mathew Chapter Sixteen we are told that Jesus named him Peter. The meaning of this name is" Rock."



"On this Rock" Jesus told him in verse 18,"I will build my Church. And the power of death will not defeat it."



In this letter, Peter uses a similar idea to refer to Jesus. He calls Jesus a living "Stone". As "Simon" he had security, a good home a steady job and a loving family. As "Peter" he had to make many sacrifices, leaving home, having an uncertain income, even risking his own safety. It was his faith in Jesus that gave his life stability. Peter continues the theme of building by saying all Christians should also be like "living stones" that are being built up into a spiritual temple.



What this passage encourages us to do is to make our relationship with Jesus the foundation of our lives. We should do this even if it means sacrificing other things, like our own interests, our time or even our friends. However there is the promise that if we make these sacrifices then even when things are falling apart around us our faith will give our life a stability that we cannot get elsewhere.

Prayer

Lord Jesus I come to you, be my rock in times of trouble, be the foundation of my life and help me to remember that there is nothing I face today that I cannot offer up to you in prayer. Amen



Written by David Wells
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