TUESDAY, JUNE 26
Scripture: 1 Peter 2:1-10

We are told in 1 Peter 2:1-10, “Therefore, laying aside all malice, all deceit, hypocrisy, envy, and all evil speaking, as newborn babes, desire the pure milk of the word, that you may grow thereby, if indeed you have tasted that the Lord is gracious. Coming to Him as to a living stone, rejected indeed by men, but chosen by God and precious, 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.” Here it is again. We are told that we get to do what Moses and the prophets did. We really are on the right track here. The truths we have been looking at are solidly confirmed by the New Testament, where the Apostle Peter says in this passage. “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.’ 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,’ and ‘A stone of stumbling And a rock of offense.’ They stumble, being disobedient to the word, to which they also were appointed.” This is where judgment comes in. When disobedient people are in ruling positions in the nation, Ephesians 3 says our job is to pray them into judgment so we prove that principalities don’t rule. It is our job to pray that they be cut off. “But you are a chosen generation, a royal priesthood, a holy nation, His own special people, that you may proclaim the praises of Him who called you out of darkness into His marvelous light; who once were not a people but are now the people of God, who had not obtained mercy but now have obtained mercy.” According to verse 9, we are a holy nation, His own special people that we may proclaim praises to the One who has called us into His marvelous light! Here we are again being declared a holy nation for what purpose? For salvation and for judgment, in order to fully represent our King! We cannot escape from this truth. It is in the Old Testament, it is in the middle in the prophets and it is in the New Testament. This truth is consistent.