Peter now exhorts us to practice holy living. Let's look at 1 Peter 2:4-6 "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. 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." (NKJV).
“As you come to Him” in verse four does not refer to the initial response of a sinner who comes to Christ for salvation. The participle's tense and voice "present passive/middle participle" indicate that this coming is a personal, habitual approach. it is an intimate association of communion and fellowship between believers and their Lord. The first step in practicing holiness is fellowship with Jesus Christ the living Stone. Here Peter used a unique figure of speech. In 1:3 he referred to a "living hope" and in 1:23 to the "living Word", and then in 2:4 he referred to Christ as "the living Stone." Peter gave a full description of Jesus Christ, the stone. He is a living stone because He was raised from the dead in victory. He is the chosen stone of the Father, and He is precious. We have a picture here of Christ who is the Cornerstone. The cornerstone is the supportive stone. All other stones are placed upon it and held up by it.
When we turn to God and lay our lives upon the foundation stone of Christ, we become a part of God's spiritual house. We shall never die or waste away, but we shall live permanently, forever and ever in God's spiritual and eternal house. We are identified with Christ, for He is the living Stone and we are like living stones. As we become more like Him, further conformed to His image, we are being built into a spiritual house. Jesus told Peter, “On this rock I will build My church” (Matt. 16:18). Now Peter (1 Peter 2:4-5) clearly identified Christ as the Rock on which His church is built.
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