The Apostle Peter's words in 1 Peter 2.1-5 contain four distinct pictures of the new life in Christ. The idea of this new life was introduced by the Apostle in the previous chapter, verses 3 and 23, where he says that we were "born anew to a living hope through the resurrection of Jesus" and "born again…. through the Word of God".

The pictures are progressive, the first dealing with the laying aside of the things belonging to the old life, like discarded clothing, the second the individual growth and development of the new life, the third dealing with our corporate life in Christ and the fourth with our mission of service and sacrifice.

The first picture deals with our attitude to the old life. Peter exhorts, "So put away all malice and all guile and insincerity and envy and all slander" Peter exhorts. This is one of the many indications in his epistles that Peter was acquainted with the writings of Paul, for the same figure is used in Ephesians and Colossians, where Paul speaks of our attitude to the old life as being like the discarding of old and unworthy garments. "Put off" Paul says "your old nature which belongs to your former manner of life and is corrupt through deceitful lusts…. And put on the new nature, created after the likeness of God in true righteousness and holiness." The Bible likens man's own righteousness to "filthy rags" and points to the provision made in Christ for a complete change. It speaks of the "robe of righteousness", the "garments of salvation" and such things to put on as mercies, kindness, humility of mind, meekness, patience and long suffering. Accepting God's provision in Christ, we may wear, instead of malice, goodwill; instead of guile and hypocrisy, simplicity and sincerity; instead of envy, generosity of spirit; evil speaking will be discarded for speech that is helpful for building others up , ministering grace to the hearers. Of all these evils, evil speaking is perhaps the one to which we are most prone. Let us remember "We none of us know one another, and oft into error we fall; then let us speak well of each other or speak not of others at all".

The second picture deals, not with the discarding of the old life, but with the development of the new. "Like new born babes, long for the pure spiritual milk, that by it you may grow up to salvation; for you have tasted the kindness of the Lord". Those to whom Peter wrote were probably young in the faith, but the principle is applicable to all stages of Christian growth and development. As Nature has provided, in the mother, natural food for the child, so God has provided in Christ spiritual sustenance for the believer. The infant craves for its natural food and finds in it not only what satisfies its felt needs but also that which makes possible growth and development. In the same way the spirit-begotten child of God longs for what can only be found in Christ. He may try to satisfy his longings with other things, philosophies, creeds, doctrines, or perhaps with worldly things, but life's experiences will eventually bring him to the point where he will cry "I've tried the broken cisterns, Lord, but ah, their waters failed! None but Christ can satisfy, none other name for me". Only in complete dependence on the Lord, as the child on the mother, can the Christian find satisfaction and the means of growth and development. This utter dependence on him was illustrated in our Lord's parable of the Vine and the branches; "Apart from me ye can do nothing".

Since they had tasted, that is, had an experience in their lives, of the grace of God, they should desire to increase more and more in knowledge and love of him. The fullest possible experience of the love of Christ which any child of God can enjoy here below is only a taste as compared with what will be revealed. "Oh Christ, He is the fountain, the deep sweet well of love; the streams of earth I've tasted, more deep I'll drink above. There to an ocean's fullness his mercy doth expand …. "

We come to the third picture. While each child of God must grow and develop as a separate and distinct personality, as an individual branch in the vine, he nevertheless has a relationship to maintain with his brethren in Christ. The third picture shows this corporate life which we enjoy as parts of one whole. "Come to him, that living stone, rejected by men but in God's sight chosen and precious, and like living stones be yourselves built into a spiritual house". Peter's name must have been to him a perpetual reminder that he was a living stone. Peter seems to see in it an illustration of what is true of all the elect of God, for all are called to be living stones. He was one of many stones necessary to the building of the church of God. Unlike Peter, we do not get a new natural name when we come to the Lord, nor do we occupy the same position of importance in the temple of God. Nevertheless like him we are called to be living stones.

"Come to him"; in his use of this expression Peter was probably reflecting on that never-to-be forgotten first meeting with the Lord when he received the new name. In the same way we often look back to the time when we first came to God in the fullness of our self surrender. Perhaps the Lord gave us a new name then in conformity with our characteristics, a new name which will be confirmed and revealed when as overcomers we receive the symbolic white stone upon which it is recorded (Rev.2.17).

A heap of stones is not a building, but the master builder sees how it is possible for these stones to be made into a house and how the various shapes and sizes can be best utilised. Coming to the master builder of the spiritual house we undergo his scrutiny as Peter did. He notes our shape and size and texture and assigns us a place in his spiritual temple. Although not all are prominent like Peter, every stone, even the humblest, is necessary and is an object of the same painstaking care on the part of the master builder.

It was in connection with Peter's great confession of Jesus as the Christ that the Lord for the first time foretold his coming suffering and death. This may have been in Peter's mind when He said "rejected by men but in God's sight chosen and precious". The Lord is still rejected and by the world disowned and his true church shares in his rejection. It will not be long before the stone which the builders rejected will be made the headstone of the corner, and the church, glorified with her Lord, will constitute the tabernacle of God amongst men when He shall be their God and they shall be his people.

The fourth and last picture is that of the priesthood. "A holy priesthood, to offer spiritual sacrifices, acceptable to God through Jesus Christ". It must have been difficult for Peter and the early Jewish believers to appreciate what was about to replace the ceremonial features of the Law which were still being enacted in their day. At the very centre of their religious and national life was the temple with its priesthood. Morning by morning and evening by evening the priests offered the daily sacrifices on the altar in the court and burned incense on the golden altar in the Holy. Not anyone could be a priest; only those who were called of God through their descent from the family of Aaron. Only this specially favoured group could offer sacrifices acceptable to God. Only they could go into the Holy and Most Holy. In these circumstances it was natural that the priesthood should be an object of the deepest veneration and respect. It was not easy for the early Jewish disciples to grasp the thought that followers of the Lord are the true priests. What sacrifices are they qualified to offer that are acceptable to God through Jesus Christ? What are the Holy places to which they only have the right of entrance?

Their sacrifices consist not of the animals ordained in the Law but their full self surrender to the will of God. "I beseech you therefore, brethren," Paul says, "by the mercies of God, that ye present your bodies a living sacrifice, holy and acceptable to God, which is your reasonable service" . "By him therefore" he says again "let us offer to God the sacrifice of praise continually, the fruit of our lips, giving thanks to his name". This implies more than lip service to God. It means the same as "in everything give thanks" and implies a life so surrendered to the will of God that all of life's experiences, like the incense coming into contact with the fire, pleasing or painful, dark or bright, will yield a sweet fragrance of loving submission thankfulness and praise to God. May that thought stimulate us to renewed zeal as members of the Holy Priesthood in offering those sacrifices which are acceptable to God through Jesus Christ.

CTW, revised