Believing in the Chosen One.
“As you come to him, a living stone rejected by men but in the sight of God chosen and precious, you yourselves like living stones are being built up as a spiritual house, to be a holy priesthood, to offer spiritual sacrifices acceptable to God through Jesus Christ. For it stands in Scripture: “Behold, I am laying in Zion a stone, a cornerstone chosen and precious, and whoever believes in him will not be put to shame.” — 1 Peter 2:4-6
Okay, here we are. Last discussion we talked about how could we desire anything less than the goodness and purity of God when we have tasted and seen it come to pass in our lives time and time again. Why do we doubt when we have clearly seen his faithfulness towards us? Why do we lack faith and turn to other things to satisfy or provide for us when we know that those that doubt are double-minded and unstable in all their ways. (James 1:5-8)
Reading the verses we are staying on today makes me ask myself and I hope you ask yourself as well, am I rejecting the chosen and precious one, the one that God looks at and smiles, the one who the dove descended upon and said, “This is my beloved Son, with whom I am well-pleased.” (Matthew 3:17) Am I rejecting the one that the voice from above told the three disciples closest to Jesus on the mountain of transfiguration, “This is my Son, the Chosen One; listen to Him!” (Luke 9:35)
If we are indeed being built up as a spiritual house than everything us should be asking for his wisdom, he desires us to walk in Him, he desires to see us walk by faith and not by sight, he knows that we can’t do this life alone apart from His spirit in us. We need God or we will just come empty always and always feel purposeless. We need no longer be tossed by the sea, we can built upon him the rock of our salvation, the rock that keeps us firm.
double-minded : wavering and undecided in mind — catch this it can also mean insincere, hypocrisy (two-faced, deceptive, lack of honesty, empty talk). the opposite of double-minded, is single-minded, determined.
STOP LETTING FEAR BE YOUR DRIVER. START LETTING FAITH DRIVE YOU TO WHERE HE TRULY WANTS YOU. THERE SO MUCH RAWNESS THAT HAS NOT BEEN TAPPED INTO BECAUSE OF YOUR FEAR OF FAILURE OR RIDICULE FROM OTHERS BUT IF GOD IS ON YOUR SIDE, CAN THAT NOT BE ENOUGH?
Will we let Him build us up as a spiritual house, so that wherever we go those that come close to you will see His radiance through you? They won’t see it if you hide.
If he was rejected why shouldn’t we? We will get here but in chapter 4:13-17 it says, “Now who is there to harm you if you are zealous for what is good? But even if you should suffer for righteousness’ sake, you will be blessed. Have no fear of them, nor be troubled, but in your hearts honor Christ the Lord as holy, always being prepared to make a defense to anyone who asks you for a reason for the hope that is in you; yet do it with gentleness and respect, having a good conscience, so that, when you are slandered, those who revile your good behavior in Christ may be put to shame. For it is better to suffer for doing good, if that should be God’s will, than for doing evil.”
We have all maybe heard that song by Kelly Clarkson, Stronger (What doesn’t kill you), a few lines from it,
“What doesn't kill you makes you stronger
Stand a little taller
Doesn't mean I'm lonely when I'm alone
What doesn't kill you makes a fighter
Footsteps even lighter
Doesn't mean I'm over 'cause you're gone
What doesn't kill you makes you stronger, stronger
Just me, myself, and I”
REMINDER: these lyrics are not coming from a mind that is filled with nothing but Jesus, the world thinks that you don’t need anyone, that it’s well your gone, well good I don’t need you, I know my worth, which yes it’s important to know your worth but in Christ, this world cares nothing about you, they don’t care about your soul, your final destination, GOD DOES, it is why he sent His perfect Son to die for you, to set you free, redeem and transform you.
CONTINUING….
We all know Romans 8:28, “We know that all things work together for the good of those who love God, who are called according to his purpose…” but do we read the next verse, verse 29-30, “For those he foreknew he also predestined to be conformed to the image of His Son, so that we would be the firstborn among many brothers and sisters. And those he predestined, he also called; and those he called, he also justified; and those he justified, he also glorified.”
Some definitions.
foreknew: be aware of (an event) before it happens. predestined: (of an outcome or course of events) determined in advance by divine will or fate… pre-ordained, destined by God for a specific purpose. conformed: comply with rules, standards, or laws… (of a person) behave according to socially acceptable conventions or standards… be similar in form or type; agree. justified: declared or made righteous in the sight of God…having, done for, or marked by a good or legitimate reason.
To go back to the song lyrics, what doesn't kill you makes you stronger… when we look at Scripture we see God desiring us to look more like His Son, so we will experience fire moment that we may be refined, his desire is not for us to get burnt up and lose hope, his desire is for us to come out stronger, to come out confident in who He is and what He has done. He is in control of all circumstances, because he already foreknew they were going to happen, he decided before you and I were born what His purpose for us was going to be, and His hope for us is that we would allow Him to transform us into looking more like Him and less like the world. If we have been justified our life should say so loudly.
With all this in mind, ask yourself, am I walking in this identity that Peter tells us to walk in? Ridding ourselves of everything that fights against pure living in Christ, and living as those who desire the pure milk of the word but also growing in the way to seek the deep treasures of who are God is. Are we ready to offer ourselves up as offering to God, are we ready to be built up in him? Will it be easy? HECK TO THE NO. But with confidence I can say it is an easy yes, because I know that my hope is in the one who reigns forever and ever and that He is preparing a place for me at his table for eternity.
The last verse should give us hope.
“Behold, I am laying in Zion a stone, a cornerstone chosen and precious, and whoever believes in him will not be put to shame.”
What have you placed your hope in that has led you to walk down the path of shame, disappointment desire to just call it quits and not do anything hard again?
If God called you to it, must we not continue it, will it not build our faith in Him? Will it not open our eyes to see the goodness of God, His faithfulness?
JUST BECAUSE IT IS HARD DOES NOT MEAN WE JUST GIVE UP.
2 Thessalonians 3:13 “But as for you, brethren, do not grow weary in doing good.”
Galatians 6:9 “And let us not grow weary while doing good, for in due season we shall reap if we do not lose heart.”
1 Corinthians 15:57-58 “But thanks be to God, who gives us the victory through our Lord Jesus Christ. Therefore, my beloved brethren, be steadfast, immovable, always abounding in the work of the Lord, knowing that your labor is not in vain in the Lord.”
Nothing we do, if doing it in the Lord will bring us shame, it will bring us joy.
We can’t let one little thing get us from remaining steadfast in the Lord, immovable, not shaken by the winds and waves. We must remain firm in trusting in the Lord. If we must we need to start writing down our stones of remembrance, that we may remember the faithfulness of God of how he was there for us, how he provided for us, how he held and carried us through.
May we believe in Him, may we do good because of Him, may we not give up sowing because he did not and has not given up on us, we are living in a period grace but this period will end, may we say yes to Him and no to this world that is passing away. May we offer all of ourselves to Him, because he is worthy to be followed no matter the cost.
'For no other foundation can anyone lay than that which is laid, which is Jesus Christ.'
- I Corinthians 3:11
