Growth & Spiritual Foundations

(Drawing Out: I & II Peter & Jude)

Having established principles of brotherly love, Peter begins I Peter 2:1-10 by introducing another foundational principle: you can’t grow plants in a garden before getting rid of the weeds. In other words, there are some things we need to get rid of before we put on something else. Peter told his readers there are some things that would hinder spiritual love for brethren, and they should work to rid their lives of those qualities (I Peter 1:22). Once these qualities were removed, Peter exhorted them to drink spiritual milk. The focus is not on milk, but rather on “longing” for the milk. Peter wanted all brethren, newer and older Christians, to have the same intense desire for spiritual substance as a newborn baby has for physical food (2:1-3).

As a Christian longs more and more for spiritual food, he or she is coming closer and closer to Jesus Christ, who is described as a living stone. Peter said this living stone was rejected by men but was fully accepted by God. Likewise, Peter’s audience was also made up of living stones. God is building a spiritual house (which includes His people) for the purpose of offering acceptable, pleasing sacrifices to Him (2:4f).

Peter reminded his readers Jesus was the living cornerstone of the spiritual foundation in Christians’ lives. What happened to those builders who rejected the living stone? Perter uses Old Testament scriptures to show how these builders constantly stumbled over the living stone while they were building their own feeble building. Jesus is always there among builders of any kind and they can never be away from Him. Peter’s overall point is this: some people stumble over Jesus; others build on Him (2:6-8).

Despite Jewish builders having rejected Christ, God did not stop His plan to lay a foundation with Jesus as the cornerstone. Through Jesus, people from any nation can draw near to God and be a part of His chosen nation. Christians are blessed in so many ways because God set Jesus as the chief cornerstone of God’s spiritual house (2:9f).

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