August 31st, 2025: Living Stones in a Spiritual Temple

Therefore thus saith the Lord God, Behold, I lay in Zion for a foundation a stone, a tried stone, a precious corner stone, a sure foundation: he that believeth shall not make haste. 

(Isaiah 28:16).

If you own a house, you know the thrill and defeat of repairs and renovations. It isn’t always  just easy things that need to be fixed. We frequently find ourselves adding room, cleaning out space, replacing, or redesigning layouts. Great cost and inconvenience during improvement and repair work can occur. Whether spiritually or physically, every homeowner learns that there is a difference between properly maintaining and waiting for a disaster. For the record, the first option is the wisest! Our lesson today is about our Spiritual Temple. It too needs continual upkeep, and we must make sure of our foundation. What condition is your spiritual temple in? What tools do you need for the job? Is your foundation true? 

Peter starts this letter addressing Jewish believers who were scattered about in modern-day Turkey. They were suffering persecution from being set apart because of their belief in Jesus Christ. The New Testament church was a mixture of Jews and Gentiles who were struggling to become one large family of believers.  Peter wrote to encourage and to help them both continue to grow in knowledge about the grace and faith they possessed.  

Wherefore laying aside all malice, and all guile, and hypocrisies, and envies, and all evil speakings,

We could spend days on this one little part of a sentence! Peter didn't ask if they wanted to lay these habits aside. He told them they had to do so:

• Malice- A deep-seated ill will, wickedness, or depravity.  From the Greek word kakia, which means a deep desire to see others suffer.

• Guile- Clever deceit, to use lies/misrepresentation for personal gain.  From the Greek word dolos, meaning bait with a painful hook in it.

• Hypocrisies- Insincerity, pretense, counterfeit holiness.  From the Greek word hupokrisis, which means to answer from under (cover).

• Envies- Coveting, resentment, discontent, and ill will toward others that have what you want

• Evil Speaking- Pointing out all the flaws in others, slander, defamation, ruing the character of another

Some things need repair, others need demolition and removal.  We can’t hire these things out to be done for us. It will require more than DIY, though, the Holy Spirit of God gives us the ability to die to these wicked vices and start living in the pattern of Jesus Christ.  There are several lists in scripture of things that we are to put away or to flee from.  Paul says it like this to the church in Ephesus:

That ye put off concerning the former conversation the old man, which is corrupt according to the deceitful lusts; And be renewed in the spirit of your mind; And that ye put on the new man, which after God is created in righteousness and true holiness. Wherefore putting away lying, speak every man truth with his neighbour: for we are members of one another. Be ye angry, and sin not: let not the sun go down upon your wrath: Neither give place to the devil. Let him that stole steal no more: but rather let him labour, working with his hands the thing which is good, that he may have to give to him that needeth. Let no corrupt communication proceed out of your mouth, but that which is good to the use of edifying, that it may minister grace unto the hearers. And grieve not the holy Spirit of God, whereby ye are sealed unto the day of redemption. Let all bitterness, and wrath, and anger, and clamour, and evil speaking, be put away from you, with all malice: And be ye kind one to another, tenderhearted, forgiving one another, even as God for Christ's sake hath forgiven you. (Ephesians 4:22-32).

Do any of these things need to be cleaned out and hauled away from your spiritual house?  Ignoring the problem will cause an unbelievable amount of damage.   Be continually on guard for these personal, persistent, and costly invaders. 

As newborn babes, desire the sincere milk of the word, that ye may grow thereby: If so be ye have tasted that the Lord is gracious.

Newborn babies DEMAND their food. Peter is suggesting that we should have that same demand for the Word of God. Growing is important. Our spiritual temple needs to grow. Our Lord is a good and gracious King. He has blessed us with all that we need to mature and increase.  As we grow, we not only build up our own spiritual temple, but we strengthen the whole body of Christ. We are one building- fitly framed together. 

Now therefore ye are no more strangers and foreigners, but fellowcitizens with the saints, and of the household of God; And are built upon the foundation of the apostles and prophets, Jesus Christ himself being the chief corner stone; In whom all the building fitly framed together groweth unto an holy temple in the Lord: In whom ye also are builded together for an habitation of God through the Spirit. (Ephesians 2:1–22).

Baby Christians are to be cared for and protected, but anything that permanently refuses to grow is dead. Pray for guidance and a hunger for the things of God, while enjoying  his bountiful blessings and patient kindness. We accomplish nothing by dying on the vine; we must grow!

To whom coming, as unto a living stone, disallowed indeed of men, but chosen of God, and precious, Ye also, as lively stones, are built up a spiritual house, an holy priesthood, to offer up spiritual sacrifices, acceptable to God by Jesus Christ. Wherefore also it is contained in the scripture, Behold, I lay in Sion a chief corner stone, elect, precious: and he that believeth on him shall not be confounded.

Peter knows this part intimately.  The foundation for our spiritual house is critical.  The living Stone, The Rock, the Chief Corner; Stone is Jesus. He (Jesus) saith unto them (The disciples), But whom say ye that I am? And Simon Peter answered and said, Thou art the Christ, the Son of the living God. And Jesus answered and said unto him, Blessed art thou, Simon Barjona: for flesh and blood hath not revealed it unto thee, but my Father which is in heaven. And I say also unto thee, That thou art Peter, and upon this rock I will build my church; and the gates of hell shall not prevail against it.(Matthew 16: 15-18). 

He did not say that Peter was the foundation rock; Peter was abundantly flawed.  The confession of faith, knowing who Jesus is,  is the rock . It forms the solid basis of salvation. When we fall on this rock we are broken,  and our weakness is revealed.  Christ becomes the answer and the  foundation. But if the rock falls on us, “we are ground to powder.”  In other words, if we reject Christ, we are without hope.  There is no plan B. Paul reminds us that For other foundation can no man lay than that is laid, which is Jesus Christ. (1 Corinthians 3:11).  We who are believers are all lively stones, just like Peter. Witnesses of Christ in the world.  We are showing Christ until others can see Him for themselves.  

We know that Jesus was “disallowed by men” - the religious leaders of the day mocked and refused to worship Him.  To God the Father, He was chosen and precious. He was completely obedient to His Father’s will. By his faithfulness He opened the way into the most Holy place, where once only the high priest was allowed to enter.  The most holy place is Christ himself, and we have full access to Him through the blood that He shed on the cross. We are the temple of God, a masterpiece created to give the world a peak of the God welcoming them into His family.  

Unto you therefore which believe he is precious: but unto them which be disobedient, the stone which the builders disallowed, the same is made the head of the corner, And a stone of stumbling, and a rock of offence, even to them which stumble at the word, being disobedient: whereunto also they were appointed.

Is He precious to you? If not, I argue that you may know something about Him, but you don’t know Him at all.  The more you know, the more wonderful He becomes.  Jesus is the Head of the Corner, in other words, He is set in place first, and everything comes from Him.  Whether you choose to believe Him or not, has profound consequences for you.  It is a stumbling block to hold on to ritual and refuse to accept Jesus personally. He will either stand for you in judgement, or if you reject Him, He will be your judge. There are consequences for not attending to your spiritual house. Be wise! 

But ye are a chosen generation, a royal priesthood, an holy nation, a peculiar people; that ye should shew forth the praises of him who hath called you out of darkness into his marvellous light; Which in time past were not a people, but are now the people of God: which had not obtained mercy, but now have obtained mercy.

Believers are chosen, royal, and holy.  They are unlike the unbeliever, and are in submission to God.  That sometimes is a hard thing for humans to understand.  Being peculiar, different, and not in line with whatever the social norms are at the time, can cause embarrassment, and sometimes pain.  To be socially acceptable  is rarely to be biblically accurate.Most people resist “being peculiar.”  But the church of God is called out by Jesus himself.  Out of darkness, and into light.  Out of death into eternal life.  Out of sin, and unto good works.  To be renewed and transformed.  The upkeep of  our spiritual houses is a testimony of the goodness of God.  Through faith in Jesus, we do not get what we deserve.  We are forgiven, loved, and showered with  mercy.  Solidly, we trust the foundation of the sacrifice of God’s Son, and reach toward the life that God intends for His children. 

Dearly beloved, I beseech you as strangers and pilgrims, abstain from fleshly lusts, which war against the soul; Having your conversation honest among the Gentiles: that, whereas they speak against you as evildoers, they may by your good works, which they shall behold, glorify God in the day of visitation.

Peter addressed the bottom-line issue. Whoever you are, the same advice holds true.   This is not our home. The earthly houses we build here will not be ours for long. “Abstain from fleshly lusts” - refuse the things that corrupt and destroy, take care of your spiritual needs. Move away from the things that war against the Spirit of God, and starve your very soul.  Be honest, watch that you do what you say, and that you say what is true.  Let your relationship with God show through in your everyday work.  Turn the light on in your spiritual house, so others can see and come in. 

 So, what tools do we use for this spiritual growth and upkeep?   We need the word of God, the instruction of the Spirit of God to convict our hearts, and the courage to act on what we know.  Listen with your heart and not just your mind.  Keep  Jesus as the foundation of everything.  You are a lively temple, spiritually growing to be fit for eternity.  Death is not the end for you.  You have eternal life!  Finally, do not be afraid to let your life be a light that shines in a dark world. You are peculiar.  You are priests of the Most High, serving Him and strengthening your neighbor. Get busy!

Thank you for studying with us! God bless!