Our Theme is Chosen Stone and His Chosen People

6 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.” 7 Therefore, to you who believe, He is precious; but to those who are disobedient, “The stone which the builders rejected Has become the chief cornerstone,” 8 and “A stone of stumbling And a rock of offense.” They stumble, being disobedient to the word, to which they also were appointed.

9 But you are a chosen generation, a royal priesthood, a holy nation, His own special people, that you may proclaim the praises of Him who called you out of darkness into His marvelous light; 10 who once were not a people but are now the people of God, who had not obtained mercy but now have obtained mercy.   

As we begin our study today, it is critically important to understand what Peter is teaching in this chapter. The understanding of Peter’s teaching could go a long way toward healing the divisions that are presently in the body of Christ. Peter is giving to us both the “Macro” and the “Micro” of God’s plan in Christ Jesus.

The Macro is found in verse 6, “Behold, I lay in Zion A chief cornerstone, elect, precious, And he who believes on Him will by no means be put to shame.” The one who believes on Him is part of the Macro of what God is building for Himself. As a believer, I am a piece or member of the whole. A Micro of the bigger purpose of God’s plan in Christ Jesus.

First, let’s look at 2 Samuel 7:12-17 where both David’s throne is promised to be established forever and the “house of David” was promised to David by Jehovah through Nathan the prophet. In these verses, we see Two of the keys of the kingdom promised by Jesus to His disciples as recorded in Matthew 16:18.

2 Samuel 7:12-17 (NKJV)

12 “When your days are fulfilled and you rest with your fathers, I will set up your seed after you, who will come from your body, and I will establish his kingdom. 13 He shall build a house for My name, and I will establish the throne of his kingdom forever. 14 I will be his Father, and he shall be My son. If he commits iniquity, I will chasten him with the rod of men and with the blows of the sons of men. 15 But My mercy shall not depart from him, as I took it from Saul, whom I removed from before you. 16 And your house and your kingdom shall be established forever before you. Your throne shall be established forever.”‘” 17 According to all these words and according to all this vision, so Nathan spoke to David.

This is known as the Davidic Covenant. It is the centrality of what Christ came to do. David’s “greater son” is greater than Soloman. In the resurrection also known as “the regeneration,” (see Matthew 19:28) Jesus, the son of David who is also the Son of God, is raised from the dead and seated on His Father’s Throne in Zion above. Not the earthly Zion, but the heavenly Zion (see Hebrews 12:18-29).

So, in the building of the “house” promised to David, Jesus is the appointed corner stone, that the builders rejected by crucifying the Lord of Glory. But God raised Him up and mad Him to be the head. Listen to Peter in Acts 2:22-41.

All the apostles preached from these prophetic pronouncement’s concerning Messiah and His kingdom. Not a future kingdom, but one that is eternal, beginning in the resurrection and enthronement of Christ. A new creation of the Spirit emerging in the present as men and women are born again of the Holy Spirit, baptized into a whole new identity in Christ Jesus, as “one new man” in the earth. This new creation will fully be manifested and revealed at the Second Coming of Christ at the “Last Trumpet” on the “Last Day.”

Before that day can come, there is work to be done on earth by the “living stones being built together. The work of extending Christ’s kingdom rule in the hearts of people in the nations of the world. This includes the other two keys of the kingdom of God. First, Christ’s administration through the command that all men everywhere repent and turn to Christ the king. Secondly, that His church, which is His body of living stones, be united in the eternal purposes of Christ in the discipling of the nations. The mandate began with those early apostles and disciples.

God will supply the supernatural presence of His Spirit that the Bible calls the “Latter Reign.” Or end-time harvest of the nations. Peter makes mention of this when in Acts 2 he quotes from the prophet Joel 2:28, “the former and the latter rain.” A teaching for another time.

Now that we have seen the larger context let’s look at the individual versus beginning with verse 6: And he who believes on Him will by no means be put to shame. There is shame in sin, there is shame in unbelief, and shame in the rejection of God’s choice of Lord and King. Outside of Christ is “utter darkness.” Outside of Christ, there is no salvation, only eternal judgment. There is no compromise, there is no other way to access the Throne of God. Rejection because of being a saint of God is not filled with shame, but glory. Listen to Paul in Romans 9:31-33

but Israel, who pursued a law of righteousness, has not attained it. 32 Why not? Because they pursued it not by faith but as if it were by works. They stumbled over the “stumbling stone.” 33 As it is written: “See, I lay in Zion a stone that causes men to stumble and a rock that makes them fall, and the one who trusts in him will never be put to shame.”

 Paul lumps all those of natural Israel who rejected Christ into one “NATION” in regard to there “stumbling over the stumbling stone, the ‘rock of offence.’”

 Romans 10:11-13

11 As the Scripture says, “Anyone who trusts in him will never be put to shame.”  12 For there is no difference between Jew and Gentile — the same Lord is Lord of all and richly blesses all who call on him, 13 for, “Everyone who calls on the name of the Lord will be saved.” NIV

 Note, Jew and Gentile are now all one in the same body, one in the same Spirit, called as one in the same hope of our calling; one Lord, one faith, one baptism, one God and Father of all: above, though, and in you all. (See Ephesians 4:3-6).

1 Corinthians 1:27-31

27 But God chose the foolish things of the world to shame the wise; God chose the weak things of the world to shame the strong. 28 He chose the lowly things of this world and the despised things — and the things that are not — to nullify the things that are, 29 so that no one may boast before him. 30 It is because of him that you are in Christ Jesus, who has become for us wisdom from God — that is, our righteousness, holiness, and redemption.  31 Therefore, as it is written: “Let him who boasts boast in the Lord.” NIV

Those who receive God’s Stone of offence, bring shame to those who reject God’s Stone.

Philippians 3:18-21

18 For, as I have often told you before and now say again even with tears, many live as enemies of the cross of Christ. 19 Their destiny is destruction, their god is their stomach, and their glory is in their shame. Their mind is on earthly things. 20 But our citizenship is in heaven. And we eagerly await a Savior from there, the Lord Jesus Christ, 21 who, by the power that enables him to bring everything under his control, will transform our lowly bodies so that they will be like his glorious body. NIV

Paul is speaking about Jews and Gentiles that reject God’s choice of the “cross,” becoming the “enemies of the cross.”

Hebrews 12:2-9

Let us fix our eyes on Jesus, the author and perfecter of our faith, who for the joy set before him endured the cross, scorning its shame, and sat down at the right hand of the throne of God. 3 Consider him who endured such opposition from sinful men so that you will not grow weary and lose heart. 4 In your struggle against sin, you have not yet resisted to the point of shedding your blood. 5 And you have forgotten that word of encouragement that addresses you as sons: “My son, do not make light of the Lord’s discipline, and do not lose heart when he rebukes you, 6 because the Lord disciplines those he loves, and he punishes everyone he accepts as a son.” 7 Endure hardship as discipline; God is treating you as sons. For what son is not disciplined by his father? 8 If you are not disciplined (and everyone undergoes discipline), then you are illegitimate children and not true sons. NIV

 Our shame is in our sins which were nailed to the cross. That identity with Christ removes all shame from us. “In our struggle against sin, we have not yet resisted unto physical death.”

 Jude 1-13

1 Jude, a servant of Jesus Christ and a brother of James,

To those who have been called, who are loved by God the Father and kept by Jesus Christ: 2 Mercy, peace, and love be yours in abundance. 3 Dear friends, although I was very eager to write to you about the salvation we share, I felt I had to write and urge you to contend for the faith that was once for all entrusted to the saints. 4 For certain men whose condemnation was written about long ago have secretly slipped in among you. They are godless men, who change the grace of our God into a license for immorality and deny Jesus Christ our only Sovereign Lord. 5 Though you already know all this, I want to remind you that the Lord delivered his people out of Egypt, but later destroyed those who did not believe. 6 And the angels who did not keep their positions of authority but abandoned their own home — these he has kept in darkness, bound with everlasting chains for judgment on the great Day. 7 In a similar way, Sodom and Gomorrah and the surrounding towns gave themselves up to sexual immorality and perversion. They serve as an example of those who suffer the punishment of eternal fire. 8 In the very same way, these dreamers pollute their own bodies, reject authority and slander celestial beings. 9 But even the archangel Michael, when he was disputing with the devil about the body of Moses, did not dare to bring a slanderous accusation against him, but said, “The Lord rebuke you!”   10 Yet these men speak abusively against whatever they do not understand; and what things they do understand by instinct, like unreasoning animals — these are the very things that destroy them. 11 Woe to them! They have taken the way of Cain; they have rushed for profit into Balaam’s error; they have been destroyed in Korah’s rebellion. 12 These men are blemishes at your love feasts, eating with you without the slightest qualm — shepherds who feed only themselves. They are clouds without rain, blown along by the wind; autumn trees, without fruit and uprooted — twice dead. 13 They are wild waves of the sea, foaming up their shame; wandering stars, for whom blackest darkness has been reserved forever. NIV

Next week we will look at each believer as a “living stone” built together as a chosen generation, royal priesthood, and a holy nation, His own special people.