Wednesday: Living Stones
Daily Lesson for Wednesday 15th of January 2025
How is it that we, as fallen, sinful beings, can be pleasing to a holy God?
Read Romans 8:1 and Romans 5:8. What do these texts teach about our standing before God?
Image © Lars Justinen from GoodSalt.com
God bestows grace on people prior to any human response. Before anything we say or do, God reaches out to us and gives us the opportunity to accept or reject His love. As Romans 5:8 puts it, “God demonstrates His own love toward us, in that while we were still sinners, Christ died for us” (NKJV; compare with Jeremiah 31:3). And we can be reconciled to God and even pleasing in His sight, by faith through the work of our Redeemer.
Read 1 Peter 2:4-6 and compare it with Hebrews 11:6. What does this tell us about how we can be pleasing to God?
Without God’s intervention, fallen people are incapable of bringing anything valuable to God. Yet God, in His grace and mercy, has made a way, through the work of Christ. Specifically, “through Jesus Christ” we may “offer up spiritual sacrifices acceptable to God” (1 Peter 2:5, NKJV). Although “without faith it is impossible to please Him” (Hebrews 11:6, NKJV), by the mediating work of Christ, God will “make” believers “complete in every good work to do His will, working in you what is well pleasing in His sight, through Jesus Christ, to whom be glory forever and ever. Amen” (Hebrews 13:21, NKJV). Those who respond to God by faith are accounted righteous in His sight through the mediation of Christ, whose righteousness alone is acceptable. And those who respond to God’s loving overtures are accounted worthy through Christ’s mediation (Luke 20:35), and He transforms them into His likeness (1 Corinthians 15:51-57, 1 John 3:2). God’s redeeming work is not only for us but in us, as well.
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Why is the idea of Christ mediating for you in heaven so encouraging? |
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A couple of days ago Carmel and I went to Sydney for.a relaxing day out (I have to say that it was excellent value for money. For $2.50 each we got the train ride to and from Sydney, light rail trasnport around the city, a ferry ride to and from Manly Beach) One of the places we visited was Barangaroo - a recent high rise development in the centre of Sydney,
Here we saw these sandstone blocks placed as a breakwater around the foreshore. These blocks of common sandstone had become living rocks harbouring birdlife and plants. Below the water-level it has become a refuge for an endangered species of seahorse. Behind the location where I took this photo are tall city skyscrapers, officeblocks, accomodation, and casinos - a world away from the serenity of the living rocks in the foreshore.
I thought about those living rocks when I read the lesson this morning. Christ is the chief cornerstone, but we are charged with being living rocks in a world that ignores him. And just as these standstone blocks silently support the environment and witness the power and beauty of nature againt a background of indifferent commerce and entertainment, we too must be living rocks founded on the chief cornerstone but bearing testimony of his love in a secular world.
Maurice you captured a fantastic image of enchanting allure that only someone with an artistic eye and talent of photography can see and share for others to enjoy. Then went on to describe, how the inert stones, once idle in a quarry are now a habitat of refuge and protection of wildlife which in turn benefits the local environment. That one photo and brief explanation spoke volumes to me. Reminding me how GOD sees the tremendous value of a stone inert and idle in sin. How it can become a living stone "built up a spiritual house, an holy priesthood, to offer up spiritual sacrifices, acceptable to God by Jesus Christ." 1 Peter 2:5. A stone that extends love, hope and security to others through JESUS CHRIST. I certainly would like to use this image and message to share with others so they too can be encouraged and blessed
Many thanks for being one of those living stones and in sharing your gifts and talents to bless us. GOD be with you and all those other stones who daily bless us on this platform.
Thank you for sharing...loved how you brought your experience to life...your story reminds me how God can change our stony hearts to life ...if we let Him. ❤️
Of course full credit will be given to you as the originator of this work (and also of the wonderful photography you do.) with all glory to GOD from Whom all blessings and gift flow.
Thank you for your kind words Marcia. The real artist is the creator and the natural world he has made for us. I simply point the camera and press the button.
While we were still sinners, Jesus died for our sins by first showing his love.
We can please God by believing in Him. What pleases God the most is to believe that Jesus died for us. God has everything, all he wants from us is to believe in him.
Living stones, the term almost seems contradictory, yet stones properly and strategically placed can become a habitat, even a sanctuary for many kinds of lifeforms. Think of the great coral reefs of the oceans which are indeed living stones. They are related to anemones and jellyfish (soft lifeforms). Yet corals secrete calcium carbonate which creates a rock like exoskeleton, strong enough to cut scuba divers and even sink ships. Their presence allows for marine life to flourish in the oceans. Marine biologists warn that if we should lose the world's corals, which are slowly dying because of the pollution of the oceans, all marine life as we know it will cease to exist.
A similar comparison could be made of us as living stones. If we let the pollution and corruption of the world to overwhelm us, we will lose our life giving ability to preserve society and lead people to eternal life and sanctuary in Christ.
Although "a rolling stone gathers no moss," neither does it any good. God wants and needs us to be living stones, not "rolling stones." I always thought that the Rolling Stones were overrated. Living Stones, now that's a band I want to be a part of. 🤔😉
I see Christ as the cornerstone serving as the all-important reference point, placed at the key corner at the start of construction of our new life in Him. He establishes the position of the entire structure, guiding the alignment of the walls and the building process. Symbolically, it assures the quality and soundness required for the structure to withstand adverse circumstances; to reflect the power of God for man unto salvation - Matt. 7:24-27; Psalm 118:22-23; Mark 12:10-11.
It is therefore not us who stand before God in our own merit; it is Christ Jesus, our Mediator, who stands before Him because we have our existence in Him, by His Spirit, serving as our propitiation. As human beings, our sin completely separates us from God. Even as faithful believers, we cannot stand before God as we are. Only in Christ Jesus, through and by His Spirit, do we gain a standing before God -1 John 2:2.
It is Jesus as the spiritual Cornerstone of our lives/house which enables us to honor and glorify God. As living stones, we come to Him, allowing Him to be the builder who "completes the house of our life" in alignment with His standards. Every action we engage in ought to align with the Cornerstone, or cracks develop and the structure becomes weak.
This spiritual house, built by His Spirit through God’s Grace and Mercy, becomes the dwelling place for God Himself. Its form becomes observable through the choices we make in our physical and emotional lives, yet, its foundation is entirely spiritual. All honor and praise belongs to God for forming us into the Temple He has pleasure to dwell in - 1 Peter 2:4-6.
Brigitte, unless the Lord builds the house, they labor in vain who build it. Ps. 127:1
Unless the Lord is our righteousness we have none. We have no standing before God without Christ our righteousness. Thankfully His sacrifice bridges the gulf that sin made in our relationship.
Christ was treated as we deserve, that we might be treated as He deserves. He was condemned for our sins, in which He had no share, that we might be justified by His righteousness, in which we had no share. He suffered the death which was ours, that we might receive the life which was His. “With His stripes we are healed.” Isaiah 53:5.
From Heaven With Love, p. 15.1
Nobody is 100% sure of being in the right Way. But being 100% sure of Christ's loving sacrifice for me is what counts; focusing on that sight will surely keep me in the Way.
Reading for context around 1 Pet. 2:5 added a lot for me:
Christ is the Head who gathers us so that we long for Jesus and come to Him (1 Pet. 2:4); all that follows rests on this constant choice and thirsting to come to Jesus.
We drink His Word, daily, hour-by-hour, and grow (1 Pet. 2:2; Deut. 6:7; Luke 24:15,32).
We are stones shaped by Jesus the Carpenter/Builder/Foreman/Head Stonemason. He makes us alive and fits us together into our place in His plan. He builds individual Christians into a spiritual house, His Church, which houses His Holy Spirit (1 Cor. 3:16).
We are not merely a passive building where Christ dwells, but we are active participants in worship, the holy priesthood who draws near to God with spiritual sacrifices (1 Pet. 2:5).
What are these spiritual sacrifices?
* Our bodies (Rom. 12:1; 1 Cor. 6:19) which do all to the glory of God as an act of worship (1 Cor. 10:31).
* Praising and thanking God, alone and in group worship (Heb. 13:15; Eph. 5:19-21) through the power of the Holy Spirit
* Offering acts of love and sharing gifts with each other (Phil. 4:18; Heb. 13:16).
The only way any of these gifts are acceptable and pleasing to God (1 Pet. 2:5), however, is to value Jesus as more "precious" than anything or anybody (1 Pet. 2:7). These offerings flow from a heart devoted to the preeminence of Jesus (Col. 1:18), to His Word and to His glory.
We all have access to God through Jesus, not just the religious leaders, we all may approach God's throne as His "royal priesthood" (1 Pet. 2:9; Heb. 4:16; 1 John 2:27).
And that means, as a member of His holy priesthood of believers on Earth, I must ask Him to help me, to intercede for me, to be holy in my conversations and dedicated to the opposition of sin in my life (1 Pet. 1:15 KJV).