God's Dwelling Place
J. Gerald Harris
1 Peter 2:5
A physical structure of brick, mortar, steel, and glass cannot identify the true church. Neither can the chasuble, stole, miter, and alb worn as vestments in some ecclesiastical orders identify the New Testament priesthood. The visible church on earth is not denoted by Gothic, Romanesque, Renaissance, Colonial, or modem architectural design, but by those people whose lives have been changed by the power of God. The new priestly order cannot be discerned by singling out only those people who preside over the Eucharist, conduct mass, and preach from ornate pulpits.
Ever since that first Good Friday when Christ was crucified, there has been no need for a select group of priests. Every believer has become a part of that "holy priesthood." In Revelation 1:6, the apostle John said, He "hath made us kings and priests unto God and his Father." The "us" in that passage of Scripture includes all those who have been redeemed by the blood of Calvary.
Peter wrote in his first epistle: "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" (1 Pt 2:5). In this text three notable things are evident. The apostle Peter wrote of the matter of a spiritual edifice, a spiritual office, and spiritual sacrifice.
I. A Spiritual Edifice
In 1 Peter 2:5 the believers are described as "lively stones...built up [into] a spiritual house." This speaks of the church of the living God as a building. In the New Testament the church is described as the body of Christ (Eph 1:22-23), the bride of Christ (Eph 5:22-32), and the building of Christ (1 Cor 3:9).
When the church is referred to as a spiritual building, Christ is regarded as the chief cornerstone. This strategic position in the building of this spiritual edifice was foreordained by God. Years before the incarnation God said, "Behold, I lay in Zion for a foundation a stone, a tried ...
J. Gerald Harris
1 Peter 2:5
A physical structure of brick, mortar, steel, and glass cannot identify the true church. Neither can the chasuble, stole, miter, and alb worn as vestments in some ecclesiastical orders identify the New Testament priesthood. The visible church on earth is not denoted by Gothic, Romanesque, Renaissance, Colonial, or modem architectural design, but by those people whose lives have been changed by the power of God. The new priestly order cannot be discerned by singling out only those people who preside over the Eucharist, conduct mass, and preach from ornate pulpits.
Ever since that first Good Friday when Christ was crucified, there has been no need for a select group of priests. Every believer has become a part of that "holy priesthood." In Revelation 1:6, the apostle John said, He "hath made us kings and priests unto God and his Father." The "us" in that passage of Scripture includes all those who have been redeemed by the blood of Calvary.
Peter wrote in his first epistle: "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" (1 Pt 2:5). In this text three notable things are evident. The apostle Peter wrote of the matter of a spiritual edifice, a spiritual office, and spiritual sacrifice.
I. A Spiritual Edifice
In 1 Peter 2:5 the believers are described as "lively stones...built up [into] a spiritual house." This speaks of the church of the living God as a building. In the New Testament the church is described as the body of Christ (Eph 1:22-23), the bride of Christ (Eph 5:22-32), and the building of Christ (1 Cor 3:9).
When the church is referred to as a spiritual building, Christ is regarded as the chief cornerstone. This strategic position in the building of this spiritual edifice was foreordained by God. Years before the incarnation God said, "Behold, I lay in Zion for a foundation a stone, a tried ...
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