God is building a spiritual house with carefully chosen and dearly precious stones. These are living stones meticulously crafted and precisely placed, not just random chunks of rock strewn about the landscape.
We are perhaps more familiar with Paul’s description of the church as the body of Christ, of which we are all members. Yet Peter’s choice of metaphor is just as apt. A building with a gaping hole in the wall or roof will not fulfill its function to provide shelter. Bricks that crumble and beams that rot away throw doubt on the integrity and capability of the builder.
God’s house is not built with the dead stones that made up the temple. Rather his house is made up of God’s people and he dwells in them. Chief among these is the cornerstone of Jesus Christ. Every living stone is placed in relation to Him. Each of us is uniquely shaped and fitted to fulfill our place in the larger structure.
Maybe it’s some of each. If so, how much of each and which comes first? These questions generate much lively discussion within the body of Christ. I’m neither an expert nor an advocate for one side or the other, but since Peter brings it up, let’s see what he has to say.
“Elect according to the foreknowledge of God the Father” (1 Peter 1:2)
“Elect” is an interesting word to use here. Some English translations use the word “chosen” instead of “elect.” It comes from the Greek word eklektos, meaning “to select.” It refers to the selection of an individual out of a larger group for a specific purpose. Perhaps Peter has in mind the example of the nation Israel as God’s chosen people.
“Elect” to the Greeks was originally a military term for the draft, and for the practice of “volunteering” unwilling soldiers for unpleasant or dangerous duty. Our modern military follows the same word usage by giving the draft board the name “Selective Service”. By New Testament times, the word meant pretty much what we think of: the selection of an individual by vote for public office. But no doubt the former connotation remained, as it does in our own language. To tell someone “you’re elected” is essentially the same thing as saying they’ve been drafted.
But why this particular emphasis? Peter could easily have framed God’s choice of us in terms of his great and enduring love for us. This is seen in the word “foreknowledge” (knowing beforehand). Even though God knew exactly what kind of person we were and the kind of things we’d do, he chose us anyway.
God also knows what we will face. Peter is writing to believers who are beginning to experience persecution and suffering on account of their faith. If the choice was up to them, would they change their mind? Would they be tempted to say, “I’ll come back later and see if things are better then”?
While we enjoy many blessings from God, we remain in his service. We have been bought with a price; we are no longer our own. God may require many things of us that we would rather not face, but our sonship in him does not exempt us from obeying him.
There will be times when we must respond “Yes, sir!” without sensing any possible benefit for ourselves. Sometimes we will never know the impact of our obedience. We can only trust that we have been faithful in our task and leave the rest to him. The One we follow has set his example before us:
For even the Son of Man did not come to be served, but to serve, and to give his life as a ransom for many. (Mark 10:45 NIV)
