How could he care about me?
5 And you are living stones that God is building into his spiritual temple. What’s more, you are his holy priests. Through the mediation of Jesus Christ, you offer spiritual sacrifices that please God.
6 As the Scriptures say, “I am placing a cornerstone in Jerusalem, chosen for great honor, and anyone who trusts in him will never be disgraced.”
7 Yes, you who trust him recognize the honor God has given him. But for those who reject him, “The stone that the builders rejected has now become the cornerstone.”
8 And, “He is the stone that makes people stumble, the rock that makes them fall.” They stumble because they do not obey God’s word, and so they meet the fate that was planned for them.
9 But you are not like that, for you are a chosen people. You are royal priests, a holy nation, God’s very own possession. As a result, you can show others the goodness of God, for he called you out of the darkness into his wonderful light.
10 “Once you had no identity as a people; now you are God’s people. Once you received no mercy; now you have received God’s mercy.”
The cornerstone of our faith is Jesus Christ, without him there would be nothing to believe in, there would not be any reason for us to have any hope beyond what the rest of the world has.
We are our own temple, each of us is the Lord’s house where he dwells, and each of us is the priest of our temples. Each of us has direct contact with God for the forgiveness of our sins, I don’t have to go to the old temple building and see a man that is supposed to be nearer to God than myself, I have the privilege of going straight to God.
1 Corinthians 6:19 Do you not know that your body is a temple of the Holy Spirit, who is in you, whom you have received from God?Here is a quick Greek lesson. There are two Greek words for temple:
- Hieron: The entire sacred structure, including the courts where sacrifices were offered.
- Naos: The inner sanctuary, the holy place where God’s presence dwelt and where the blood of sacrifices was presented.
As believers, we are called the naos—God’s dwelling place! (Revelation 1:6)
The minister of the New Testament church is not, like the Jewish priest , he is not admitted nearer to God than the people, we all have access!Christian houses of worship are never called temples because the temple was a place for sacrifice, for us the sacrifice has already been made, we go to church to worship, to fellowship with other believers and to work together to fulfill the great commission.
I am blessed, I am “a somebody”, I am one of God's chosen people and I have direct access to him. As a result, "you can show others the goodness of God" (Verse 9). I am blessed to have such a position that is totally undeserved.
Thank you Lord for my status in your family, help me to show others your goodness everyday!
