LIVING STONES (1)
[p. 197] LIVING STONES (1)
It is deeply important that we should apprehend the thought of God to have His saints built up as “a spiritual house, a holy priesthood”. It is not God’s mind to have His saints as scattered units in this world, nor is it ever contemplated in Scripture that they should be found in sects of their own choosing. God has visited the Gentiles “to take out of the nations a people for his name” (Acts 15: 14), and it should be the exercise of every believer to know the will and pleasure of God concerning His saints. Epaphras laboured fervently in prayer that the saints might “stand perfect and complete in all the will of God”, and such a prayer is not less needful for us than for those at Colosse.
The privileges and testimony of God’s earthly people, Israel, all centred in a material house — that is, in the temple — but now there is no material house. A spiritual house built up of living stones has taken its place. I desire to point out how God forms the living stones, and how they are brought together so as to be built up a spiritual house.
In the first place it was needful that our sins should be put away, and Christ “bore our sins in his body on the tree” (1 Peter 2: 24). But the putting away of our sins was not the end which He had in view, though it was necessary in order that the divine end might be reached. We read in another scripture that He “gave himself for our sins, so that he should deliver us out of the present evil world, according to the will of our God and Father” (Galatians 1: 4). Then in 1 Peter 3: 18 we read that “Christ indeed has once suffered for sins, the just for the unjust, that he might bring us to God”. Christ has put away our sins “that he should deliver us out of the present evil world”, and “that he might bring us to God”. I have no doubt that this latter expression would convey to the Jewish believers, to whom Peter was writing, the idea of being made priests. The Jews’ idea of a priest would be that he was a man who went to God. Christ has suffered for sins, not only to clear our guilty consciences and to secure us for heaven by and by, but that He might bring us now to God as priests. The end in view was that as living stones we might be “built up a spiritual house, a holy priesthood, to offer spiritual sacrifices acceptable to God by Jesus Christ”.
There is no carnal priesthood now that is owned of God, nor is there any material house. There is a spiritual priesthood, and a spiritual house composed of living stones.
I can understand some believer saying, ‘This is a very deep subject; it is beyond me’. But the apostle did not seem to think that it was an unsuited subject to bring before those whom he exhorted as “newborn babes” to “desire earnestly the pure mental milk of the word”. The fact is that many things which were simple at the first are difficult now because christianity has become a great religion in the world, and it takes us a long time to learn that the christianity we see around us is not at all the christianity of the New Testament.
This chapter (1 Peter 1) shows how “living stones” are formed; that is, it brings before us the different elements of God’s gracious work by which His saints are prepared to occupy a place in His spiritual house. Of these different elements, none is more important than that of which verse 3 speaks: “Blessed be the God and Father of our Lord Jesus Christ, who, according to his great mercy, has begotten us again to a living hope through the resurrection of Jesus Christ from among the dead”.
It is impossible for anyone to apprehend rightly the blessings of christianity, or to understand the ways of God in connection with this present period of Christ’s rejection, if he does not see that everything has begun anew for God in Christ risen. If men look for God’s actings in this world, and for the intervention of His power in the present course of things, they will be disappointed. Their hopes will surely [p. 199] die sooner or later. Alas! many believers are zealously but ignorantly toiling in hope of seeing better and brighter things in this present world. They think that by education, good moral training, temperance, beneficent legislation, and the influences of religion, some great and divine change may be brought about in this present world. But all such hopes are doomed to disappointment. Christendom, with all its advantages and privileges, is on the verge of apostasy, and there will be no intervention of God in the course of things here until the Lord Jesus is revealed “from heaven, with the angels of his power, in flaming fire taking vengeance on those who know not God, and those who do not obey the glad tidings of our Lord Jesus Christ” (2 Thessalonians 1: 7, 8).
When the Lord Jesus was here, His disciples followed Him in expectation of soon seeing some signal intervention of God’s power by which His kingdom should “immediately appear”. They looked for some mighty act of God’s power on behalf of Christ that should reverse everything, and turn His reproach and rejection into honour and glory. But God did not intervene, and instead of following Christ to the throne of His father David, they had to follow Him through deepening shades of sorrow and rejection to the cross. They had given up everything for Him in prospect of His having the kingdom, but as to this world He was cut off and had nothing. It may be said that their hopes were founded on Scripture, and this was perfectly true, but they had to learn that it was not God’s purpose to establish anything in connection with man in the flesh. Even Christ after the flesh must be cut off and have nothing. God allowed every hope which attached to Christ after the flesh to come under the blight of death.
Then came the amazing intervention of God’s power in “the resurrection of Jesus Christ from among the dead”. God did not interfere with the order of things which existed in this world; He left everything here just as it was; but He wrought a mighty act outside the sphere of flesh and blood [p. 200] altogether, and apart from the history of this world. Resurrection is entirely outside the whole course of things here, and the fact that God’s power has thus wrought shows that He has another scene in view. Death is the end of every hope connected with the flesh, but resurrection opens up another order of things, and is the true starting-point of all our hope.
God has “begotten us again to a living hope through the resurrection of Jesus Christ from among the dead, to an incorruptible and undefiled and unfading inheritance, reserved in the heavens ...”. It is an immense deliverance to have our hearts turned from a world which is filled with sin’s confusion, so that we no longer entertain any hopes or prospects in connection with what is here, but in “living hope” we recognise that everything that is incorruptible and undefiled and unfading must be of a heavenly order, and that such is the nature of our inheritance.
Nothing that lies within the range of sin or death could be incorruptible, undefiled, or unfading. But in Jesus Christ risen from among the dead, things subsist which are beyond the reach of every corrupting and defiling influence. The inheritance in the mind of a Jew would include the fulfilment of all God’s promises, and therefore all grace and glory of the kingdom. Everything that God had promised — all His unnumbered thoughts of blessing towards men (Psalm 40: 5) — has been made good in Christ risen on the ground of redemption. And now, as guarded by the power of God through faith, we await the revelation of it all from heaven. God’s thoughts are not established here, but they are established in heaven; nothing has failed of His purpose of blessing, and it has all been secured where it cannot be corrupted or defiled.
In this world we see everything corrupted and defiled by sin, and even that which is comely and beautiful in nature — natural affections and the like — fades under the blight of death. But in a risen and heavenly Christ we see God’s [p. 201] thought of infinite favour and blessing for man in One who is for ever beyond the reach of sin and death. Our “living hope” attaches to Him, and to all that is established in unfading excellence and glory in Him, ere long to be manifested at His appearing, but already known as a blessed reality in our hearts.
Thus though the believer may be put to grief by various trials, and have his faith proved by fire, this only causes him to exult the more in the mighty deliverance and grace which will be brought out of heaven when the One who is there shall be revealed. Outwardly the saint does not experience deliverance — he may be poor, afflicted and persecuted — but inwardly he has passed out of darkness into God’s marvellous light. He is in the light of Christ risen and glorified, and is kept guarded by the power of God through faith for a salvation which is ready to be revealed.
We may see a striking illustration of this when Paul and Silas were in prison at Philippi. They were put to grief by manifold trials but the test only served to prove that they were really in the light of God’s purpose established in Christ. They were so in God’s marvellous light, that they could pray and sing praises to Him. God’s unseen things were greater realities to them than what they saw and felt here, and they were in joy and praise before there was any outward deliverance.
This may serve to show the meaning of what is spoken of in verse 9, “Receiving the end of your faith, the salvation of your souls”. That is, before the time comes for outward deliverance from all that is evil here, the Christian receives as the end of his faith an inward deliverance in the knowledge of Jesus Christ as risen and glorified. “Whom, having not seen, ye love; on whom though not now looking, but believing, ye exult with joy unspeakable and filled with the glory”. This is soul salvation. If our hearts are filled with joy unspeakable and full of glory, we shall not be much held or influenced by things and circumstances here. An [p. 202] unseen Person in heavenly glory has become the Object, not only of our faith, but of our love. We have believed on Him, not only to do certain things for us, but as the Object of our hearts. It is the great work of the Spirit of God to form a link of affection between our hearts and that risen, unseen Person in heaven. We know how strong are the links of human love. But a link of love in the power of the Holy Spirit is a stronger link than any bond in natural affection. And this is the nature of our link with Christ. The great mission of the Holy Spirit is to make the love and glory of Christ known in our hearts, so that we rejoice in Him with joy unspeakable and full of glory.
Stephen was in the power of this when, “being full of the Holy Spirit, having fixed his eyes on heaven, he saw the glory of God, and Jesus standing at the right hand of God” (Acts 7: 55). There was no outward deliverance in his case; God did not stay the violence of the persecutors, or turn aside the stones they cast at His faithful martyr. Men were allowed to do their worst unchecked, but at the very same moment Stephen’s heart was filled with the blessed vision of the glory of God and Jesus — he had joy unspeakable and was glorified. His inward deliverance was complete.
Paul likewise was in the power of soul salvation when he said, “I count also all things to be loss on account of the excellency of the knowledge of Christ Jesus my Lord, on account of whom I have suffered the loss of all, and count them to be filth, that I may gain Christ” (Philippians 3: 8). The light of the knowledge of the glory of God in the face of Jesus Christ had shone in his heart, and filled him with joy unspeakable and full of glory. And the effect was that he was inwardly delivered from the power and influence of things here.
If the love of Christ is in our hearts, and His glory shines there by the Spirit, we love Him whom we have not seen, and we rejoice in Him with joy unspeakable and full of glory. If this were so, do you think we should be attracted by the [p. 203] world, or held in bondage by the lusts and pride of the flesh? No! we should have complete inward deliverance from man in the flesh and his world; we should receive soul salvation. This is the end of our faith; it is the present triumph of faith. The heart is taken out of things here and linked up with a risen and heavenly Christ.
I have dwelt upon this as showing how the saints are formed as living stones for God’s spiritual house, and with the same object in view I now pass on to verse 18, “Knowing that ye have been redeemed, not by corruptible things, as silver or gold, from your vain conversation handed down from your fathers, but by precious blood, as of a lamb without blemish and without spot, the blood of Christ”.
It is of great moment to see clearly the aspect of redemption which is here presented. It is not from sins, or Satan’s power exactly, but from “your vain conversation handed down from your fathers”. That is, it is redemption from the claims, burdens, and vanities of a religion suited to man in the flesh. The law had “a shadow of the coming good things” but it had only a shadow; the substance was reserved for a later day. So it is written of that system of things that “the law perfected nothing” (Hebrews 7: 19), and also, “Sacrifice and offering thou willedst not ... . Thou tookest no pleasure in burnt-offerings and sacrifices for sin” (Hebrews 10: 5, 6). If this were so even as to those things which had been divinely instituted, how much more as to the many things which had been invented by men and incorporated in their traditions? What was the value of a system which left at a distance from God the hearts of those who participated in its forms and ceremonies? It was an empty shell, a vain conversation. And to an upright soul it was a burdensome and oppressive system. A fleshly religion may suit an unconverted man, but a round of forms, observances and ceremonies becomes very barren and burdensome to one who, through grace, thirsts for the knowledge of God. It does not meet the need of the exercised conscience, nor [p. 204] does it satisfy the awakened heart.
Now we are redeemed from all such “vain conversation” by the precious blood of Christ. The death of Christ is our title to be free, because it is the proof that everything according to the flesh has come to an end before God, while at the same time everything that was dimly shadowed forth by the ordinances of the law has been fulfilled in divine perfection. Everything in judaism served to remind men that sins were not put away, that they could not approach God, and that death was upon them. But by the precious blood of Christ, propitiation has been made for sins, the death that was upon man has come upon One who was personally exempt from it, and thus a way of approach to God has been opened.
Of what avail are the ceremonies and ordinances of an earthly religion? Believers do not need them either in connection with the putting away of their sins or with their approach to God. They are simply appropriated by man in the flesh, who loves to be engaged in some kind of religious service, and whose conscience is so dead that he does not realise how empty and vain are all such services and ceremonies. Does God take pleasure in religious buildings, music, sacred vestments, incense, sacraments, and regular attendance upon what are called religious duties? No! God is the living God, and He finds no pleasure in “dead works” performed by sinners who are in His sight under death.
There is no more sad and solemn verse in Scripture than John 19: 31: “The Jews therefore, that the bodies might not remain on the cross on the sabbath, for it was the preparation, (for the day of that sabbath was a great day,) demanded of Pilate that their legs might be broken and they taken away”. The Christ of God was dead upon the cross, and now His betrayers and murderers would go on with the punctilious observance of the sabbath! They were concerned that nothing should interfere with the sanctity of the day! Such is man! But what pleasure did their sabbath-keeping or their “great day” afford to God? It was indeed a “vain conversation”.
In the death of Christ the end of all flesh has come before God. We are under death and judgment, and Christ has come there in love on our behalf. If we recognise this, how can we bring to God that which is of the flesh? How can we go on with things that belong to religious flesh? Will God be pleased with devout attitudes, melodious voices, anything of that kind? No! the death of Christ has brought the man to whom these things belong to an end before God, and when we see this we do not want a bit of fleshly religion. We are set free from it in heart and spirit and conscience, for we recognise it to be a “vain conversation”.
In christendom generally the true import of the death of Christ is unknown. Hence what we see around us is very much like judaism with certain modifications, and with christian terms imported into it. It has become as much a “vain conversation” as judaism was — a religion for man in the flesh, and adapted to him as such. In presence of all this we need to cherish very much the thought of the death of Christ, and its divine import. This will keep us clear of religious flesh and its “vain conversation”.
The Lord’s supper is the rallying point for Christians, and we do therein show the Lord’s death till He come. In deep and blessed love He has died, and in presence of His love we realise “that one died for all, then all have died” (2 Corinthians 5: 14). His death is the end of all that we were, but it is at the same time the revelation to our hearts of divine love, and in that love we are blessed. We bring nothing of the flesh to God; we praise and bless God that all we were as in the flesh was ended in Christ’s death. And now we live in the love which has reached us through death, and in the blessings which that love has freely given. The apprehension of this takes our hearts quite away from religious flesh; it takes the shine out of everything connected with man in the flesh. Then by Him we “believe on God who has raised him [p. 206] from among the dead and given him glory, that your faith and hope should be in God” (verse 21). It is by a risen Christ that we believe in God, and we know Him as One whose mighty acts are wrought in the power and sphere of resurrection. Our faith and hope are in God as the One who raised up Christ from the dead and gave Him glory.
Thus knowing God we have part in the divine nature, and we love one another. “Having purified your souls by obedience to the truth to unfeigned brotherly love, love one another out of a pure heart fervently” (verse 22). Also note verses 15 and 16, “But as he who has called you is holy, be ye also holy in all your conversation; because it is written, Be ye holy, for I am holy”. By the Holy Spirit we are formed in the divine nature — that is, in holiness and love — so as to be morally suited to God. This necessitates the entire setting aside of the flesh and its glory; it is wholly worthless for God. So we read at the end of the chapter, “All flesh is as grass, and all its glory as the flower of grass. The grass has withered and its flower has fallen”. Hence we are exhorted to lay aside “all malice and all guile and hypocrisies and envyings and all evil speakings” (chapter 2: 1). All that is the activity of the flesh must be set aside, for it is entirely contrary to the divine nature. This is in view of growing up to salvation. We cannot grow unless we lay aside the moral deformities that attach to the flesh. Such things as malice, guile, etc. grieve the Spirit and put a stop to all divine growth.
“As newborn babes desire earnestly the pure mental milk of the word, that by it ye may grow up to salvation” (chapter 2: 2). We grow up to salvation as the pure mental milk of the word nourishes our souls with what is of God, for this practically alienates our hearts from man and his world. Thus we are delivered in spirit from all that system of things in which the power of evil works. We do not arrive at this all at once; we have to grow up to it. We apprehend that Christ is rejected here, but that every divine thought is made good in Him as the risen and heavenly One. In the apprehension [p. 207] of these things we are spiritually formed as “living stones” for God’s spiritual house. We are thus prepared to come to Christ as the Living Stone that we may be built up “a spiritual house, a holy priesthood”. We are prepared to take our place here in the fellowship of His rejection and death.
This is the true place and privilege of all saints. There is nothing pretentious or ecclesiastical about it; it is simply God’s mind for His saints that they should be found in the fellowship of Christ’s rejection and death here, and that they should come to Him as the Living Stone so as to be built up a spiritual house. What it means to come to Him as the Living Stone we may consider, if God will, on a future occasion.
I trust each one of us may realise the importance and blessedness of that which has come before us at this time. I have sought to present four things: (1) that the saints are begotten unto a living hope by the resurrection of Jesus Christ; (2) it is our privilege to be so rejoicing in Him as the risen and heavenly One that we have complete inward deliverance — soul salvation; (3) we are redeemed by the precious blood of Christ from every kind of “vain conversation” in the way of fleshly and earthly religion; (4) we have purified our souls by obedience to the truth, that we may be now practically apart from what is of the flesh, and formed in the divine nature. May we know in our souls the true power and grace of these things by the Holy Spirit!