1 Peter chapter 2 I want to continue
with. I'm going to read the first 12 verses. 1 Peter chapter 2. Wherefore, laying
aside all malice, and all guile, and hypocrisies, and envies,
and all evil speaking, as newborn babes, how about that, desire
the sincere milk of the word that ye may grow thereby. If
so be ye have tasted that the Lord is gracious. to whom coming
as unto a living stone, disallowed indeed of men, but chosen of
God and precious. Ye also, as lively stones, are
built up a spiritual house and holy priesthood to offer up spiritual
sacrifices acceptable to God by Jesus Christ. Wherefore also
it is contained in the Scripture, Behold, I lay in Zion a chief
cornerstone, elect, precious, and he that believeth on him
shall not be confounded. unto you, therefore, which believe
he is precious. But unto them which be disobedient,
the stone which the builders disallowed, the same is made
the head of the corner, and a stone of stumbling, and a rock of offense,
even to them which stumble at the word, being disobedient,
whereunto also they were appointed." But ye are a chosen generation,
a royal priesthood, and holy nation, a peculiar people, that
ye should show forth the praises of him who hath called you out
of darkness into his marvelous light, which in time past were
not a people, but are now the people of God, which had not
obtained mercy, but now have obtained mercy. Dearly beloved,
I beseech you as strangers and pilgrims, abstain from fleshly
lust, which war against the soul, having your conversation honest
among the Gentiles, that whereas they speak against you as evildoers,
they may by your good works, which they shall behold, glorify
God in the day of visitation. We start out this chapter with
a wherefore, or a because of this. That because is having
been born by the word of God, and that is the living word,
Jesus Christ, proclaimed by the gospel. We are to throw off,
lay aside, get rid of all these things, having been born from
above, and desire to hear the gospel. It says to desire the
undeceitful and simplicity of the word. That is, desire Christ
and Christ alone. This is how you will grow. This
is growing, not morphing. A child of God does not morph
into something he is not. They just grow. A child of God
has everything they will ever have in this new man. They just
get bigger, if you will. They grow up. A child of God
has everything. They do this by hearing the gospel
over and over again because it says thereby. It is just as a
little child. They have everything they were
born with. In growing, they just get bigger and more mature. If
you don't lay aside these things, you will have problems. You will
have sorrow. You will stunt your growth, so
to speak. Get rid of them. Desire to hear his gospel, that
gospel which is singular, that is simple, and that is the good
news and the word personified. But then Peter throws in a qualification. If so be ye have tasted that
the Lord is gracious. You will not desire the sincere
milk of the word if you have not experienced that Jesus Christ
is gracious. But there is a question to you
and I. Have I tasted, have I been partaker of, experienced the
grace of God to me? If not, I will not like this
milk. Those like this may put up with
it long enough to get home, but they often will cleave to and
love lies on God rather than loving the gospel of a gracious
God who has manifested himself to his people through the gospel. I will also say that if you have
not experienced this, there's nothing you can do about it.
Because those who are his, those who are babes in Christ and born
of God, all I can do is instruct those
that have not had this taste of this graciousness to them,
all I can tell them is to cry out for grace and mercy from
this sovereign God. And I like what Robert Hawker
says about this part of this passage, and I'm gonna read it.
And indeed, under the presumption which the apostle makes, and
which is the sure consequence of being born again, the soul
hath tasted that the Lord is gracious. This spiritual sense,
which belongs only to the regenerate, makes the child of God exceedingly
anxious to drink deeper into the glorious truths of Christ
and His redemption. For the soul hath now felt somewhat
of the plague of his own heart. hath had some views of the glories
of Christ and the suitableness of Jesus to his wants as a poor
sinner. And thus having known somewhat
of his own emptiness and Christ's all-sufficiency, the earnest
longing of the soul is for the being satisfied with the breast
of consolation and to milk out and he delighted with the abundance
of Christ's glory." The child of God does not only
believe the gospel, they certainly do that, but they love to hear
the gospel. They have to have it as their
soul is hungry for this heavenly manna and this water where man
will never thirst again. This, my brothers and sisters,
is constant with the child of God. Oh, I know there might be
times where we might feel we do not think about God. Times
where we think we are something when we are not. But it is not
long until he causes us to see our need of him in everything.
But I know it's constant because it says this, to whom coming. An action taken and an action
that continues. This is one who we continue.
continue, continue to come to. And this one is disallowed of
men. This world will have nothing
to do with this God of scripture, who is the living God. They just
want a God who will tell them how to live so they can go out
and be on fire for God. They are not in need of his spiritual
food, which is his word, the gospel. But this is all about
Christ. Christ is all, as the Scripture
says, so why would I want anything else? It is because He is precious,
and that's what I want to speak about today. But let me start
out by giving you some definitions of precious, meanings from Scripture. I want to talk about some of
the words used as precious in our text and in 1 Peter, just
to get an understanding of what precious is as it relates to
our text. We have first, the first word
for precious is from 1 Peter 1.19, and you all remember where
I read it, where we read, but the precious blood of Christ. That word simply means valuable
or had in reputation. It's derived from a word meaning
valued. His blood is valuable because
it is valued. That is simple enough, but I
will have more on that later. But remember, I'm just trying
to give a sense for the meanings of these words for precious.
The next word for precious is from our text, 1 Peter 2, 4.
to whom coming as unto a living stone, disallowed indeed of men,
but chosen of God and precious. I will add, this precious, as
it states it here, is precious to God, and that is important. This word is the word, the previous
word is derived from, which means valued. This word is also derived
from a word that means a value or money paid. We're talking
about precious. So I would say it this way, precious
to God because God the Father values the Son, because he gave
his only begotten Son to pay the payment needed for the salvation
of man. Next we have another word in
our text, 1 Peter 2, 7. Unto you therefore which believe,
he is precious. This one, of course, means a
value or money paid, or it can mean esteem of the highest degree. But this word is also derived
from a word that means, and this is good, to pay a price as a
penalty or be punished with. I'll leave that for later, but
I want to say this. There is a reason why he is precious to
a believer. But then the last one I will
throw in for free, and it's from 2 Peter 1-1, where it says, Simon
Peter, a servant and an apostle of Jesus Christ, to them that
have obtained like precious faith with us through the righteousness
of God and Savior Jesus Christ. This one means of equal value
or honor, which is derived from the word we just mentioned, which
means a value or money paid. This one I won't get into too
much today. So let's look through these four
things, through these three things. His precious blood, precious
to God, and precious to his people. I know this verse is not in our
text, but it's totally related to our subject of what is precious.
Precious to God and precious to his people. 1 Peter 1.18.
In 19 we read, for as much as you know that you were not redeemed
with corruptible things as silver and gold from your vain conversation
received by tradition from your fathers, but with the precious
blood of Christ as of a lamb without blemish and without The blood of Jesus Christ because
of who he is and what was accomplished by the shedding of his blood
is valuable without any other things needed to be considered.
It says here is a lamb without spot and without blemish. He
told his apostles, Peter specifically, and maybe the people who came
to get him in the garden heard it as well, but in Matthew 26,
52 and 53 we read, Then said Jesus unto him, put up again
thy sword into its place, for all they that take the sword
shall perish with the sword. Thinkest thou that I cannot now
pray to my father and he shall presently give me more than 12
legions of angels? If it was not ordained to happen,
if Christ had not meant it to happen, that is him shedding
his blood, then it would not have happened. What did he say
in another place? John 10, 17, and 18. Therefore
doth my father love me because I lay down my life that I might
take it again. No man taketh it from me, but
I lay it down of myself. I have power to lay it down and
I have power to take it again. This commandment have I received
of my father. Remember Jesus Christ is a man
like you and I, but he is also God. We are told that he knew no sin. Had he been pleased, he could
have still been living right now today on this earth. But
he was not pleased to do that. He died giving up his life and
shedding his blood for an ungodly people to save them from their
sins being made a curse and sin for them. It says he was a lamb
without blemish and without spot. Even when he was marred beyond
recognition, he was without blemish and without spot. Man could not
pollute our Lord, because he is precious to the Father, and
only the Father can pollute him, if you will. Because what does
the scripture say? All we like sheep have gone astray,
we have turned everyone to his own way, and the Lord hath laid
on him the iniquity of us all. Only God could do such a thing.
We better be thankful for that, that He was pleased to do this.
He did this for us all. That is, He did this for all
those who are sheep, because not all are sheep. It says, all
we like sheep have gone astray. Christ told some this in John
10, 25 through 27. Jesus answered them, I told you
and you believe not. The works that I do in my Father's
name, they bear witness of me. But ye believe not because ye
are not of my sheep. As I said unto you, my sheep
hear my voice and I know them and they follow me. This is why
his blood is precious, why his blood is valuable and valued,
because of who he is and what he has done. Yet it pleased God
to bruise him, so next he is valued by God. First Peter 2.4,
to whom coming unto a living stone, disallowed indeed of men,
but chosen of God and precious. Jesus Christ is the elect. He is chosen by God the Father
to redeem a people. He's that cornerstone that men
trip over, that stumbling stone. They are not looking for him
to build the house. They overlook him to try to build
their house and they trip over him. Men and women in this world
do not want a Jesus who is all and in all. They want a Jesus
who will help them out when they want something. They have something
to do for God. They care nothing about what
God can do for them or to them for that matter. They despise
the elect. If anyone is in Christ, they
despise you because they despise the elect. Isaiah 42 one says,
behold my servant whom I uphold, mine elect in whom my soul delighteth,
I have put my spirit upon him and he shall bring forth judgment
to the Gentiles. God choosing God to redeem a
people for his name. Who else would be able to do
such a thing for such a people? But God the father delights in
his son. His son, Jesus Christ, would
not waver and would not fail. You see, this cornerstone has
already been laid. You build on any other thing
than this cornerstone, your house will fall. His sacrifice and
all his works, the Father smells as a sweet-smelling savor. Isaiah 53, 10, and 11. Yet it
pleased the Lord to bruise him. He hath put him to grief when
thou shalt make his soul an offering for sin. He shall see his seed,
he shall prolong his days, and the pleasure of the Lord shall
prosper in his hand. He shall see the travail of his
soul and shall be satisfied. By his knowledge shall my righteous
servant justify many, for he shall bear their iniquities. Just think about it. God the
Father will see the travail of the Son over his sin and shall
be satisfied. I think Walter did a message
on satiated or something like that. That's what that word means,
satiated. Totally satisfied. It is your sins. It is your sins,
but yet it is his sins. If He died for you, they were
laid on Him, but they were made His. And with that sacrifice
for the sins of the people, Him being made sin for them, He satisfied
God the Father. God the Father loves the Son
and He sent the Son to do what He did. When He done it, God
was satisfied fully and completely. So there's nothing else to be
done for sin. If God is satisfied, if the son
died for you. God is satisfied, so why would
we not be? Some aren't, but his people are,
which is my next point. Precious to his people. First
Peter 2.7 says, unto you therefore which believe, he is precious. But unto them which be disobedient,
the stone which the bitter was disallowed, the same is made
the head of the corner. The angels desire to look into
these things, but they cannot. They do not know what it's like
to be dead in trespasses and in sin, but then to be redeemed
by the Lord of glory. We as fallen sinful human beings
have no idea what it's like to be holy, just, a holy, just,
and righteous God, and then to be made sin. Some will know the
judgment of God, the forsaking of God, but those are not holy,
so they will never see the redemption that is in Christ Jesus. Only
God in the face of Jesus Christ knows this fully and completely,
because he did this to redeem a people for his name. But why
is he so precious to us? Well, just to say right off,
He redeemed us from the curse of the law and made us righteous
and holy before this God who forsook His Son, and He did this
for us. Now, I want to look at another
word used as precious in the scripture, and I believe this
passage will give us a glimpse of how there are some who know
the preciousness of Jesus Christ the Lord. So if you would, turn
with me to Matthew 26. Matthew 26. Matthew 26 and right now just
verse 6. Matthew 26 and verse 6. Now when Jesus was in Bethany
in the house of Simon the leper, There came unto him a woman having
an alabaster box of very precious ointment, and poured it on his
head as he sat at meat. The word for precious here, when
you look at the meaning of the word, it means this, highly valuable
and precious. But it is derived from two other
words, one meaning weighty or burdensome, Joe, and the other
meaning money paid. When we look at the account in
Matthew, she had this alabaster box of ointment. Some say, if
I have it right, that this was so costly that it took somewhere
around a month's worth of wages to purchase. How she earned her
wages come into picture here. Looking at the meaning, since
it's derived from those other two words, so it carries that
meaning with it. To see some of this, let's turn
over to another recorded scripture of this event in Luke, Luke 7.
Luke 7. Luke 7 and verse 36 through 39. Okay, Luke 7 verse
36. And one of the Pharisees desired
him that he would eat with him, and he went into the Pharisee's
house and sat down to meet. And behold, a woman in the city,
which was a sinner, when she knew that Jesus sat at meet in
the Pharisee's house, brought an alabaster box of ointment,
and stood at his feet behind him weeping, and began to wash
his feet with tears, and did wipe them with the hairs of her
head, and kissed his feet, and anointed them with the ointment.
Now when the Pharisee which had bidden him saw it, he spake within
himself, saying, This man, if he were a prophet, would have
known who and what manner of woman this is that touches him,
for she is a sinner. Now, if you go on to read that,
our Lord never tells this Pharisee that, no, you got it wrong. This
woman is not a sinner. He just begins to explain what
grace is. This grace that he explained
only comes to those who are sinners. This woman had something which
was highly valuable. She couldn't or wouldn't just
pour it out on the ground. It cost her a lot of work to
get this ointment, but getting it was burdensome and weighty.
It cost her dearly. All the work of her hands, and
this was work done, this work done was costly and it was burdensome
because the work had to keep being done over and over. And
what a burden that is. But what did this woman do? She
took that which cost her dearly. It was a weight she carried,
but she had to have it. She could not do her work without
it. In Mark, we won't turn there,
but in Mark 14 of this account, it says, she break this precious
box of ointment. Remember in Proverbs where it
says, a man that hath friends must show himself friendly, and
there is a friend that sticketh closer than a brother. Must show
himself friendly. Those four words meaning this,
to spoil, to make good for nothing, to break. This word for break
in Mark means to crush completely, to shatter, to break. When a
sinner is brought to the Lord, they will break into pieces their
works. They will show, they will admit
that the works of their hands has only served to condemn them
more. But when she learned of Christ,
when she was revealed Christ, what did she do? She laid all
her weight and burden, which was costly to her, she laid it
or put it on the head of Christ because of what he was going
to do. She anointed his feet because
his feet are so beautiful. The scripture says, how beautiful
are the feet of them that bring good tidings to the poor. Our
Lord is our example. He was the one who truly brought
good tidings to sinners. He proclaimed that his works
would save poor sinners like you and I. This box of ointment
was a product of her sins and she put that on his head for
his burial. He was the only one who could
relieve her of this costly burden. It was a great price that this
ointment was purchased. The cost was death in reality
because it was bought with sin and sin. She had to have someone
to take that burden from her. Keep in mind, this word is derived
from the word for precious in our text in verse seven. One
of the words is derived from means to pay a price as a penalty. This woman paid a price for her
works, but she laid that on Christ. We have something as fallen sinful
men and women that is costly and it's all we have. It is the
results of all the works we have done with our hands and our feet.
What are we to do? Lay it on him. What do you and
I have that could have anything to do with this other than that
expensive, that very precious box of ointment to put on his
head? Matthew 26.7 says, there came
unto him a woman having alabaster box of very precious ointment
and poured it on his head as he sat at meet. Our burden of trying to work
out our own salvation, he causes us to break that box open and
pour it on his head for his burial. We need him to take it to his
death, else we will have to meet God with that weight. So He is
precious, that is valued when valued by those who know He is
their only hope of salvation before Christ, holy God. God's
people are willing to bow down at His feet and bathe Him with
their tears because He is precious, period. God the Father laid all
my sins on Him, so why would I not do so? I know I do not
literally in any way place my sins on him, but I'm talking
about that saying Paul said, for the which cause I also suffer
these things. Nevertheless, I am not ashamed
for I know whom I have believed and am persuaded that he is able
to keep that which I have committed unto him against that day. I commit to him that which only
he can do, and that is to take away my sins, and because of
that, making me righteous before God. What did Paul commit to
him? All his sins, past, present,
and future. For if Christ had not bore all
of them, you would still stand before God with them. But Christ
paid it all, all to him I owe. Sin had left a crimson stain.
He washed it white as snow. What am I trying to say here
is like that publican did, where the Pharisee prayed thus with
himself. But the publican, standing afar off, would not even lift
up his eyes to heaven. But what did he do? He smoked
on his breast, because he had a burden and a weight, and that
he needed someone else to take. someone who was worthy to take
it, that could redeem me to God by his works. He said, propitiate
me. Take my place, O Lord, be my
substitute. Take my sins far away from God
so that he will never see them again, making me white as snow
in Jesus Christ the Lord. This is the sincere milk of the
word that all the saints of God desire. the milk of salvation
before God through and by our Lord Jesus Christ, whose blood
is precious, who he himself is precious. Precious to God and
precious to his people. It says to whom coming. And you know what that's saying,
right? I come and I keep coming. Because he's our only hope of
salvation. He is a stumbling stone to those
who are not his and maybe for a time to those who are his but
have not been revealed him yet. But when he is revealed, they
will come and they will keep coming. They will take what has
been precious to them and lay it on him so that he might take
it far from them by his works. Oh, what a precious gospel that
Jesus Christ has done it all with nothing left over for me
to do. A good thing too, because I have nothing to give. I have
already spent my wages and what they have gained me is death.
Jesus Christ is all. There's no work for me to do.
There's no law for me to keep. All he says for me to do is to
believe him. And he even provided the way
for me to do that. Nothing is possible with man,
but by him all things are possible, and not only possible, but sure
and secure, because he did what was needed to make all this possible. He is truly precious. Amen. Dear Lord God, thank you for
once again allowing us to to see you, dear Lord, in your gospel,
dear Lord. Cause our hearts to just yearn
and love to hear your gospel, dear Lord. Be with us as we go
out, dear Lord. We have to do things in this
world and deal with this world, but there may just be a sinner
out there, dear Lord, that may, by your servants and your power
and your grace, hear his gospel. and all these things we ask in
Christ's name, amen.