November 03, 2021 – Wednesday
1 Peter 2:7-8 NIV
7 Now to you who believe, this stone is precious. But to those who do not believe, “The stone the builders rejected has become the cornerstone,”
8 and, “A stone that causes people to stumble and a rock that makes them fall.” They stumble because they disobey the message—which is also what they were destined for.
Comment.
We should be able to see just how closely this parallels Romans 9:33, As it is written: “See, I lay in Zion a stone that causes people to stumble and a rock that makes them fall, and the one who believes in him will never be put to shame.” But Peter makes it even clearer that They stumble because they disobey the message. Yesterday we looked at the three preceding verses 4-6 which read, As you come to him, the living Stone—rejected by humans but chosen by God and precious to him—you also, like living stones, are being built into a spiritual house to be a holy priesthood, offering spiritual sacrifices acceptable to God through Jesus Christ. For in Scripture it says: “See, I lay a stone in Zion, a chosen and precious cornerstone, and the one who trusts in him will never be put to shame.”
Of course, knowing the stone is the living Stone – Jesus – lets us that those who believe are followers, believers in Jesus and the Good News He brought to all mankind 2,000 years ago. Wait! What the about the unbelievers you ask? Well, not only has Jesus become the cornerstone of our faith, but for the unbelievers Jesus has become A stone that causes people to stumble and a rock that makes them fall. Why does this happen? They stumble because they disobey the message—which is also what they were destined for.
What message did they disobey? The disobeyed or rejected the Good News Jesus brought and His disciples continued bringing His message to the world. There was not reason to disobey or to refuse to believe. They refused to believe and out of arrogance and pride disobeyed the word He had brought with Him. Such people invariably find God’s Word and Jesus to be totally undesirable and a real impediment in the way they want to live in their sin. Thus they do not want to be saved.
What does it mean what they were destined for? Individuals who purposely disobey God are destined to stumble because of their unbelief. Surely Peter is telling us that while disobedience leads to stumbling, so unbelief, rejection of the Good News, leads to eternal damnation.
What is clear is that God has made this a choice for each and every person. A person may choose life, eternal life, or he or she may choose death, eternal damnation.
The truly good news comes in the following two verses 9-10, But you are a chosen people, a royal priesthood, a holy nation, God’s special possession, that you may declare the praises of him who called you out of darkness into his wonderful light. Once you were not a people, but now you are the people of God; once you had not received mercy, but now you have received mercy. Mercy we received via God’s Grace through Jesus on the cross.
Prayer: Heavenly Father, Thank you for the blessings that come from accepting Your wonderful gift of Mercy and Grace for believing in the Good News Your Son brought to the world. – In Jesus’ Name. Amen.
RileyD, nwJ
Riley D. Driver – Pastor
Calvary Chapel of Dayton in Beavercreek