Let Us Be Living Stones In Our Lord’s Living Temple

Today’s Word Of Encouragement From Wayne:

“Thus says the Lord of hosts, ‘Consider your ways! Go up to the mountains, bring wood and rebuild the temple, that I may be pleased with it and be glorified,’ says the Lord”

Haggai 1: 7-8

Yesterday I shared with you, from this Scripture, about God’s call to His people to end their separate selfish pursuits, regarding their own houses, so that they would all “Go up to the mountains, bring wood and rebuild the temple.” I also shared about how going up to the mountain represents our going to meet with God, so we may receive something from Him (gather wood) that we could then come together, as the body of Christ, as God’s priesthood in the body of Christ, and mutually build up the house of the Lord.

Here is our New Testament counter-part to this call of God to His people in the Old Testament. In his first letter, the apostle Peter wrote this to the body of Christ, “And coming to Him as to a living stone which has been rejected by men, but is choice and precious in the sight of God, you also, as living stones, are being built up as a spiritual house for a holy priesthood, to offer up spiritual sacrifices acceptable to God through Jesus Christ. For this is contained in Scripture: ‘Behold, I lay in Zion a choice stone, a precious corner stone, and he who believes in Him will not be disappointed’” (1st Peter 2: 4-6).

We are actually regarded by God as living stones, each one of us. When we gather together, as living stones, and acknowledge Jesus Christ as our chief Corner Stone, and are actually built upon Him, then we become God’s living temple, specifically called together for the clearly declared purpose that we would be “built up as a spiritual house for a holy priesthood.”

This is God’s clear will exactly expressed through Peter, and where is this acknowledged reality in the church today? This passage indicates to me that every single Christian congregation should regard themselves in this way, as living stones coming to Jesus Christ, our “choice and precious” Corner Stone, specifically to emerge as God’s holy priesthood in this day, with every member, every living stone, acknowledging their own call as a priest unto our Lord. This is God’s will, and as we have seen time and again, this has always been God’s will, for all of His people.

Remember in the book of Exodus, the second book of the Bible, God told Moses to say this to ALL the people, “‘You yourselves have seen what I did to the Egyptians, and how I bore you on eagles wings, and brought you to Myself. Now then, if you will indeed obey My voice and keep My covenant, then you shall be My Own possession among all the peoples, for all the earth is mine; and you shall be to Me a kingdom of priests and a holy nation.’ These are the words that you shall speak to the sons of Israel” (Exodus 19: 4-6).

Peter was obviously referencing this very text from Exodus when he wrote to the body of Christ, “But you are a chosen race, a royal priesthood, a holy nation, a people for God’s Own possession” (1st Peter 2:9).

God’s call through Moses and Haggai to His Old Covenant people, to rebuild the temple and be His priesthood, is the same as God’s call through Peter to His New Covenant people, to BE the temple and BE His Own “royal priesthood” in this day. This is a great privilege, a great call, and the expressed will of God consistently throughout Scripture for all of His true people, His true covenant people and priesthood.

Say yes to your priesthood today. Say yes to building up the body of Christ as a true unto-our-Lord “royal priesthood” today. Let us walk in this perfect will of our perfect Lord. Hallelujah!