“you also, as living stones, are being built up a spiritual house, a holy priesthood, to offer up spiritual sacrifices acceptable to God through Jesus Christ” (1 Peter 2:5).
The work of a stonemason often serves as a critical element in the building construction process. For instance, various forms of stonework serve a decorative function that brings beauty and character to an office or residence. In other instances, a stonemason or bricklayer is responsible for establishing a wall or foundation that supports other portions of a building.
With this in mind, let’s consider the work that involves the construction of a brick wall. This process does not involve a terribly complicated procedure; the mason adds a layer of brick, secures it with mortar, checks to ensure that the layer is plumb and level, and then repeats the process with another layer. This procedure lacks complexity because bricks are inanimate objects that generally stay where we put them, sometimes for centuries.
But what if the contractor in our illustration is working with living stones? In other words, what if our stonemason is dealing with bricks that interact with the other bricks that are placed above, below, or alongside? In that instance, the work of our mason becomes much more complex. The same is true of the relationship of every stone to every other stone within the building.
This serves to describe those who are “…being built up into a spiritual house” (AMP) as we’re told here in 1 Peter 2:5. Fortunately, the foundation for these living stones is a cornerstone that has been rejected by the world but is chosen and honored by God. That cornerstone of our “spiritual house” is Christ. He serves as our foundation and the example for our relationship with the other living stones that comprise the household of God
Therefore, we must determine how we will integrate with these other living stones as we look to Christ as our example. Since a house divided against itself cannot stand, we should ensure that we are not the cause of such division.
Nevertheless, we should not be surprised if God chooses to position us near other living stones who challenge us in different ways. Some of those living stones may help us develop the qualities of patience, charity, or graciousness. Others serve to grind down the rough edges of our personalities. We may serve similar purposes in the lives of others as well. Thus, we have an encouraging reminder from Colossians 3:13…
“Make allowance for each other’s faults, and forgive anyone who offends you. Remember, the Lord forgave you, so you must forgive others” (Colossians 3:12-13 NLT).