Jesus is like the most important stone in God's house
4 So come to the Lord Jesus. He is like a strong stone that a builder uses to build a house. But he is alive. People decided that he was not important. So they refused to accept him. But God had chosen him. To God, Jesus is very valuable. 5 You yourselves are also like stones that are alive. God is using you, like stones, to build a house where his Spirit lives. You will serve him like his special priests who offer sacrifices to him. God will be happy with the spiritual offerings that you give to him, because you belong to Jesus Christ.
2:5In God's house, the temple, Israel's priests offered sacrifices to God on behalf of the people. When Christians live in a way that pleases God, that is like a spiritual sacrifice that they offer to God.
6 In the Bible, God says this:
‘Look, I have chosen a stone that is very valuable.
I have chosen this stone as the most important stone,
for the corner of my house in Zion.
Anyone who believes in him will never become disappointed.’
7 This stone is very valuable to you who believe in Jesus. But the Bible says this about people who do not believe in him:
‘The builders refused to use a certain stone.
They thought that it had no value.
But now that stone has become the most important stone
at the corner of the building.’
2:7See Psalm 118:22. The stone at the corner of a house was the most important stone. It made the whole building strong. Jesus is like the stone at the corner of God's house. God had chosen Jesus to do his work. But the Jewish leaders would not agree with that. 8 The Bible also says this:
‘This stone will cause people to fall to the ground.
It is a rock that will make them fall down.’
They fall down like that because they refuse to obey God's message. God already decided that this would happen to them.
9 But you are not like that. You are a special group of people that God has chosen. You serve God like priests who serve a King. You are his own holy people who belong to him. He has taken you out of the dark place of sin, and he has brought you into his great light. God has done all this so that you can tell people how great he is. 10 In past times, you were not people who knew God. But now you are God's people. In past times, God did not forgive you. But now he has been very kind to you and he has forgiven you.
2:9In the Bible, when people do not know the truth about God, it is like they are living in a dark place. God gives light so that people know the truth.
11 My friends, remember that you are really strangers in this world. You do not belong here. So I am telling you not to do the bad things that your bodies may want to do. Those bad things fight against what is good for your soul. 12 You are living among people who do not know God. So be very careful that you always live in a good way. Sometimes these people may wrongly say that you do bad things. But if you continue to live in a good way, they will see that you really do good things. As a result, on the day when God comes as judge, they will give honour to him.
