Living Out Our Identity in Christ
Summary
### Summary
This morning, we continued our series in 1 Peter, focusing on the theme "Rock Solid in the World, But Not of It." We delved into chapter two, emphasizing the importance of putting our faith into action based on our identity in Christ. Peter's letter, written to early churches under the Roman Empire, remains profoundly relevant to us today. It calls us to grow into the salvation already secured for us, not by earning it, but by walking in it.
We explored how our identity as God's blood-bought, spirit-filled church is a privilege, standing on the shoulders of giants from the Old Testament who pointed to the salvation we now experience in Christ. Peter emphasizes that our identity in Christ should lead us to take action, not out of obligation, but as a natural response to who we are in Him.
We discussed three ways sacred people are called to live and grow: feasting on God's sacred word, hosting God's sacred presence, and marveling at and proclaiming the sacred gospel. Feasting on God's word involves putting away malice, deceit, hypocrisy, envy, and slander, and instead, longing for the pure spiritual milk of God's word. Hosting God's presence means recognizing that we, as the church, are the living stones being built into a spiritual house where the Holy Spirit dwells. Finally, marveling at and proclaiming the gospel involves understanding our sacred calling and sharing the good news of Jesus Christ with the world.
Peter's message is clear: our identity in Christ is the foundation for our actions. We are called to live differently because we have been made different. This sacred calling is not just for pastors or public figures but for every believer. We are God's plan A for the world, and our lives should reflect the transformative power of the gospel.
### Key Takeaways
1. Identity in Christ as the Foundation for Action: Our actions should flow naturally from our identity in Christ. We are not called to earn our salvation but to walk in the salvation already secured for us. This means living out our faith in tangible ways, reflecting the grace and love we have received. [01:54]
2. Feasting on God's Word: To grow spiritually, we must feast on God's word, putting away malice, deceit, hypocrisy, envy, and slander. This involves a deliberate choice to focus on the pure spiritual milk of God's word, allowing it to nourish and transform us. Our spiritual diet directly impacts our spiritual health and growth. [12:03]
3. Hosting God's Presence: As the church, we are the living stones being built into a spiritual house where the Holy Spirit dwells. This means recognizing the sacredness of our calling and the honor of being God's dwelling place on earth. Our lives should reflect the presence of God, bringing His love and grace to those around us. [43:14]
4. Marveling at and Proclaiming the Gospel: We are called to marvel at the gospel and proclaim its truth to the world. This involves understanding the depth of God's love and grace and sharing it with others. Our proclamation should be both in word and deed, reflecting the transformative power of the gospel in our lives. [01:02:40]
5. Living Differently Because We Are Different: Our identity in Christ calls us to live differently from the world. This means rejecting the sinful patterns of malice, deceit, hypocrisy, envy, and slander, and instead, embracing a life of holiness and love. We are called to be a light in the darkness, reflecting the character of Christ in all we do. [09:07]
### YouTube Chapters
[0:00] - Welcome
[01:54] - Introduction to 1 Peter Series
[03:24] - Practicing the Way Book Study
[04:46] - Recap of 1 Peter Chapter 1
[06:13] - Privilege of Our Identity in Christ
[07:29] - Importance of Identity Before Action
[09:07] - Implications of Our Identity
[12:03] - Sacred People Feast on God's Word
[13:30] - Spiritual Diet and Its Importance
[15:14] - Christ as the Cornerstone
[18:23] - Value of God's Word
[22:49] - Battle for Our Attention
[24:36] - Spiritual Diet Analogy
[27:23] - Specific Sins to Put Away
[30:37] - Impact of Malice, Deceit, Hypocrisy, Envy, and Slander
[32:09] - Dealing with Offense and Hurt
[34:06] - Confession and Repentance
[36:52] - Longing for Pure Spiritual Milk
[39:55] - Feasting on Jesus
[43:14] - Sacred People Host God's Presence
[47:28] - Living Stones and Spiritual House
[49:04] - The Gospel and Our Calling
[51:13] - Prophetic Imagery in Daniel
[54:23] - Interpretation of Nebuchadnezzar's Dream
[57:20] - Kingdom of God Breaking Through
[58:04] - Christ as the Cornerstone
[59:54] - Rejection of Christ and Our Response
[01:00:47] - Grieving the Holy Spirit
[01:02:40] - Marveling at and Proclaiming the Gospel
[01:04:02] - Final Thoughts and Prayer
Study Guide
### Bible Study Discussion Guide
#### Bible Reading
1 Peter 2:1-10 (ESV)
> So put away all malice and all deceit and hypocrisy and envy and all slander. Like newborn infants, long for the pure spiritual milk, that by it you may grow up into salvation— if indeed you have tasted that the Lord is good. As you come to him, a living stone rejected by men but in the sight of God chosen and precious, you yourselves like living stones are being built up as a spiritual house, to be a holy priesthood, to offer spiritual sacrifices acceptable to God through Jesus Christ. For it stands in Scripture: “Behold, I am laying in Zion a stone, a cornerstone chosen and precious, and whoever believes in him will not be put to shame.” So the honor is for you who believe, but for those who do not believe, “The stone that the builders rejected has become the cornerstone,” and “A stone of stumbling, and a rock of offense.” They stumble because they disobey the word, as they were destined to do. But you are a chosen race, a royal priesthood, a holy nation, a people for his own possession, that you may proclaim the excellencies of him who called you out of darkness into his marvelous light. Once you were not a people, but now you are God’s people; once you had not received mercy, but now you have received mercy.
#### Observation Questions
1. What are the specific behaviors Peter instructs believers to put away in 1 Peter 2:1?
2. According to 1 Peter 2:2, what should believers long for, and why?
3. How does Peter describe believers in 1 Peter 2:5, and what is their purpose?
4. What is the significance of Jesus being referred to as the "cornerstone" in 1 Peter 2:6-7?
#### Interpretation Questions
1. Why does Peter emphasize the importance of putting away malice, deceit, hypocrisy, envy, and slander before longing for spiritual milk? How do these behaviors hinder spiritual growth? [27:23]
2. In what ways does recognizing our identity as "living stones" and a "holy priesthood" impact our daily lives and actions? [43:14]
3. How does the imagery of Jesus as the cornerstone help us understand our relationship with Him and our role in the church? [15:14]
4. What does it mean to proclaim the excellencies of Him who called us out of darkness into His marvelous light, and how can we do this in practical ways? [01:02:40]
#### Application Questions
1. Reflect on your current spiritual diet. Are there any "chips and salsa" (worldly distractions) that you need to put away to make room for the "steak fajitas" (God's word and presence)? What steps can you take this week to feast more on God's word? [24:36]
2. How can you be more intentional about hosting God's presence in your daily life? Are there specific areas where you need to invite the Holy Spirit to dwell more fully? [43:14]
3. Think about a recent situation where you felt malice, deceit, hypocrisy, envy, or slander. How did it affect your spiritual health? What can you do to address these feelings and align more with your identity in Christ? [27:23]
4. In what ways can you marvel at and proclaim the gospel in your community? Identify one person or group you can share the good news with this week. [01:02:40]
5. How does understanding that you are part of God's plan A for the world change your perspective on your role in the church and community? What specific actions can you take to live out this calling? [15:14]
6. Reflect on a time when you felt rejected or ostracized for your faith. How did you respond, and how can you draw strength from your identity as a "living stone" chosen by God in future situations? [45:55]
7. What practical steps can you take to ensure that Jesus remains the cornerstone of your life, especially in times of instability or challenge? [16:41]
Devotional
### Day 1: Identity in Christ as the Foundation for Action
Our actions should flow naturally from our identity in Christ. We are not called to earn our salvation but to walk in the salvation already secured for us. This means living out our faith in tangible ways, reflecting the grace and love we have received. Peter's letter to the early churches under the Roman Empire emphasizes that our identity in Christ is a privilege, standing on the shoulders of giants from the Old Testament who pointed to the salvation we now experience in Christ. Our identity in Christ should lead us to take action, not out of obligation, but as a natural response to who we are in Him.
Understanding our identity in Christ is crucial because it shapes how we live and interact with the world. We are called to live differently because we have been made different. This sacred calling is not just for pastors or public figures but for every believer. We are God's plan A for the world, and our lives should reflect the transformative power of the gospel. [01:54]
1 Peter 2:9 (ESV): "But you are a chosen race, a royal priesthood, a holy nation, a people for his own possession, that you may proclaim the excellencies of him who called you out of darkness into his marvelous light."
Reflection: How does understanding your identity in Christ change the way you approach your daily actions and decisions? Can you think of a specific area in your life where you need to let your identity in Christ guide your actions more clearly?
### Day 2: Feasting on God's Word
To grow spiritually, we must feast on God's word, putting away malice, deceit, hypocrisy, envy, and slander. This involves a deliberate choice to focus on the pure spiritual milk of God's word, allowing it to nourish and transform us. Our spiritual diet directly impacts our spiritual health and growth. Peter encourages believers to long for the pure spiritual milk of God's word, just as newborn infants long for milk. This longing is essential for our growth and maturity in Christ.
Feasting on God's word means more than just reading the Bible; it involves meditating on it, internalizing its truths, and allowing it to shape our thoughts and actions. By putting away negative behaviors and attitudes, we make room for the transformative power of God's word to work in our lives. This process requires intentionality and discipline, but the result is a deeper, more vibrant relationship with God. [12:03]
Psalm 119:103-104 (ESV): "How sweet are your words to my taste, sweeter than honey to my mouth! Through your precepts I get understanding; therefore I hate every false way."
Reflection: What steps can you take today to make feasting on God's word a regular part of your life? Are there specific negative behaviors or attitudes you need to put away to make room for God's word to transform you?
### Day 3: Hosting God's Presence
As the church, we are the living stones being built into a spiritual house where the Holy Spirit dwells. This means recognizing the sacredness of our calling and the honor of being God's dwelling place on earth. Our lives should reflect the presence of God, bringing His love and grace to those around us. Peter uses the imagery of living stones to describe believers, emphasizing that we are being built together into a spiritual house.
Hosting God's presence involves more than just attending church services; it means living in a way that honors God and reflects His character. As living stones, we are called to be a part of a community that supports and encourages one another in our faith. This communal aspect of our faith is essential for our growth and for the effective witness of the church in the world. [43:14]
Ephesians 2:19-22 (ESV): "So then you are no longer strangers and aliens, but you are fellow citizens with the saints and members of the household of God, built on the foundation of the apostles and prophets, Christ Jesus himself being the cornerstone, in whom the whole structure, being joined together, grows into a holy temple in the Lord. In him you also are being built together into a dwelling place for God by the Spirit."
Reflection: How can you be more intentional about hosting God's presence in your daily life? What changes can you make to ensure that your life reflects the sacredness of your calling as a living stone in God's spiritual house?
### Day 4: Marveling at and Proclaiming the Gospel
We are called to marvel at the gospel and proclaim its truth to the world. This involves understanding the depth of God's love and grace and sharing it with others. Our proclamation should be both in word and deed, reflecting the transformative power of the gospel in our lives. Peter reminds believers of their sacred calling to proclaim the excellencies of Him who called them out of darkness into His marvelous light.
Marveling at the gospel means continually being in awe of what God has done for us through Jesus Christ. This awe should naturally lead us to share the good news with others, not out of obligation, but out of a genuine desire for others to experience the same transformative power. Our lives should be a testimony to the grace and love of God, drawing others to Him through our words and actions. [01:02:40]
2 Corinthians 5:20-21 (ESV): "Therefore, we are ambassadors for Christ, God making his appeal through us. We implore you on behalf of Christ, be reconciled to God. For our sake he made him to be sin who knew no sin, so that in him we might become the righteousness of God."
Reflection: When was the last time you truly marveled at the gospel? How can you share the good news of Jesus Christ with someone in your life today, both in word and deed?
### Day 5: Living Differently Because We Are Different
Our identity in Christ calls us to live differently from the world. This means rejecting the sinful patterns of malice, deceit, hypocrisy, envy, and slander, and instead, embracing a life of holiness and love. We are called to be a light in the darkness, reflecting the character of Christ in all we do. Peter emphasizes that our actions should flow naturally from our identity in Christ, leading us to live in a way that honors God.
Living differently because we are different involves a conscious decision to turn away from behaviors and attitudes that are contrary to God's will. It means allowing the Holy Spirit to transform us from the inside out, so that our lives reflect the love and grace of Christ. This transformation is a lifelong process, but it begins with a commitment to live in a way that honors God and reflects our identity in Him. [09:07]
Romans 12:2 (ESV): "Do not be conformed to this world, but be transformed by the renewal of your mind, that by testing you may discern what is the will of God, what is good and acceptable and perfect."
Reflection: In what specific ways can you live differently today because of your identity in Christ? Are there areas in your life where you need to reject sinful patterns and embrace a life of holiness and love?
Quotes
### Quotes for Outreach
1. "This is a series about putting your faith into action. This is a series about responding, again, to whose we are and therefore who we are. So not earning our identity, not trying to earn God's grace, not trying to earn his salvation, but walking in it, growing up even into the salvation he's already secured for you." (20 seconds)(Download raw clip | Download cropped clip)
2. "If Christ is the cornerstone of your life, then you are a part of a sacred people with a sacred calling. God's plan A for this fallen, broken, jacked up world is not the Navy. It's not the elections. It's not getting the economy back on track. It's the local church. And all of her jacked up, in need of grace mess, she's the hope of the world." (31 seconds)(Download raw clip | Download cropped clip)
3. "If you don't care about the implications, like if your life is just like, well, I prayed a prayer, I got my fire insurance. I just, if there is a hell, I don't want to go there. So I pray this prayer and I go to church every now and then, and I kind of associate and intellectually, I kind of assent to these things, right? But you know, I don't really care about doing the things. Listen to me, guys, if you don't care about that, then it's likely that you haven't received his grace." (29 seconds)(Download raw clip | Download cropped clip)
4. "If you have no appetite for the things of God, it might be that you're filling up on the sinful things of this world. So put them away. What are you filling up on in this life? What are you feasting on? What's your spiritual diet look like? Any athlete will tell you that your performance is only as good as your diet. So if you have a sacred calling as a sacred people, what are you feeding your soul?" (28 seconds)(Download raw clip | Download cropped clip)
5. "You are living stones, a living temple, the place and people in which the Holy Spirit of God dwells upon the earth. This is why passages like first Corinthians 12 refer to you, the church as the body of Christ upon the earth, not just the pastor, the whole church, you, you, if indeed you are actually in Christ, and Christ dwells in you and through the Holy Spirit, you are his hands and his feet and the smile on his face and the warmth of his embrace to each other and this world around you." (30 seconds)(Download raw clip | Download cropped clip)
### Quotes for Members
1. "Peter's now hammering home the same thing. This reminder who you are, whose we are in Christ, our identity and our salvation, first and foremost, secure in what he has done, not what you can or cannot do. It's in what he's done for you, not about any of your accolade, but he doesn't leave it there. That's not it. Guys, that's a half gospel. If that's all you, you just live like, well, that's great. Okay. He did it all. I'm just going to live however. That's the Bible speaks. It keeps going. It keeps talking. He then starts unloading with all the implications of this abundant life that we now have in Jesus Christ." (43 seconds)(Download raw clip | Download cropped clip)
2. "Sacred people feast on God's sacred word. Chapter one closed last week. It closes with this powerful passage. It's a quote even from Old Testament prophets. Closed with some strong eternal perspective. And it said this in verse 24, for all flesh is like grass and all its glory like the flower of grass. The grass withers and the flower falls. Like this world is very temporary. This life is a blip on the eternal radar, but you are an eternal being and you are headed to an eternity of either life or condemnation. But the word of the Lord remains forever. And this word, this good news, the word of gospel, this gospel, this word is the gospel, the good news that was preached to you." (63 seconds)(Download raw clip | Download cropped clip)
3. "You are living stones, a living temple, the place and people in which the Holy Spirit of God dwells upon the earth. This is why passages like first Corinthians 12 refer to you, the church as the body of Christ upon the earth, not just the pastor, the whole church, you, you, if indeed you are actually in Christ, and Christ dwells in you and through the Holy Spirit, you are his hands and his feet and the smile on his face and the warmth of his embrace to each other and this world around you. You're not just, God has decidedly chosen to use his church to advance his kingdom upon the earth, to bring about his redemptive plan in all creation. He's chosen to work through us. What? You're plan A." (30 seconds)(Download raw clip | Download cropped clip)
4. "Sacred people marvel. They marvel at and proclaim the sacred gospel. 1 Peter 2, 9, But you are a chosen race, a royal priesthood, a holy nation, a people for his own possession, that the implication of all that, what is it? The implication of all that identity, all that really powerful stuff that's being drawn from the Old Testament, what's the implication? What's the reason? So that you may proclaim, say proclaim, the excellencies of him who called you out of darkness into his marvelous light." (37 seconds)(Download raw clip | Download cropped clip)
5. "You are God's plan A. I tend to just assume everybody's a Christian until they get confused and they're like, man, what are you even talking about? And I'm like, well, let me tell you. I just, I don't know. I'm like, man, just, like why stop? Like, if they're a Christian, awesome. They know what you're talking about. And if they don't know what you're talking about, yeah, it's going to be awkward. Good! Have the conversation. Stop tiptoeing around like you're on eggshells. You are quicker to talk. You're quicker to talk about Trump and Biden than you are Jesus Christ. Maybe not y'all. This world. I'm not. You got it." (37 seconds)(Download raw clip | Download cropped clip)
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