United in Christ: Our Identity and Community

Devotional

Day 1: United to Christ: Our Identity in Him

Believers are united to Christ, sharing in both His resurrection life and His suffering, which forms the very core of their identity and salvation. This union is not a distant theological concept but a living reality—Christ is the living stone, and all who come to Him are made living stones as well, reflecting His life, power, and even His rejection. To be “in Christ” is to have one’s story, purpose, and hope wrapped up in His, so that every joy and every hardship is shared with Him. In a world marked by distress and uncertainty, this union anchors us, reminding us that our worth and destiny are found in Christ alone, not in the shifting opinions or circumstances around us. [44:58]

1 Peter 2:4-5 (ESV)
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.

Reflection: In what area of your life do you most need to remember that your identity is found in Christ, not in your achievements or failures? How might this change the way you approach today’s challenges?

Day 2: Built Together: The Spiritual House of God

Coming to Jesus means being built together with others into a spiritual house, where each person is a living stone joined to the cornerstone, Christ. This image reminds us that faith is never a solitary pursuit; rather, it is communal, as God is constructing something beautiful and enduring out of our lives together. Just as Legos or Duplos are meant to be connected and built into something greater, so too are believers meant to be joined in deep, interdependent community. The church is not just a collection of individuals but a living, breathing temple where God dwells, and where each person’s faith and gifts strengthen and encourage the others. [52:08]

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: Who in your church community encourages your faith, and how can you intentionally encourage or support someone else in your spiritual family this week?

Day 3: Embracing Both Suffering and Glory

Union with Christ means sharing not only in His resurrection but also in His suffering, learning to embrace both the cross and the glory that follows. The Christian life is not one of unbroken triumph but of walking the path Jesus walked—sometimes misunderstood, rejected, or called to love sacrificially even when it is not returned. In a world filled with distress, rage, and fear, believers are called to suffer well, loving neighbors and even enemies, knowing that this very suffering is a participation in Christ’s own story. The opinion of God, not the world, is what ultimately matters, and in Christ, every sacrifice and hardship is precious and purposeful. [49:03]

Romans 8:16-18 (ESV)
The Spirit himself bears witness with our spirit that we are children of God, and if children, then heirs—heirs of God and fellow heirs with Christ, provided we suffer with him in order that we may also be glorified with him. For I consider that the sufferings of this present time are not worth comparing with the glory that is to be revealed to us.

Reflection: Is there a difficult relationship or situation where you are being called to love sacrificially? What would it look like to embrace the way of the cross in that specific context today?

Day 4: Jesus the Cornerstone: Foundation or Stumbling Block

Jesus is the cornerstone—chosen and precious—upon whom God’s people are built, but He is also the stone over which many stumble. Each person must reckon with Christ: He will either be the foundation of one’s life or a rock of offense that is avoided to one’s peril. This reality is true for both those new to faith and those who have followed Jesus for years, as the temptation always exists to build life on something else. The call is to continually return to Christ as the solid rock, trusting that those who believe in Him will never be put to shame, and to recognize that He is too central, too epic, to be ignored or sidelined. [01:01:40]

1 Peter 2:6-8 (ESV)
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.

Reflection: What is one area of your life where you are tempted to “divert around” Jesus rather than build upon Him? What step can you take today to make Him your true foundation?

Day 5: Life Together: Sacrificial Service as a Spiritual Priesthood

As living stones in God’s house, believers are not only built together but also called to serve together as a holy priesthood, offering spiritual sacrifices through daily acts of love, worship, and service. This means that every believer has a role in caring for and building up the church, and that spiritual growth is a shared journey. The Christian life is not meant to be lived in isolation; rather, it flourishes as each person gives themselves to the community, trusting the master builder and learning to love even the “crazy uncles” in the family of God. The beauty and strength of the church come from this mutual commitment and sacrificial service, as together we become the dwelling place of God. [54:40]

Hebrews 10:24-25 (ESV)
And let us consider how to stir up one another to love and good works, not neglecting to meet together, as is the habit of some, but encouraging one another, and all the more as you see the Day drawing near.

Reflection: How can you offer yourself in service to your church family this week—whether through encouragement, practical help, or prayer—so that others are built up in faith?

Sermon Summary

In the passage explored today, the focus is on the profound reality of our identity as those united to Christ, being built together into a spiritual house with Jesus as our cornerstone. Just as my father once took me on a journey through our family’s story to root me in who I am, Peter takes the church on a journey into the story of God’s faithfulness. This is not about tracing a genealogy or simply recalling history, but about understanding that our lives are now wrapped up in the story of Jesus—his rejection, his resurrection, and his glory. For Peter’s original audience, mostly Gentiles, this was a radical invitation: to find their belonging not in ethnic heritage, but in being joined to Christ and his people.

The imagery Peter uses is rich and layered. We are “living stones,” not isolated, but being built together into a spiritual house. Our identity is not just individual, but communal. To come to Jesus is to be joined to his people; there is no Christianity outside of Christ, and no Christianity outside of his body. The analogy goes further: not only are we the stones of the house, but we are also the priesthood serving within it, offering our lives as spiritual sacrifices. This means our daily living, our suffering, and our love for one another are all acts of worship, rooted in our union with Christ.

This union is not just about sharing in Christ’s glory, but also in his suffering. The way of the cross and the way of resurrection are inseparable. In a world marked by distress, rage, and fear, we are called to embrace both suffering and glory, loving sacrificially even when misunderstood or rejected. The cornerstone—Jesus—was himself rejected, and so we should not be surprised when we experience rejection or hardship. Yet, being joined to him means we are unfathomably precious to God, and our lives are anchored on a foundation that cannot be shaken.

Ultimately, Jesus is the stone that must be reckoned with. For each of us, he will either be the foundation upon which we build our lives, or the stone over which we stumble. Even Peter, the “rock,” knew both sides of this reality—confessing Christ one moment, stumbling the next. But the invitation remains: to stand upon the solid rock, to be built together into a dwelling for God, and to live out our identity as his beloved people.

---

Key Takeaways

1. Our Identity Is Rooted in Union with Christ The central truth of salvation is our union with Christ. This means our story is no longer defined by our past, our failures, or even our successes, but by our participation in the life, death, and resurrection of Jesus. Our identity is not something we achieve, but something we receive as we are joined to him, becoming “living stones” in his spiritual house. [44:58]
2. Christianity Is Inherently Communal To come to Jesus is to be joined to his people. The metaphor of being built into a house means that faith is not a solitary endeavor; we are meant to be connected, supporting and encouraging one another. Our spiritual growth and perseverance are deeply tied to our life together, and we need each other’s faith, prayers, and presence to endure and flourish. [52:08]
3. The Way of the Cross and the Way of Glory Are Inseparable Union with Christ means sharing in both his suffering and his resurrection. We are called to embrace the reality that following Jesus involves both Good Friday and Easter—glory and suffering. In a world of distress and division, our willingness to suffer well, especially in loving those who are difficult to love, becomes a powerful witness to the reality of Christ in us. [49:03]
4. Our Lives Are Spiritual Sacrifices As a “holy priesthood,” we are not only the building blocks of God’s house but also those who serve within it. Our daily acts of love, service, and even our struggles become offerings to God. This calls us to a life of intentional, sacrificial love—not just for God, but for one another, trusting that God is building something far greater than we can imagine. [54:40]
5. Jesus Is the Cornerstone—A Stone to Build On or Stumble Over Each person must reckon with Jesus as the cornerstone. He is either the foundation of our lives or the obstacle we trip over. Even those who have followed him for years, like Peter, know the temptation to avoid the cost of discipleship, but the invitation remains to stand upon the solid rock, trusting that in him we will never be put to shame. [61:40]

Youtube Chapters

[00:00] - Welcome
[35:42] - Wrestling with a Favorite Passage
[37:07] - A Story of Family and Identity
[38:00] - Theology and Ethics Intertwined
[39:15] - Belonging Beyond Genealogy
[40:04] - Our Story in God’s Story
[41:34] - United to Christ, Built into a House
[43:15] - Living Stones: Our Analogy to Jesus
[44:58] - Union with Christ: The Heart of Salvation
[46:17] - The Living Stone and Resurrection Power
[47:31] - Rejection and the Theology of the Cross
[49:03] - Embracing Suffering and Glory
[52:08] - Built Together: God’s Legos
[54:40] - A Holy Priesthood: Living Sacrifices
[56:13] - The Necessity of Life Together
[58:20] - The Cornerstone: Honor and Offense
[61:40] - Jesus: Foundation or Stumbling Block
[64:25] - Peter’s Journey: Stumbling and Standing on the Rock
[65:00] - Closing Prayer

Bible Study Guide

Bible Reading

1 Peter 2:4-8 (ESV) — _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._

Observation Questions

What are the different images Peter uses to describe Jesus and the church in this passage? (living stone, cornerstone, spiritual house, holy priesthood)
According to the passage, what happens to those who come to Jesus?
What does Peter say about those who do not believe in Jesus?
In the sermon, what analogy does the pastor use to help us understand being “built together” as a church? ([52:08])

Interpretation Questions

Why do you think Peter uses the image of “living stones” instead of just “stones” to describe believers? What does this say about our relationship to Jesus?
The sermon says, “To come to Jesus is to be joined to his people; there is no Christianity outside of Christ, and no Christianity outside of his body.” What does this mean for how we view our faith and our connection to the church? ([55:35])
The passage talks about Jesus being both the cornerstone and a stone of stumbling. Why do you think the same person (Jesus) can be both a foundation and an obstacle for different people?
The pastor mentions that union with Christ means sharing in both his suffering and his resurrection. How does this challenge the way we think about following Jesus? ([49:03])

Application Questions

The sermon says our identity is not something we achieve, but something we receive as we are joined to Christ. Are there areas in your life where you are still trying to “achieve” your identity instead of receiving it from Jesus? What would it look like to rest in your identity in Christ this week? ([44:58])
The pastor uses the analogy of Legos or Duplos to describe how we are built together as a church. In what ways are you actively connecting with others in the church, and where might you be trying to “build alone”? ([52:08])
The sermon says, “There is no Christianity outside of Jesus and there’s no Christianity outside of his body or his building, to use this metaphor. We’re together, like it or not.” How do you respond to the idea that faith is inherently communal? Are there steps you could take to deepen your involvement in the life of the church? ([55:35])
The way of the cross and the way of glory are inseparable. Can you think of a time when following Jesus meant embracing suffering or rejection? How did that experience shape your faith? ([49:03])
The passage calls us a “holy priesthood” offering spiritual sacrifices. What are some practical ways you can offer your daily life as a spiritual sacrifice to God this week? ([54:40])
The sermon says, “Jesus is the stone that must be reckoned with. For each of us, he will either be the foundation upon which we build our lives, or the stone over which we stumble.” Is there an area in your life where you are resisting Jesus’ place as the cornerstone? What would it look like to surrender that area to him? ([01:01:40])
The pastor shared about how hearing others sing and confess their faith on Sundays encourages him. How have you experienced encouragement from others’ faith, and how might you encourage someone else in the church this week? ([56:13])

Sermon Clips

Peter's helping us understand the doctrine of union with Christ, which John Murray, who is in our tradition one of the heroes, says, it is the central truth of the whole doctrine of salvation. By the way, he had justification as an option. And he says, union with Christ is the central truth of the whole doctrine of salvation. [00:44:08] (26 seconds) #UnionWithChristCentralTruth

``The stone is living, risen from the dead. He's the stone that rolled away that other stone. That's who Jesus is. He is alive and he gives life. And social upheaval can't kill a church or the church. It can kill a church for sure. Whether the American project is rising or failing as C .S. Lowe says, empires and social civilizations are but a not to God. Because we're united to the resurrected Savior who is the rock of our salvation. That's the reality. [00:46:43] (47 seconds) #ResurrectedRockOfSalvation

Our lives are united to his in power and are united to his on the cross. Again, in that podcast, I don't even remember how many podcasts we've done, Justin brought up the idea of too many Christians have a theology of glory without a theology of the cross. That's a rejection of who Jesus is and how we're united to him. The truth is, by unification with Jesus, we have to live into the cross and the resurrection. It is always glory and suffering. Until he comes again, it is both Good Friday and Easter. [00:48:21] (42 seconds) #GloryAndCrossTogether

We live in an age of distress. Come on. That's what we live in. And then there's rage and fear and complacency about that distress. But we are united to the one who lived in all sorts of distress, died under distress, and was raised from the dead in distress, and that's who we're united to. And so we embrace the way of the cross, and we embrace the way of glory, and so we suffer well to love our neighbors, especially those who don't love you, and we suffer well to one another, even those in this room who don't love you. [00:49:15] (41 seconds) #SufferingWellInUnion

If the opinion of God matters in our union with Christ, and the opinion of God is the only thing that ultimately matters at all, then what we need to realize is that suffering God, who's also glorified in his resurrection, salvation. is absolutely, unfathomably precious as a stone upon which he builds his redemptive community. And that means, by analogy, we are connected to that stone and are unfathomably precious to him. [00:50:45] (40 seconds) #PreciousStoneOfRedemption

He is that precious stone rejected that is now the cornerstone of our life together. The bedrock of our identity. And he builds us up into him. And so the imagery continues as this cornerstone. We are building blocks. We are duplos on the cornerstone. That's what we are. And so your life in Christ is not you alone at the table. That's Christ. But we are a bunch of duplos that are built around him. That's the way it's described. We're God's Legos. Which is awesome. You don't buy a single Lego. Legos are meant for building things. [00:51:43] (51 seconds) #CornerstoneAndBuildingBlocks

And in that house, we are to make spiritual sacrifices. And this is where Peter's analogy goes a little wonky, or as metaphor does, because they're not just Duplo blocks or stones in a spiritual house, but they are the ones who serve in it. Because of Jesus, we are a priesthood. Our daily sacrificial living and reliance upon the Holy Spirit, we offer our very lives. And together, we enter into it, or are part of it, are it, and we serve sacrificially together. [00:54:19] (40 seconds) #PriesthoodOfSacrificialLiving

Jesus is this massive boulder that falls in the middle of a winding mountain road. You will either make that the foundation of your new road or you will divert around it to your peril. That's the reality for all of you who are still struggling to understand who Jesus is and for all of us who have been following him for a long time. He's just too epic, too important. [01:02:27] (30 seconds) #JesusTheEpicBoulder

The fact that Peter writes these words, the one who confessed and cursed the precious stone, he knows both sides of this image and we need to lean into that. He's both stumbled over and been utterly anchored in the rock who is Jesus and now he's proclaiming to us that we should stand upon the rock of Jesus, which includes our suffering as we await the resurrection. [01:04:57] (31 seconds) #StumblingAndAnchoredInJesus

There are only two ways to deal with Jesus, cornerstone or stumping block for Christian and non -Christian. And we get to stumbling all over the place so we turn to Jesus, our rock and our salvation. [01:05:28] (20 seconds) #CornerstoneOrStumblingBlock

Ask a question about this sermon

Chatbot

What does it mean to be united to Christ?

How does Jesus serve as the cornerstone of faith?

In what ways are believers built into God's spiritual house?