Built in Christ

Key Passage: 1 Peter 2:1-5 

Devotional: 

If you have ever watched a craftsman at work, you know that he does not randomly place materials together and hope for the best. He selects each piece carefully, knowing how it will fit into the final design. This is the image Peter paints for us here. God is the builder, and we are the stones He is shaping and placing into His spiritual house. 

This image would have been striking to Peter’s original audience, as the spiritual house resembles the Old Testament temple. The temple was the dwelling place of God, where His presence rested among His people. Every stone was carefully chosen, every sacrifice was meticulously offered. But now, through Christ, the temple is no longer confined to a building Jerusalem. We are the temple—living stones, built together by the hands of God Himself. 

Think of the significance of this shift. In the Old Testament, only the high priest could enter into the Holy of Holies, and only once a year, bearing the blood of sacrifice. But now, through Christ’s perfect sacrifice, we have direct access to God. Christ did what no man could. Jesus was our great High Priest because He presented the most perfect sacrifice, Himself. As a result, we now have the Holy of Holies dwelling in us. We are not just visitors in His presence; we are His dwelling place. His Spirit lives in us, shaping us, refining us, making us more like Him 

But notice the process. Peter begins with a call to put away sin—malice, deceit, hypocrisy, envy, and slander. Why? Because these things erode the very foundation of our lives as God's people. You cannot be built up in Christ while holding onto the patterns of your old nature. Sin will always weaken the structure God is building in you. Our eyes can only focus on one thing at a time. 

Instead, Peter calls us to long for pure spiritual milk. Just as a newborn baby craves nourishment, we should hunger for God’s Word, specifically the truth of the gospel, knowing that it is our source of life and growth. This isn’t optional; it’s necessary. Spiritual growth is not automatic. It requires daily surrender, daily feeding on the truth, and daily dependence on God. 

And here’s the beautiful promise—God is not just calling us as individuals, but as a collective people. We are not isolated, scattered stones; we are being built together as a spiritual house. The church is not just a place we go—it is who we are. We are a holy priesthood, set apart to worship and serve God in a way that displays His glory to the world. 

So today, ask yourself–Are you allowing God to shape you into the person He is calling you to be? Are you clinging to old sins that keep you from growing? And are you longing for the nourishment of His Word so that you may be built up in Him? 

Application Question: What is one area of your life where you need to surrender sinful habits so that you may rightly represent the dwelling place of God? 

Further Study: Hebrews 5; Hebrews 10 

Written by Jaclyn Mains