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 (1 Peter 2:4–5).

Union with Christ is one of the great realities of salvation. Through faith in Jesus Christ, believers are united with his death and resurrection so that they are no longer slaves to sin, but now have freedom to live for God (Romans 6:5-11).

In 1 Peter 2:4-5, we see further benefits of union with him – as Christ is a living stone and the cornerstone of his church (1 Peter 2:6,7), Christians, as living stones, are also being built up as a spiritual house; and as Christ has been appointed the great high priest over the house of God (Hebrews 10:21), Christians are appointed as a holy priesthood.

Under the Old Testament, the presence of God for his people was dependent on the ministry of the priests as they offered up daily and yearly sacrifices for sin, both for themselves for the people they represented.

Under the New Testament, an atoning sacrifice is still needed, but now Jesus Christ, the perfect, holy, and righteous one, “by a single offering .. has perfected for all time those who are being sanctified” (Hebrews 10:12–14).

Christians no longer need to offer a sacrifice for sin, as it has been eternally provided for them. As a holy/sanctified priesthood, they now have the status and privilege to draw near to God “in full assurance of faith, with hearts sprinkled clean from an evil conscience and bodies washed with pure water” (Hebrews 10:19-22).

Since sin has been completely dealt with, why has Christ made us priests at all? So that we might share in the delight the Father has in the Son as we are conformed to the image of the Son, and share in his ministry in God’s house.

The book of Hebrews, which so fully sets forth the excellency and sufficiency of Christ’s sacrifice, goes on to encourage that through Christ, we would “continually offer up a sacrifice of praise to God, that is, the fruit of lips that acknowledge his name,” and would, “not neglect to do good and to share what you have, for such sacrifices are pleasing to God” (Hebrews 13:15–16).

We offer to God praise for both who he is and what he has done.

• His greatness, power, love, mercy, and strength
• His gift of his son Jesus Christ to secure our justification, adoption, sanctification, glorification, and eternal inheritance
• His gift of the Holy Spirit to work in us faith, hope and love

We offer to God the good works that He has already prepared for us (Ephesians 2:10).

Therefore, be imitators of God, as beloved children. And walk in love, as Christ loved us and gave himself up for us, a fragrant offering and sacrifice to God (Ephesians 5:1–2).

• In the home, as we offer up ourselves in loving service to others
• In the world, as we offer up love to our neighbors in acts of service and promotion of the gospel
• In the church, as we offer up love to our brothers and sisters in Christ

We offer back to God the good gifts that He has given by sharing them with others.

We offer ourselves as a living sacrifice, with renewed minds discerning the good, acceptable and perfect will of God (Romans 12:1–2).

In Christ, we are ,“a chosen race, a royal priesthood, a holy nation, a people for his own possession, that [we] may proclaim the excellencies of him who called [us] out of darkness into his marvelous light” (1 Peter 2:9).

May our spiritual sacrifices of praise, doing good, and sharing bring glory to God and good to others, both believers and unbelievers alike.