We just spent the last two days power washing our deck.  Because we live in the woods the deck was covered with a buildup of dark sap, juices of fallen half eaten hickory nuts by the squirrels, along with other residue from being under the shade of these giant trees.  It’s beautiful to be living under the trees’ canopy of green until the deck grows dingy and dangerously slick.  The only way to remove the gunk is to power wash it away.  It is a slow, tedious process to bring the deck back to life, but it is worth it to see the beautiful wood grain appear once more.  Power washing is the only way!  It now looks as if it were installed only yesterday! 

As I was power washing, hanging on tightly to the energy of water coming out of nozzle that cleaned the wood, I did some thinking.  How often do we let the gunk of ignored sins pile up in our hearts?  Only by God’s power flowing through the blood shed of His Son, Jesus Christ can the gunky buildup of our sins be removed.  There’s power in the blood of the Lamb!  There’s power in the very Name of Jesus. 

Jesus is the “Source of Life, the Living Cornerstone”, Peter writes.  Jesus is the One who power washes away the darkness of sin, heals our brokenness, forgives and forgets, and then reveals all that God created in us.  Jesus, who knew no sin, became sin by taking all sin to the cross in this removal process for those who believe. The power continues as His Holy Spirit continues washing away all that is not of God within us.  Wow! 

Our God, Our Father in Heaven, is the One who by His kindness, sent Jesus, His Son as the powerful sacrifice to save our souls because His Love is that unconditionally relentless!  There is no one like our God!

1 Peter 2, The Message

^1-3 So clean house! Make a clean sweep of malice and pretense, envy and hurtful talk. You’ve had a taste of God. Now, like infants at the breast, drink deep of God’s pure kindness. Then you’ll grow up mature and whole in God.

The Stone

^4-8 Welcome to the living Stone, the source of life. The workmen took one look and threw it out; God set it in the place of honor. Present yourselves as building stones for the construction of a sanctuary vibrant with life, in which you’ll serve as holy priests offering Christ-approved lives up to God. The Scriptures provide precedent:

Look! I’m setting a stone in Zion,
    a cornerstone in the place of honor.
Whoever trusts in this stone as a foundation
    will never have cause to regret it.

To you who trust him, he’s a Stone to be proud of, but to those who refuse to trust him,

The stone the workmen threw out
    is now the chief foundation stone.

For the untrusting it’s

. . . a stone to trip over,
    a boulder blocking the way.

They trip and fall because they refuse to obey, just as predicted.

^9-10 But you are the ones chosen by God, chosen for the high calling of priestly work, chosen to be a holy people, God’s instruments to do his work and speak out for him, to tell others of the night-and-day difference he made for you—from nothing to something, from rejected to accepted.

* * *

^11-12 Friends, this world is not your home, so don’t make yourselves cozy in it. Don’t indulge your ego at the expense of your soul. Live an exemplary life in your neighborhood so that your actions will refute their prejudices. Then they’ll be won over to God’s side and be there to join in the celebration when he arrives.

^13-17 Make the Master proud of you by being good citizens. Respect the authorities, whatever their level; they are God’s emissaries for keeping order. It is God’s will that by doing good, you might cure the ignorance of the fools who think you’re a danger to society. Exercise your freedom by serving God, not by breaking the rules. Treat everyone you meet with dignity. Love your spiritual family. Revere God. Respect the government.

The Kind of Life He Lived

^18-20 You who are servants, be good servants to your masters—not just to good masters, but also to bad ones. What counts is that you put up with it for God’s sake when you’re treated badly for no good reason. There’s no particular virtue in accepting punishment that you well deserve. But if you’re treated badly for good behavior and continue in spite of it to be a good servant, that is what counts with God.

^21-25 This is the kind of life you’ve been invited into, the kind of life Christ lived. He suffered everything that came his way so you would know that it could be done, and also know how to do it, step-by-step.

He never did one thing wrong,
Not once said anything amiss.

They called him every name in the book and he said nothing back. He suffered in silence, content to let God set things right. He used his servant body to carry our sins to the Cross so we could be rid of sin, free to live the right way. His wounds became your healing. You were lost sheep with no idea who you were or where you were going. Now you’re named and kept for good by the Shepherd of your souls.

WHAT DO WE LEARN—HOW DO WE RESPOND?

Peter was a “front row” witness to how Jesus responded to people, to dire circumstances, and to accusations against the innocent.  He saw how Jesus responded to the pious religious who follow rules but for centuries knew less and less about God.  Peter saw how Jesus responded to these same religious law keepers when they accused Jesus and manipulated the Roman government to have him beaten, mocked, spit on, stripped of all dignity, and then nailed to a cross for criminals for all to see. 

Peter watched as Jesus suffered in silence as accusations poured over him with sarcasm, beatings, and mockery.  Peter had his own sins to deal with as he denied he even knew Jesus, as predicted, just so he could stay close to what would happen next to his Master and Friend.  In anguish as he watched, Peter must have recalled what Jesus said with warnings of what had to happen so that the world could be saved from sins.  Peter observed The Cornerstone become the very stone of salvation the religious tripped over in their fall from the grace of God. 

Peter also was a witness to the empty tomb where they laid Jesus three days earlier!  What is happening?  Could it be as He said?  What about my sins?  All forms of thought came crashing upon his confused mind like harsh waves on the shore—until he saw Jesus, scars from the wounds, and talked with Him.  Jesus forgave, brought Peter back to Life, removing his sins of darkness, and set him free to do what Jesus assigned him to be and do—”The Rock, upon whom I will build my church.”

As we read Peter’s passionate words; we need to realize the heart from which these words are written.  Peter is a soul set free all because of the power of Jesus who cleansed him of all unrighteousness and set him right with God!

Jesus still does this powerful cleansing in all of us!  Are you washed in the soul cleansing blood of the Lamb? 

Lord,

I’m praying now… for me and for all who are reading this right now.  I cry out, Be reconciled to God!  Be instruments of His Grace!  These words of Peter restore life to my soul.  Cleanse my heart, renew my mind, refresh my soul, and restore the joy of your salvation at work within my daily.  Lead me by your Holy Spirit…

In Jesus Name, Amen