God has always desired that humanity draw near to Him. From the beginning, Scripture reveals a God who seeks relationship, communion, and fellowship with His creation. This truth should lead us to reflect deeply on how much God loves us. Despite our weaknesses, sins, and failures, God continues to seek us in His love and mercy. He does not wait for us to become worthy; rather, He draws near to us in grace so that we may respond by drawing near to Him. This divine initiative reveals the heart of a loving Father who longs to restore what was broken by sin.
The call to draw near to God is not rooted in fear or obligation, but in love. God’s mercy reaches us where we are, inviting us into a transformed relationship with Him. Throughout biblical history, God has revealed Himself to humanity, calling people to repentance, faith, and intimacy with Him. This invitation remains open today. To draw near to God is to respond to His love with humility, trust, and obedience.
The apostle Peter captures this profound truth when he speaks about approaching Christ, the Living Stone. His words remind us that drawing near to God is not an abstract idea, but a concrete reality centered on the person of Jesus Christ.
4 To whom coming, as unto a living stone, disallowed indeed of men, but chosen of God, and precious,
5 Ye also, as lively stones, are built up a spiritual house, an holy priesthood, to offer up spiritual sacrifices, acceptable to God by Jesus Christ.
1 Peter 2:4-5
The first and most important step in our spiritual journey is to approach Jesus. Peter makes it clear that drawing near to God means drawing near to Christ. God was the first to approach us through His Son, and if we truly consider ourselves Christians, then Jesus must be the center of our faith. Christianity is not merely a moral system or a religious tradition; it is a living relationship with Christ, the Living Stone.
Peter uses powerful imagery when he describes Jesus as a Living Stone. Stones are often associated with stability, permanence, and strength. Jesus is not a lifeless or inactive foundation, but a living and active one. Though He was rejected by men—despised, misunderstood, and crucified—He was chosen by God and is precious in His sight. Human rejection does not diminish divine approval. What the world rejects, God exalts.
This passage also contains a sobering reminder: it is possible to belong to a Christian congregation and yet remain far from the Living Stone. Attendance, activity, and outward involvement do not necessarily guarantee closeness to Christ. One can be near religious structures but distant from Jesus Himself. That is why Peter’s exhortation is so important: “to whom coming.” Drawing near to Christ is a continual, intentional act of faith.
Drawing near to Jesus involves trust, submission, and dependence. It means building our lives upon Him, not merely acknowledging Him intellectually. When Christ is not the foundation, even religious activity becomes empty. True spiritual life flows from communion with Jesus, not from external affiliation alone.
Peter then extends the imagery further by stating that believers themselves are “lively stones.” This truth carries deep implications for the identity and calling of the church. If Jesus is the Living Stone, then all who are united to Him share in that life. Believers are not isolated individuals, but stones being built together into a spiritual house. Christianity is both personal and communal.
Being built into a spiritual house means that God is actively shaping His people for His purposes. Each believer has a place, a role, and a function within the body of Christ. This spiritual house is not constructed by human effort, but by God’s design. He places each stone where it belongs, forming a dwelling place for His presence.
Peter also describes believers as a holy priesthood. Under the old covenant, only certain individuals could serve as priests. In Christ, however, all believers are called into a priestly role. This does not mean that everyone holds the same office, but that every believer has direct access to God and a responsibility to offer spiritual sacrifices. These sacrifices include worship, obedience, prayer, thanksgiving, and a life devoted to God.
These spiritual sacrifices are acceptable to God only through Jesus Christ. Our works, apart from Christ, have no merit before God. It is Christ who sanctifies our offerings and makes them pleasing to the Father. This truth guards us against pride and self-reliance, reminding us that everything we offer to God is grounded in His grace.
Jesus, then, is the stone that many rejected, choosing instead the values and priorities of this world. The world continues to reject Christ, preferring autonomy, pleasure, and self-rule. Yet Jesus remains the chosen One of God, exalted as King and Lord. His rejection by the world does not change His authority or His glory.
If Jesus is the Living Stone, and we are living stones united to Him, then we have been called to reflect His character and reveal Him to the world. Our lives are meant to testify to who Jesus is. Through love, truth, humility, and obedience, we show the world the reality of Christ. The church is called not only to proclaim the gospel, but to embody it.
Therefore, brothers and sisters, it is time to let that light shine. Drawing near to God transforms us, and transformed lives become visible witnesses of God’s grace. The world is watching, and God calls His people to live in a way that honors Him and points others to Christ.
Let us also remember our legacy and responsibility. We are called to build the Kingdom of God on earth, not through human power or worldly influence, but through faithfulness, love, and obedience to Christ. Each living stone contributes to the strength and beauty of the spiritual house God is building.
In conclusion, God’s desire has always been to draw humanity near to Himself. Through Jesus Christ, that invitation is fully revealed. Let us draw near to the Living Stone daily, build our lives upon Him, and live out our calling as living stones in God’s spiritual house. As we do, we fulfill our purpose and glorify the God who first loved us and drew near to us in mercy.