1 Peter 2:1

1 Peter 2:1 says, Wherefore laying aside all malice, and all guile, and hypocrisies, and envies, and all evil speakings,  Laying these things aside implies a deliberate action.  We are not to engage in malice, guile, hypocrisy, envies, or any evil speaking.   We need to ask if what we say today is spoken with any of these attitudes.  Verse two adds, As newborn babes, desire the sincere milk of the word, that ye may grow thereby:   Once we are born again, we are as spiritual babies, and we need to feed on spiritual milk.  We must learn to rely on the basics of God's word first, and then begin to dig deeper into it.  Verse three continues, If so be ye have tasted that the Lord is gracious.  Peter says if we have tasted that God is gracious, and as Christians we must have because His graciousness is what makes salvation possible.  Verse four states, To whom coming, as unto a living stone, disallowed indeed of men, but chosen of God, and precious,   Peter said Jesus was like a living stone, the foundation of salvation, Who was rejected by men, and especially by those who were God's chosen people.  Verse five adds, 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.  Peter, who was called the Rock, tells us that as Christians, we are to be lively stones building up the spiritual house of God.  We are called to be a holy priesthood offering spiritual sacrifices acceptable to God through our faith in Jesus Christ.  We cannot just offer God what we want Him to have and think that He has to accept it.  God determines what is an acceptable sacrifice, and not us.  Verse six continues, Wherefore also it is contained in the scripture, Behold, I lay in Sion a chief corner stone, elect, precious: and he that believeth on him shall not be confounded.  The chief corner stone of salvation is. Jesus Christ, and God's scripture has always said this. In Peter's day, this corner stone came, and today we look back on the reality of His coming.  Verse seven says, Unto you therefore which believe he is precious: but unto them which be disobedient, the stone which the builders disallowed, the same is made the head of the corner,  Peter said some believed in Jesus Christ as the cornerstone and that He was precious to them.   Others rejected Him, but that did not change the fact that He is the cornerstone of salvation.  All that we build spiritually must be built by faith in the corner stone, Jesus Christ, crucified, resurrected and Lord.  Verse eight adds, And a stone of stumbling, and a rock of offence, even to them which stumble at the word, being disobedient: whereunto also they were appointed.  Peter continues to point out that to those who are disobedient to God that Jesus Christ is a stumbling block.  Verse nine continues, But ye are a chosen generation, a royal priesthood, an holy nation, a peculiar people; that ye should shew forth the praises of him who hath called you out of darkness into his marvellous light:  What separates Christians from everyone else is not some innate goodness on our part, but our faith in Jesus Christ.  Because of that, we should live in order to show God's marvelous light to a dark world.  Verse ten concludes, Which in time past were not a people, but are now the people of God: which had not obtained mercy, but now have obtained mercy.  Peter said that before Christ came, not many people who were not Jews obtained salvation, but now all could.  They simply had to accept Jesus Christ as their Lord and Savior personally.