1PETER CHAPTER 2 - CONTEMPORARY ALIGNED VERSION (SPIRITCODE)

1. So don’t entertain any more unkind thoughts towards each other or mocking comments, or two-faced attitudes, or resentful and spiteful behavior.

2. Be as little infants, who have an innocent hunger and thirst for the nourishing milk of God’s word, for good healthy growth.

3. Presuming you have indeed taken the nourishing goodness of the Lord into your lives.

4. Drawing close to him as the living stone who was counted worthless by mankind, but favored and precious to God.

5. You are also living stones being built together as a spiritual family household, a holy priesthood, now able because of Jesus, to offer to God what delights his heart.

6. The Scriptures have said ‘See, I will lay down a key foundation stone in Zion, prized and chosen. Whoever puts total trust in him will never feel ashamed or confused.’

7. So for you who trust in him as being worth everything, and to those who will not honor and submit to him, as a useless piece of rock, he has nonetheless been made the paramount and unrivalled foundation stone.

8. But for those who dismiss God’s word he is the stone they trip over, the stone that gets in their way, because they do not accept his word, just as it was foretold.

9. While you have been embraced as his offspring, a Kingdom priesthood, breed set apart, a special kind of people who can graciously give thanks to him who invited you into his marvelous light, out of darkness.

10. Once you did not have this distinction as a people, but you are now the people of God, who now enjoy that special favor when once you did not.

11. My dear friends, as you journey through this life in this world, as strangers to its ways, don’t give in to the pull of self gratification and so lose your inner peace with God.

12. Live a transparent lifestyle among the unbelievers around you, so that even if they malign your faith in God, they will be aware of your life of integrity and may end up giving glory to God alongside you when Jesus returns

13. Obey the laws of the land because you love and respect the Lord, whether it is to a prime Minister or a President,

14. Or to the police force and the magistrates who are there by God’s appointment to enforce law and order, and to provide justice for honest citizens.

15. It is God’s will that your lifestyle of honesty and integrity will silence the mocking remarks of foolish and ignorant people.

16. You have been given freedom, but don’t use that freedom to demean or put down others, but rather to serve the cause of God.

17. Give dignity and respect to everyone. Show real love to the family of God. Show an awesome respect to God, and show respect to the leaders of Government.

18. Employees should show respect to their employers, whether they are considerate and kind or whether they are tough and mean.

19. A truly gracious person will gladly put up with unfair treatment because of their heart to please God.

20. Is there anything special about accepting honest criticism when you get things wrong? But how different and special is it when you accept unfair criticism when you have done what is right? That really delights God’s heart.

21. In fact this is what Christians are called to do. This is exactly how Christ lived, and he left us that very same example, so that we could live like he did.

22. He never did anything wrong, or said anything to deceive or manipulate anybody.

23. When he was insulted he did not insult anybody back. When he was bullied or mistreated he did not threaten to get even. He put everything in the hands of God who evens the score for us perfectly in the end.

24. He took our wrongdoing and human weakness on his own body on the cross, so that now, we can be as dead as he is to wrongdoing and can live a life in harmony with his life. The pain and affliction he suffered was our healing for the pain and afflictions we suffer.

25. You were all once just like sheep, wandering off and getting lost. But now your hearts have found their home with the Shepherd and caretaker of your souls.