Are You a Lively Stone?

                                          Are You a Lively Stone? 

I Peter 2:5 states, “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.”

       Christ the chief cornerstone has chosen us and has made us living stones.  Once we were dead in trespasses and sins, but now we are living stones.  We know from verse nine that we are a chosen generation and a spiritual house. 

       In the Old Testament in Malachi 3:3 it is recorded that God purified the sons of Levi in order that they might be able to offer unto God an offering in righteousness.  The Hebrew word tsadaqah (6666) which was translated righteousness in the AV means sacrificial offerings that were of moral virtue. 

       A musician that is dead in trespasses and sins is not able to offer musical offerings that are spiritual or morally righteous. The reason is that righteous “doing” requires righteous “being”.  In order to be a part of God’s holy priesthood a musician must be a “lively” stone in Christ Jesus.  The word lively which was put for the Greek word zao (2198) connotes life, hence to be alive in Christ our Lord.

       Why must we offer up spiritual musical sacrifices as we music unto God?  The answer is simple.  As musical ministers our musicing may be musical, but they will never be acceptable unto God by Christ Jesus unless our offerings are “spiritual sacrifices”.  So, two bible lessons are taught in I peter 2:5.  First, the musician must be a spiritual person and his or her musical offerings must be acceptable unto God by Christ Jesus.