“You also, as living stones, are being built up a spiritual house, a holy priesthood, to offer up spiritual sacrifices acceptable to God through Jesus Christ.” (1 Peter 2:5 NKJV)
The Kingdom of God is here on earth in the hearts of men amidst many kingdoms. It is a spiritual and superior Kingdom that will eventually overthrow, break into pieces and swallow up all other kingdoms or governments (1 Cor. 15:24-28).
The Great Commission of the Church is to make disciples of all nations, teaching them to observe and walk according to the doctrines, values, and principles of God’s Kingdom taught and demonstrated by Christ and His early apostles (Matt. 28:19-10).
The Church is in the world to invade, penetrate, overtake, and overturn the kingdoms of this world with the culture, values, doctrines, and principles of the Kingdom of Heaven.
The early Church did that very well!
They were rightly referred to as “men who turned the world upside down.” (Acts 17:6 NKJV).
Unfortunately, today’s Church is no threat to the world, for she has become a world friend and thus conformed to its custom and fashion.
The arrival of Jesus Christ to overthrow and overturn all the kingdoms of this world and set up His everlasting Kingdom on the earth was revealed and depicted to Nebuchadnezzar in a dream as “a stone cut out without hands,” which struck the image representing a succession of the kingdoms and rulers of this world on its feet of iron and clay and broke it in pieces (Dan. 2:34).
Similarly, God will use “stones cut out without hands” today to overthrow wickedness and expand His spiritual kingdom on earth.
How do you become a cut-out stone after Christ?
Let us examine how God cut out the first stone He sent into the world to establish His Kingdom on earth in the hearts of men!
First, Daniel revealed to us that the stone which broke the image of the world kingdoms in pieces was cut out of the mountain.
Daniel testifies, “In as much as you saw that the stone was cut out of the mountain without hands, and that it broke in pieces the iron, the bronze, the clay, the silver, and the gold…” (Dan. 2:45).
This implies that the stone was of the same type, nature, quality, character, and strength as the mountain.
The Scripture reveals that Jesus Christ was one with God and proceeded forth or came from God. He was said to come from the bosom of God the Father (John 1:18).
Therefore, like a stone cut out of a mountain or rock, Christ shared the exact divine nature, character, glory, wisdom, and power with His Father.
The Lord Jesus boldly declared this truth to the Jews.
John 8:42 – NKJV
42 Jesus said to them, “If God were your Father, you would love Me, for I proceeded forth and came from God; nor have I come of Myself, but He sent Me.
John 10:30 – NKJV
30 I and My Father are one.
Everyone who is born of God is a partaker of God’s nature!
The Scripture clearly states this truth.
1 John 3:9 – RSV
9 No one born of God commits sin; for God’s nature abides in him, and he cannot sin because he is born of God.
2 Peter 1:2-4 – NKJV
2 Grace and peace be multiplied to you in the knowledge of God and of Jesus our Lord,
3 as His divine power has given to us all things that pertain to life and godliness, through the knowledge of Him who called us by glory and virtue,
4 by which have been given to us exceedingly great and precious promises, that through these you may be partakers of the divine nature, having escaped the corruption that is in the world through lust.
When you are born again through faith in Christ, you become one spirit with Christ and a joint heir with Christ. You share His nature, life, riches, resources, position, authority, and dominion with Christ.
1 Corinthians 6:17 – NKJV
17 But he who is joined to the Lord is one spirit with Him.
Romans 8:16-17 – NKJV
16 The Spirit Himself bears witness with our spirit that we are children of God,
17 and if children, then heirs–heirs of God and joint heirs with Christ, if indeed we suffer with Him, that we may also be glorified together.
Therefore, like Christ, you possess all it takes to make a significant difference or impact in the world for God. God can use you to overthrow and overturn the kingdoms of this world, for you are of the same stock as Christ.
Second, Daniel revealed that “the stone was cut out of the mountain without hands…” (Dan. 2:45).
This implies that the coming of Christ as the King to set up His Kingdom on earth would be purely divine and supernatural.
Undoubtedly, Jesus’ conception was purely divine and supernatural, without any input from man.
Matthew 1:18-21 – NKJV
18 Now the birth of Jesus Christ was as follows: After His mother Mary was betrothed to Joseph, before they came together, she was found with child of the Holy Spirit.
19 Then Joseph her husband, being a just man, and not wanting to make her a public example, was minded to put her away secretly.
20 But while he thought about these things, behold, an angel of the Lord appeared to him in a dream, saying, “Joseph, son of David, do not be afraid to take to you Mary your wife, for that which is conceived in her is of the Holy Spirit.
21 “And she will bring forth a Son, and you shall call His name JESUS, for He will save His people from their sins.” (NKJV).
Likewise, the spiritual birth of the believers is purely divine and supernatural.
The Scripture aptly states this truth.
John 1:12-13 – NKJV
12 But as many as received Him, to them He gave the right to become children of God, to those who believe in His name:
13 who were born, not of blood, nor of the will of the flesh, nor of the will of man, but of God.
Like Christ, you are born again supernaturally, born of the incorruptible seed, the Word of God, and the Spirit of God (John 3:5).
1 Peter 1:18-23 – NKJV
18 knowing that you were not redeemed with corruptible things, like silver or gold, from your aimless conduct received by tradition from your fathers,
19 but with the precious blood of Christ, as of a lamb without blemish and without spot.
20 He indeed was foreordained before the foundation of the world, but was manifest in these last times for you
21 who through Him believe in God, who raised Him from the dead and gave Him glory, so that your faith and hope are in God.
22 Since you have purified your souls in obeying the truth through the Spirit in sincere love of the brethren, love one another fervently with a pure heart,
23 having been born again, not of corruptible seed but incorruptible, through the word of God which lives and abides forever.
Therefore, you are a stone cut out of the Living God, the Rock of your salvation (Psa. 95:1).
Third, the stone, Jesus Christ, was cut out as a bondservant.
The Scripture speaks of Jesus “who, being in the form of God, did not consider it robbery to be equal with God, but made Himself of no reputation, taking the form of a bondservant, and coming in the likeness of men.” (Philip. 2:6-7 NKJV).
Though Jesus Christ is the King of kings, He manifested as a servant at His first coming to set up His spiritual kingdom on earth.
Christ emptied Himself of His divine attributes. He humbled Himself, suffered and endured humiliation and persecution from men, and eventually died a shameful and painful death on the cross for our sins (Phil. 2:5-10).
Our Lord Jesus Christ paid a huge sacrifice for His kingdom to be established on earth.
Therefore, it is simply a self-deception and delusion to think that you can be actively involved in manifesting, promoting, and advancing the Kingdom of heaven on earth at no cost, without any sacrifice.
Christ set up His Kingdom on earth through His teaching, humility, selfless love, service, and sacrificial death. It will also take you walking in the steps of Christ to manifest, promote, expand, and advance His Kingdom on earth in the hearts of men.
The Lord Jesus pointed out this truth to His disciples.
Matthew 20:27-28 – NKJV
27 “And whoever desires to be first among you, let him be your slave–
28 “just as the Son of Man did not come to be served, but to serve, and to give His life a ransom for many.”
Beloved, like the Lord Jesus Christ, you also are a living stone cut out without hands and sent by God into the world to overthrow anti-Christ kingdoms, rules, systems, principles, or values and to enthrone, demonstrate, and manifest the love, joy, righteousness, authority, principles, or values of God’s Kingdom in the hearts of men and your sphere of influence.
1 Peter 2:4-6 – NKJV
4 Coming to Him as to a living stone, rejected indeed by men, but chosen by God and precious,
5 you also, as living stones, are being built up a spiritual house, a holy priesthood, to offer up spiritual sacrifices acceptable to God through Jesus Christ.
6 Therefore it is also contained in the Scripture, “Behold, I lay in Zion A chief cornerstone, elect, precious, and he who believes on Him will by no means be put to shame.”
Therefore, arise today to begin confronting and overthrowing wickedness, crime, injustice, corruption, immorality, and such ills in your community, city, and nation, and begin to spread, manifest, promote, and advance the values and virtues of God’s Kingdom.
As God said to Jeremiah, God is saying to you today, “See, I have this day set you over the nations and over the kingdoms, to root out and to pull down, To destroy and to throw down, To build and to plant.” (Jer. 1:10 NKJV).
Today, the Lord Jesus says to you, “Peace to you! As the Father has sent Me, I also send you.” (John 20:21 NKJV).
This is your calling in Christ, and you have been divinely furnished, equipped, and empowered to fulfill this calling!
Prayer: My Dear Heavenly Father, thank You for making me of the same stock as Christ Jesus. Dear Holy Spirit, teach and help me to appropriate all that God has given me in Christ to manifest, promote, expand, and advance the Kingdom of heaven on earth, in Jesus’ name. Amen.