Having established that “the Lord is gracious” (3), Peter additionally refers to Him as “a living stone.” This refers to Jesus as a foundation stone promised by God, a Messianic prophecy (cf. Isaiah 28:16). Christ is the foundation upon which God’s redemptive promise is founded, though He was rejected by men.
The key here is to determine our responsibility to the One responsible for our reconciliation with the Father. We have been told to put off evil and desire His will (1-2), now Peter tells us to approach Jesus (the foundation stone) as living stones! We are called to action. It is our responsibility as Christians to live moral lives in service to God. The words Peter uses here “to offer up spiritual sacrifices acceptable to God” mirror the words of Paul in Romans 12:1-2 calling us to be transformed in the lives we live. No longer are we to live our lives for ourselves. We are to sacrificial, offering up ourselves in service to the Lord. God saved us through Jesus. Our response to Him should reflect that.
