Being and Becoming
Sermon May 3, 2026, 1 Peter 2:1-10
Being and Becoming
Reverend Fred Okello
You hear people introduce themselves in simple ways:
“Born here.”
“Came here.”
“I’ve always been here.”
“I’m new.”
Sometimes it’s said casually, just making conversation. But beneath those words, they can carry a deeper meaning. They can signal who belongs and who doesn’t. Who is familiar and who is still finding their place.
At times, those distinctions help people connect. But other times, they create distance. They divide people into insiders and outsiders.
And that kind of thinking doesn’t stay out in the world; it can quietly make its way into the church.
The believers to whom Peter was writing in the First Epistle of Peter knew what it felt like to be on the outside. Many of them were scattered, misunderstood, and even rejected because of their faith.
So Peter writes to them, not to fix their circumstances, but to reshape their understanding. He reminds them: your identity is not determined by how others see you, but by what God says about you.
Peter begins very practically. He says there are things we need to let go of:
Malice… deceit… hypocrisy… envy… slander.
These are attitudes that damage relationships and weaken our walk with God. They may not always be visible on the outside, but they affect everything on the inside. If we hold on to these things, we limit our ability to grow.
So Peter gives a picture: “Like newborn babies, crave pure spiritual milk.” A baby naturally longs to be fed. In the same way, we are called to develop a real hunger for God’s Word.
Growth doesn’t happen by accident. It happens when we consistently take in what strengthens our faith. What do I consume each day?
So the question is not just, “What am I avoiding?” but also, “What am I pursuing?”
Then, Peter shifts our focus to Jesus. He describes Jesus as a “living stone” rejected by people, but chosen by God. That’s important. What the world rejected, God established as the foundation.
Peter says that we are like “living stones” too. We are being built together into something God is forming, a spiritual house. This means we don’t stand alone. We are part of something bigger than ourselves, and at the center of it all is the cornerstone, Jesus.
In construction, everything lines up with the cornerstone. If it’s right, the structure is strong. If it’s off, everything else becomes unstable. So we have to ask ourselves: Is my life aligned with Him?
People respond to Jesus differently. Some trust Him and find stability. Others reject Him and stumble. What we do with Jesus shapes everything.
To those who chose Jesus and follow him, “You are a chosen people, a royal priesthood, a holy nation, God’s special possession.”
Think about that. People who may have felt like outsiders are now called chosen and set apart. They belong to God.
Peter reminds his audience of the change that has taken place:
“Once you were not a people, but now you are the people of God. Once you had not received mercy, but now you have received mercy.”
That’s a complete transformation. And it comes with a purpose:
“that you may declare the praises of Him who called you out of darkness into His wonderful light.”
In other words, we don’t just receive a new identity, we live it out. We show it in the way we speak, act, and relate to others. When you know who you are, it changes how you live. God’s child who knows that they are loved finds no reason to disobey God.
In conclusion, God calls us to let go of what holds us back. God calls us to build our lives on Jesus and to live as people who belong to Him. So whatever labels you’ve carried… whatever others have said about you…God says something greater.