1 Peter 2:1-12 - Chosen As Living Stones
1 Laying aside therefore all malice and all deceit and hypocrisies and envies and all evil speakings, 2 as new born babes desire earnestly the pure milk of the word, that you may grow by it to salvation, 3 if indeed you have tasted that the Lord is good. 4 To whom coming, a living stone, rejected indeed by men but approved by God, elect, precious, 5 do you also yourselves be built up living stones, a spiritual house, a holy priesthood, to offer spiritual sacrifices well pleasing to God through Jesus Christ, 6 for it is said in the Scripture, Behold, I lay in Zion a chief corner stone, elect, precious, and he that believes on him shall not be ashamed.
7 To you therefore who believe he is precious; but to the disobedient, the stone which the builders rejected has become the head of a corner
8 and a stone of stumbling and rock of offense, who stumble at the word, being disobedient, to which also they were appointed.
9 But you are an elect race, a royal priesthood, a holy nation, a peculiar people, that you should declare the virtues of him who called you out of darkness into his glorious light; 10 who formerly were not a people, but now are a people of God, who had not obtained mercy, but now have obtained mercy.
11 BELOVED, I exhort you as strangers and foreigners, abstain from carnal desires, which war against the soul, 12 having your conduct honorable among the gentiles, that wherein they speak against you as evil-doers, from the good works which they see they may glorify God in the day of visitation,