"The Chief Cornerstone"

One of my favorite letters from the apostle Paul is his short note to the church in Ephesus. It is general in nature and covers numerous topics of great importance to the Christian. Please take 15 minutes and immerse yourself in this excellent letter of encouragement that God has sent to you. You will not regret it!

As an engineer, I am always intrigued by references to buildings or construction in God's word. In Ephesians 2: 19-22, Paul talks about the church (the people) using building terminology.  "Now, therefore, you are no longer strangers and foreigners, but fellow citizens with the saints and members of the household of God, having been built on the foundation of the apostles and prophets, Jesus Christ Himself being the chief cornerstone, in whom the whole building, being fitted together, grows into a holy temple in the Lord, in whom you also are being built together for a dwelling place of God in the Spirit."

A building is built on a foundation; these days it is usually poured concrete. In Paul's time, the foundation was made of blocks of stone. The stones were placed on leveled soil and then the building was erected on this foundation. The cornerstone is always the first stone set in place. The cornerstone determines the location, the elevation and the orientation of the building. It is the all important stone. Every other stone finds its place in the building based on the cornerstone.  It determines where the building will sit on a piece of property. It determines the direction the building will face and at what elevation the floor will be set at. This stone is the chief corner stone. There will be other stones that are located at corners, but where they are is determined by this one. Getting the cornerstone right is all important.

Paul tells us that in the church, Jesus is that "chief cornerstone". The other stones in the foundation are the apostles and the prophets. They are important; the support they provide is essential, but without the "cornerstone" they would be worthless. Without Jesus, the prophets would have been proven to be liars and the apostles would not have existed. The prophets all point towards an upcoming Messiah and the apostles all point back to a crucified and risen Christ. He is the point of their message. Getting Him right is and was all important.

Paul tells us that we are the building blocks that are placed on this foundation. Who we are and how we fit into the structure is totally dependant on the cornerstone. (1 Cor 12:18) God chooses to place each stone in the building where He sees it fit. On a side note, when we understand that, we begin to see our brothers and sisters differently. God placed them where they are! We are an ongoing project that will not be completed until Jesus returns. The construction continues, every time a person comes to faith in Christ and is immersed and added to the church, another block is placed in the wall. The building "rises to become a holy temple in the Lord"

Every building has a purpose; some are built for apartments, some schools, some offices. Paul tells us that we are being built as a holy temple. I like that... you and I, Christians, are being assembled, block by block as a place that is set apart, sanctified unto the Lord. We are "being built together to become a dwelling in which God lives by his Spirit." Individually, the Spirit lives within us (Romans 8:9), but here he tells us that in another sense, we are being built together as a home for the God. As one of my favorite preachers would say... "I don't understand everything that I know about that". Whatever else Paul means by this, this I know... you and I are joined together by our faith in Jesus and together we are the house of God.

Jesus, as the "chief cornerstone" is the one who makes it all possible. He completed the Old Covenant and brought us a new one. He came in the flesh to give us the perfect example of who God is. (Col 1:15). He lived a life without sin, so that He could be our perfect sacrifice. (Hebrews 4:15) He went to the cross, bearing our sins, so that we could stand before God clothed with His righteousness. (1 Peter 2:24) He was buried and raised on the third day so that we have the hope of resurrection with Him. (Romans 6:3-5)  And now He is building us together into a holy temple as a dwelling place for God.

Oh, the depth of the riches both of the wisdom and knowledge of God! How unsearchable are His judgments and His ways past finding out! (Romans 11:33)