Ephesians 2:19 – 20 “Consequently, you are no longer foreigners and aliens, but fellow citizens with God’s people and members of God’s household, built on the foundation of the apostles and prophets, with Christ Jesus himself as the chief cornerstone.”
Have you ever wondered about the significance of a cornerstone? I am not a builder, and therefore, not an expert. I have always just accepted that yes, the cornerstone must be an important stone in a building, because the experts say that it is. But today, I did a little research. It turns out that the cornerstone is the first brick or stone laid, and all other bricks or stones are then laid in reference to that cornerstone. If the cornerstone is off, the entire building will be off.
God is building His church. He is not building it out of bricks and mortar, but rather, out of souls. Jesus Christ is the first and most important stone, and every member of the church must be laid in reference to Him. We are not to go off on our own, but rather, we are to follow in the legacy left behind by the very first “founding fathers” of the church, the apostles and prophets who paved the way for us.
Sometimes, an architect or designer will import special stones and marble and woods from different parts of the world, in order to make their building special, beautiful, and functional. When the building is completed, if it has been built by expert hands under the direction of a master architect, it will truly be a work of art.
In the same way, God has brought together many different kinds of people, from many backgrounds and cultures and races. He lays them together, stone by stone, brick by brick, each in reference to Jesus Christ, the Cornerstone. When He is ready, when the time is right, God Himself will stand back and say, “Behold, the Church.” (My own paraphrase.) And it will truly be a structure of beauty and functionality, using each and every unique person to play an important role. It will be a masterpiece.
And somewhere in there, if you look closely, one of those stones will have my name on it. Will your name be represented?
Dear Father, thank You for uniting people of all backgrounds and races and cultures in Your love, to bring about Your specific purpose in the world.
Amen
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