built upon the foundation of the apostles and prophets, Christ Jesus himself being the cornerstone, in whom the whole structure is joined together and grows into a holy temple in the Lord; in whom you also are built into it for a dwelling place of God in the Spirit.
Ephesians 2: 20-22 (RSV)
Closing out Ephesians 2, Paul talked about Jesus being the Cornerstone of the foundation. This devotion looks at how this forms the Family as a residence is built within us.
Nuggets
- Everything is built on Jesus because He is the only way we get reconciled with God.
- Every time we move forward in our relationship with God, Satan tries harder to attack us.
- The Holy Spirit lives within us to accomplish the work of regeneration and sanctification.
In Ephesians 2, Paul has been discussing family and unity in the church. He says that it is possible only through one way — Jesus.
How the Family Is Formed
“built upon the foundation of the apostles and prophets, Christ Jesus himself being the cornerstone” (Eph. 2: 19 RSV).
We don’t hear as much these days about using a cornerstone to build a structure. When constructing a building made of stone, the cornerstone was the first stone that was laid. Every other stone was laid in relation to that stone.
Jesus is our Cornerstone. “The stone that the builders rejected has now become the cornerstone” (Ps. 118: 22 NLT).
Everything is built on Jesus because He is the only way we get reconciled with God (Jn. 14: 6). His blood is the only way that the price for our sins could be paid.
We reposition our lives in relation to Him. We guide off of Him.
No, it isn’t a quick and easy process — just like building a house isn’t easy. You have to dig and lay the foundation; erect the walls; put up the trusses; install the roof; put in the plumbing, heating and electrical wires; hang drywall …
Yes, I am sure I missed a step or two — and there are more steps to go before it is inhabitable.
And non-believers think that disciples are going to be fruit-of-the-spirit perfect instantaneously? Wrong!
We’ll grow into it — as long as we keep growing on the right Foundation. As long as we guide off the Cornerstone, we’ll be fine.
But think about it this way. Jesus is His own message. Jesus is the gospel. He is in whom we put our faith.
This isn’t a case of just self-promotion. The message is Jesus substituted Himself for us. The message is what He did for us.
Holy Temples
“in whom the whole structure is joined together and grows into a holy temple in the Lord” (Eph. 2: 21 RSV).
Let’s take the building theme one step further. We are building temples — within ourselves. We are living temples.
How do we build them? It will take hearing His Word, reading it, studying it, meditating on it, and memorizing it. All through that, we need to be in prayer, asking God to provide the meaning.
Hearing His Word (Rom. 10: 17 NLT).
Reading His Word (Rev. 1: 3 ESV).
Praying to Him (Heb. 4: 16 ESV).
Studying His Word (Ac. 17: 11 NLT).
Meditating on His Word (Ps. 1: 1-2).
Memorizing His Word (Ps. 119: 11 NLT).
To read Has God Provided Everything We Need?, click the button below.
Every time we move forward in our relationship with God, Satan tries harder to attack us.
We see them as trials instead of building blocks. We see trials as stumbling blocks instead of verification that we are living as we should in God.
If we are not growing in God, we aren’t living for God. That means we are not allowing the Holy Spirit to work in our hearts.
God will take all of us and mold us into what He would have us be. “Nor must you surrender any part of yourselves to sin to be used for wicked purposes. Instead, give yourselves to God, as those who have been brought from death to life, and surrender your whole being to him to be used for righteous purposes” (Rom. 6: 13 GNT).
Matthew 16: 18 says, “And I also say to you that you are Peter, and on this rock I will build My church, and the gates of Hades shall not prevail against it” (NKJV). Peter had just answered the “… But who do you say that I am?” question (Mt. 16: 15 NKJV).
Peter gave the correct answer. “… You are the Christ, the Son of the living God” (Mt. 16: 16 NKJV).
We give the correct answer, too, when we ABC. It is on that correct answer that Jesus builds His church.
The ABCDs of Salvation
A – admit our sins
B – believe His Son Jesus is our Redeemer
C – confess God as Sovereign Lord
D – demonstrate that commitment by making any changes needed in our lives to
live the way in which God has called us
If you have not become a believer in Christ, please read through the Plan of Salvation and prayerfully consider what God is asking you to do.
Yes, Peter was blessed because of that answer. “… Blessed are you, Simon Bar-Jonah, for flesh and blood has not revealed this to you, but My Father who is in heaven” (Mt. 16: 17 NKJV).
But look who the blessed are. Jeremiah 17: 7 says, “But I [God the Father] will bless the person who puts his trust in me” (GNT). Peter wasn’t blessed because he was Peter. He was blessed because he ABCDed.
Peter wasn’t blessed and given an important job, a fancy house, and more money than he could shake a stick at. He was given salvation.
We are blessed when we answer the same way.
Jesus is the Cornerstone, but we are the rest of the foundation. We become transformed when we allow the Holy Spirit to guide us into obeying His Will.
Internal Residence for the Spirit
“in whom you also are built into it for a dwelling place of God in the Spirit” (Eph. 2: 22 RSV).
The Holy Spirit lives within us to accomplish the work of regeneration and sanctification. Disciples are sealed as God’s by the presence of the Holy Spirit.
We have to remember that God doesn’t make mistakes. Psalm 18: 30 says, “This God — his way is perfect; the word of the Lord proves true; he is a shield for all those who take refuge in him” (ESV). What He is growing us to be will be perfect — and the way we get there will be perfect.
What do we do when our homes are under attack? We defend them, don’t we?
If the Holy Spirit is within us, shouldn’t we expect God to defend us? “[The Lord says to you], ‘You will not need to fight in this battle. Stand firm, hold your position, and see the salvation of the Lord on your behalf, O Judah and Jerusalem.’ Do not be afraid and do not be dismayed. Tomorrow go out against them, and the Lord will be with you” (II Chron. 20: 17 ESV).
Making the Connections
Are you getting as much comfort out of this as I am? We don’t need to fight Satan. God and His angel army will. We just have to grow.
We have to be open to how God is working among us. We have to listen to Him and follow His ways.
Then we have to go tell others.
How Do We Apply This?
You may have noticed that, when I started putting these devotions online, I called us believers. Yes, we have to ABC.
Then along the way, I changed it to disciples. We have to be students of the Word.
Not to long ago, I added the D to the ABCs. I did that because we have to do more than believe and study. We have to demonstrate and do.
Jesus changed the disciples to apostles because he sent them out. Guess what? He is sending us out, too.
To read Who Were the Disciplines/Apostles?, click on the button below.
No, I am not going to start calling us apostles, but I am going to keep challenging us to out feet to our faith. I am going to keep encouraging us — myself included — to be better witnesses.
We may be part of the foundation, but we are also the builders. “Therefore encourage one another and build up one another, just as you also are doing” (I Thess. 5: 11 NASB). You see, we have to grow individually, and the church has to grow spiritually, numerically, and cohesively.
If God is living within us, then we have to be showing that. We have to physically show searchers and other seekers how God is working in us to grow us.
Loving, Merciful Father. You are so good to us. You love us and protect us from Satan and many of the ills of this world. Help us to seek You and find You. Help us to grow closer to You. May we always be sharing Your love and Jesus’ sacrifice with those who are searching and need to find You.
What do you think? What skills do you need to grow in order to be a better witness?
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