This week’s devotions are based on “Rooted: Finding My Identity in Christ: I am Connected! (WATCH HERE)
Ephesians 2:19 Consequently, you are no longer foreigners and aliens, but fellow citizens with God’s people and members of God’s household, 20 built on the foundation of the apostles and prophets, with Christ Jesus himself as the chief cornerstone. 21 In him the whole building is joined together and rises to become a holy temple in the Lord. 22 And in him you too are being built together to become a dwelling in which God lives by his Spirit.
Have you ever tried to build something without a level? You can get the pieces together. You can make it look right for a while. But eventually, the crooked lines begin to show. Doors don’t fit. Walls don’t meet. What looked fine at first becomes a problem.
That is why builders need a solid foundation and something that keeps everything aligned.
Paul gives us that picture in Ephesians 2. He says that God’s people are “built on the foundation of the apostles and prophets, with Christ Jesus himself as the chief cornerstone.” (Ephesians 2:20).
The cornerstone was essential to an ancient building. It helped establish the position and alignment of the rest of the structure. Everything else was built in relationship to it.
Paul says Christ is our cornerstone.
That means the Church is not built around personalities, preferences, traditions, or whatever happens to be popular at the moment. The Church is built on God’s Word and aligned to Jesus Christ.
That matters for us personally too.
We are constantly tempted to use something else as our measuring line. We compare ourselves with other people. We build our identity around our accomplishments. We allow our feelings to determine what is true. We let culture tell us what is important. We can even judge a church by whether it fits our preferences.
But Christ calls us back to the cornerstone.
Second Timothy 3:16 says, “All Scripture is God-breathed.” God’s Word gives us the foundation we need. It tells us who God is, who we are, what Christ has done, and how we are called to live.
And when Christ is the cornerstone, we begin to see the Church differently. We don’t gather simply because everyone agrees with us or because we enjoy the same things. We gather around Christ and His Word.
First Peter 2:5 says, “You yourselves like living stones are being built up as a spiritual house.”
Notice that word: being built.
God is still working on us. He is still shaping us, correcting us, strengthening us, and teaching us how to live together. And He is doing that work through His Word and by His Spirit.
That means the difficult people in the Church may sometimes be part of God’s work in you. The person who needs your patience may be teaching you patience. The person who needs your forgiveness may be teaching you grace. The person who sees something differently may be teaching you humility.
God isn’t simply building a church around you. He is building you together with His people.
So when church becomes difficult, don’t immediately ask, “Do I like this?” Ask, “Is Christ still the cornerstone? Is God’s Word still the foundation? And how might God be using me to build up the people around me?”
You are not a loose block sitting on your own. You are a living stone, connected to Christ and being built together with His people.
Christ is your cornerstone.
His Word is your foundation.
And He is not finished building.
Reflect: What am I tempted to use as the foundation or measuring line for my life? How can I help build up Christ’s Church and the people around me this week?
Prayer: Lord Jesus, thank You for being my cornerstone and for building me into Your Church. Forgive me when I place my preferences, feelings, or opinions above Your Word. Keep me grounded in Your truth and aligned with You. Give me patience with the people You have placed around me and help me build them up with encouragement, forgiveness, and love. Use me as a living stone in the Church You are building. Amen.