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“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…” – Ephesians 2:19-20
Now that we have been reconciled to God through Jesus, it is important that we establish a firm foundation. A major part of that foundation is in the understanding that God not only reconciles us back to Himself, but He also brings all people (Jews and Gentiles) together as one in Christ.
As humans we have a tendency to build ourselves on our reputation or our own accomplishments. Our society thrives on building a name for one’s self without the help of anything or anyone. But a foundation that is built on anything but Jesus Christ is destined to crumble to ruin. Jesus Christ must have His rightful place as the Chief Cornerstone in the life of every believer and in the assembly of His people. In order for us to understand this spiritual truth we need to first understand what a cornerstone is. “The cornerstone (or foundation stone) concept is derived from the first stone set in the construction of a masonry foundation, important since all other stones will be set in reference to this stone, thus determining the position of the entire structure.”1Wikipedia definition If Jesus Christ is not first in our lives then we will not grow into a healthy and holy temple. If as a church we are not in agreement on the centrality of Christ then we are unfit for God to meet us by His Spirit in our worship.
There is an internal unraveling that happens when Christ is not paramount. If we are not founded on the Rock and built up by His Spirit, then we will falter when the attacks come, and they will come – attacks from within, and without, the church walls. When dissensions arise, more often than not they are the result of people pursuing their own best interests rather than what’s best for the whole body. It is like a tree that has been attacked with rot and termites from within. Even when the damage is not evident on the outside, all it takes is a strong wind for the entire tree to be uprooted. If Jesus is not our foundation then we can easily be blown about by every wind of doctrine that passes through the church.
When we discuss church growth it is usually in regards to attendance, but I’m not talking about a growth in numbers, I’m talking about growing into a dwelling place for God. Most churches move away from the foundational truth of Jesus Christ in order to fill the seats on Sundays. That type of growth is not lasting and ultimately does more harm than good to the body of Christ. The type of growth that God is interested in comes from digging deep and laying a good foundation of doctrine with Jesus being the cornerstone, but a lot of people would rather teach a shallow Gospel because it’s more accessible and pleasing to the ears. The number of people that say they’re Christians is vast, but how many congregations are a mile wide and only an inch deep? The result is many congregations that are leaning too far to the left (liberalism) or too far to the right (legalism).
Just as Christ made peace between God and man, He is also able to bring peace between all people, but only when we see past the minor differences between denominations and place our foundation on Christ rather than the traditions of men. It is then that we are able to experience the true presence of God in our assembly, because we are founded on His Son.
“…in whom (Jesus Christ) 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.” – Ephesians 2:21-22