1 Peter 2:4-8 – As you come to him, a living stone rejected by men but in the sight of God chosen and precious, you yourselves like living stones are being built up as a spiritual house, to be a holy priesthood, to offer spiritual sacrifices acceptable to God through Jesus Christ. For it stands in Scripture: “Behold, I am laying in Zion a stone, a cornerstone chosen and precious, and whoever believes in him will not be put to shame.” So the honor is for you who believe, but for those who do not believe, “The stone that the builders rejected has become the cornerstone,” and “A stone of stumbling, and a rock of offense.”
In the ancient world, large stones were commonly used for the construction of buildings. A wise builder would carefully choose the correct stones and meticulously stack them. The determining factor for building was the foundation, starting with the cornerstone. If the cornerstone was crooked or crumbled, eventually the entire building would collapse, which would be catastrophic.
This imagery of the cornerstone is referred to by Peter in a series of Old Testament quotes (Isaiah 8:18, 28:16; Ps. 118:22). It is God’s creative way of stressing the importance of building every area of your life on Jesus Christ as the cornerstone. Some sadly reject Christ and Christianity because they find it all offensive and trip over its truths. They try to build their life apart from Jesus and it crumbles, especially in eternity.
How about you? What are you trying to build in your life? When Peter uses the common Old Testament language of “Zion” it is a reference to Heaven coming to Earth as God’s perfect Kingdom forever. The truth is, everyone is trying to build their version of Zion. Whether or not we know Jesus, we all know that life on this planet is broken and needs to be rebuilt. The key to constructing a life, like a building, is to start with the cornerstone.
Practically this means that you need to start your budget, relationships, schedule, day, marriage, family, parenting, and everything else in your life with Christ and the teachings of Christianity. Nothing else works forever but “whoever believes in him will not be put to shame.”
Is there any area of your life in which Christ and Christianity is not your first priority that life is built on?
To download the free e-book ODD LIFE: Good God which is a study in 1 Peter for individuals, groups, and families from Pastor Mark click HERE. To listen to Pastor Mark’s 9 sermons on 1 Peter preached in the summer of 2020, click HERE. These and other resources are made possible by our ministry partners who support Real Faith as a Bible teaching ministry of Mark Driscoll Ministries to whom we say THANK YOU!