Quote:
“Christ is not just a piece of the puzzle, He is the cornerstone that holds it all together.” – Unknown
Our reflective passage of Scripture is 1 Corinthians 3:10-12
By the grace God has given me, I laid a foundation as a wise builder, and someone else is building on it. But each one should build with care. For no one can lay any foundation other than the one already laid, which is Jesus Christ. If anyone builds on this foundation using gold, silver, costly stones, wood, hay, or straw,
Preface
Recently, in a conversation with a very dear friend, the question that we were discussing was why it is so important for human beings to have a strong and stable foundation to make it on the earth. We spoke about various vital needs for all people, regardless of their faithfulness or not as it pertains to the calling of God in their life.
In general terms, a strong and stable foundation is important for human beings because it provides the necessary support and resources for physical well-being, personal growth, economic stability, social connections, and resilience. These variables set the stage for individuals to lead fulfilling and successful lives while contributing positively to their communities and the world.
But what are our responses when things just do not manifest how we hope and wish for? Where do we go and what actions can we take to provide stability and the needed resources we need to navigate through space and time?
The reality however is we all are facing life’s most significant challenges at present and the masses of people are not living fulfilling or successful lives due to many major factors that speak volumes. I am just going to list them with no elaboration needed.
Poverty and inequality; lack of education, conflict and instability, discrimination and social injustice, climate change and environmental degradation, health crises, displacement and migration, godliness and secularism, and complete failures of systems and institutions.
Quote:
“Building your life on Christ means building on the only foundation that will never crumble.” – Unknown
The Bible contains various prophecies that are open to interpretation, and different individuals and religious groups may have different perspectives on how these prophecies relate to specific challenges and conditions in the world today. Some of the prophecies are Matthew 24:6-8; Revelation 6:1-8, 2 Timothy 3:1-5, Isaiah 24:1-6, and Ezekiel 38-39.
Our reflective passage, 1 Corinthians 3:10-12 offers the only worthwhile and legitimate hope for both people of faith and all human beings who are confronted with these difficult times.
One of the very first spiritual truths in this passage is that God has given humanity a strong and stable foundation in Christ. This act of God is an ongoing invitation to anyone who is seeking help and security for their entire being.
The passage emphasizes that the foundation of faith should be Jesus Christ. He is the cornerstone upon which faithful followers build their lives and spiritual journey. It reminds believers that their focus should be on Christ and His teachings in any matters that life shall present to them.
The next observation that is seen reveals that each faithful follower must devote very special care to growing and maturing their soul. The passage encourages believers to be mindful of how they build their lives and contribute to the growth of the Body of Christ. It implies that disciples should invest life-long effort and thoughtfulness into their actions, choices, and contributions.
We then see that while the Scripture communicates about the future Day of judgment, the reality is that in this life and the life to come, every person’s work will be tested. This implies that believers’ actions and contributions will be evaluated based on their quality and motive. The metaphorical fire represents the judgment that will reveal the true nature and value of one’s work.
The last observation concerns the images of different materials such as gold, silver, costly stones, wood, hay, and straw. These materials symbolize the quality of the work and the motives behind it. Gold, silver, and costly stones represent valuable and enduring work done with noble intentions. Wood, hay, and straw represent work that is less durable or lacks substance.
Quote:
“Christ is the cornerstone that sets the standard for our lives and gives us a solid footing.” – Unknown
Building up and maturing the Soul
Our unique calling into the Kingdom of God is a divine invitation from Him to every human being in the hope of receiving salvation and the spiritual benefits that go along with it. Salvation means the preservation of deliverance from harm, ruin, or loss and sin by faith in Christ. By faith, this implies an active faith of confidence plus works.
It’s very important to note that this calling essentially separates the seeker of the world that is temporally controlled by human systems and governments and places them into the Kingdom of God, and or the Body of Christ. One may say, we have dual citizenship, spiritual and worldly. This setting His people aside, the out-of-the-world process is intended to forge and build up one’s spiritual identity and maturity.
Spiritual identity and maturity of the soul is an ongoing process that not only prepares disciples of Messiah to deal with this fallen world but also keeps one from falling or losing faith. One of the very best passages that communicate this is 2 Peter 1:5-11.
Our failing culture and its systems are unable to grant humanity that in which God blesses those who have faith despite what they must endure. Within these verses, notice all of the spiritual virtues that are birthed and nurtured until maturity in the life of a faithful follower:
Goodness, knowledge, self-control, perseverance, godliness, mutual affection, and love. Any people who possess these qualities have a very strong and effective foundation within the Household of God.
Please notice what the passage guarantees for the Believer, for if you possess these qualities in increasing measure, they will keep you from being ineffective and unproductive in your knowledge of our Lord Jesus Christ. But whoever does not have them is nearsighted and blind, forgetting that they have been cleansed from their past sins.
Therefore, my brothers and sisters, make every effort to confirm your calling and election. For if you do these things, you will never stumble, and you will receive a rich welcome into the eternal kingdom of our Lord and Savior Jesus Christ.
Quote:
“When Christ is your foundation, your life becomes a testimony of His grace and power.” – Unknown
God’s Household
The Household of God is a term used in Scripture to describe the community of Believers in Jesus Christ. It is built on the foundation of the apostles, and the prophets, with Christ Jesus Himself as the Chief Cornerstone. The foundation that is built by Jesus Christ is also a term used in the Bible to describe the same community of Believers in Christ.
The central rationale for all of our past, present, and future problems in human history is the ultimate rejection of Jesus as God’s divinely appointed foundation to the issue of sin and its insidious evil directed at God, His creation, and His creatures, namely humanity.
Consider Acts 4:10-12
then let this be known to all of you and all the people of Israel, it is by the name of Jesus Christ of Nazareth, whom you crucified but whom God raised from the dead, that this man stands before you healed, this Jesus is the stone you builders rejected, which has become the cornerstone. Salvation exists in no other name under heaven given to men by which we must be saved...,
What is the significance of the cornerstone in God’s household?
Historically, the cornerstone is the first rock used to establish the foundation of an ancient building. The apostles and prophets were the foundation, but Jesus was the “first stone” or cornerstone to begin the Household of God’s redeemed.
The significance of the cornerstone of God’s Household is that it is the foundation upon which everything else is built. It is the most important part of the building. Jesus Christ is the essence and most important part of the Body of Christ.
Some Closing Thoughts
Being in the household of God can help people find strength from God when they face adversity and the unexpected. The Body of Christ can call on and experience God’s unlimited strength, provisions, and protection, as the Holy Spirit matures the inner spiritual identity and soul of God’s faithful followers.
The depiction of the church as God’s household can help us conceive of our role as shepherds and stewards of God in our churches in cultures throughout the world. Christ has delegated His authority to the Body to minister inwardly to the members of His spiritual household which is the light and magnet physical expression of God’s family on earth.
God’s spiritual household now represents both Jewish and non-Jewish believers who are one in Messiah. All believers who are spiritually reborn into Messiah collectively have a divine mission to be a “light unto the nations” (Isaiah 42:6).
This calling within the Household of God on the earth is by the Body of Messiah serving as a moral and ethical example for other nations to follow. This concept implies that the People of God worldwide have a responsibility to live according to God’s laws and values, thereby inspiring others to seek righteousness and justice.
Jesus as the progenitor of the New Covenant progressively united the spiritual blessings promised to Israel, which have been extended to all believers, forming a Renew Covenant. In this context, Israel can be seen as a symbol of God’s redemptive plan for all humanity, with the light representing the gospel message of salvation and the magnet drawing people towards a relationship with God.
Grace and Peace
Brother Alonzo
