“Built on the foundation of the apostles and prophets, Christ Jesus himself being the cornerstone, in whom the whole structure, being joined together, grows into a holy temple in the Lord. In Him, you also are being built together into a dwelling place for God by the Spirit.”  Ephesians 2:20-22 

In the ancient building process, the cornerstone was the single most important part of constructing a new building. It established the alignment for the building, and all measurements were based upon the cornerstone. Without it, the foundation would be misaligned and unstable. And the building would be doomed for disaster. 

In Ephesians 2:20-21, Paul uses this cornerstone metaphor to point us to Christ who is the Cornerstone of the Church. If the church is going to grow into a holy temple, rightly proportioned, then everything must be built on Christ. 

And the same is true in our personal lives. If you want your life to be lived in proper alignment, build your life of Jesus Christ. If you want your life to have a solid and sure foundation, build your life of Jesus Christ. This is the outworking of the personal principle in Matthew 6:33, “Seek first the kingdom of God and his righteousness, and all these things will be added to you.” 

This means in every issue we face, in every question we have, in every new season and new opportunity, we look to Jesus.  

• If you want to know how to make decisions, look to Jesus.  
• If you want to know how to resolve conflict, look to Jesus.  
• If you want to know how to get along with people who are not like you, look to Jesus! 
• If you want to know how to grow and flourish in your faith, look to Jesus.  

Christ is the Cornerstone, and on Him are all things held together in the life of one who lives for His glory. 

Ephesus was home to one of the seven wonders of the ancient world: the Temple of Diana. Historians believe this was the first temple ever made of marble. But in all its beauty and grandeur, this was a pagan place of worship to the Greek goddess of fertility. Needless to say, it was a very dark place. 

And yet, in the shadow of this temple, Paul says to the church in Ephesus: you all are being built together into a temple, a dwelling place for God that will shine for the world to see. If you keep Christ as the Cornerstone, if you seek first the kingdom of God, if you trust the good news of the Gospel that forgives sin and tears down walls of division and hostility, then you will be a sight to behold that will lead others who are far off to peace with God and new life through His mercy and grace. 

This is our calling: 

• We are to stand out as a light in the darkness. 
• We are to stand up for unity in the good news of the Gospel. 
• We are to seek the peace of the city and invite outsiders to become insiders. 
• We are to love others as Christ first loved us. 

It is not always easy. It is not always comfortable. But it is always beautiful because it provides a living picture of the promises of God that have been fulfilled in Christ. 

Are you fulfilled in Christ? 

Taken from a sermon by George Wright, Senior Pastor, Shades Mountain Baptist Church, Birmingham, AL

READ MORE: “What does it mean that Jesus Christ is the cornerstone?” at GotQuestions.org