The Building

Psalm 118: 22

The stone which the builders rejected

Has become the chief cornerstone.

The cornerstone (or foundation stone) concept is derived from the first stone set in the construction of a masonry foundation, it is important since all other stones will be set in reference to this stone, thus determining the position of the entire structure.

If we consider ourselves to be living stones within the temple that God planned and sent His Son Jesus Christ, to lay the foundational stone - The Chief Cornerstone, then we must make sure that we are aligned in reference to the Chief Cornerstone - Jesus Christ. But what does in mean to be aligned in reference to the Chief Cornerstone?

Jesus said in Matt. 7:24 “Everyone therefore who hears these words of mine, and does them, I will liken him to a wise man, who built his house on a rock. We cannot align ourselves with the Son of the Living God unless, we willingly seek until we find Him, as the Rock with the purpose to hear His Word and to do it.

Why should we dig and through what should we dig? Jesus said Mark 7:6-13 He answered them, “Well did Isaiah prophesy of you hypocrites, as it is written, ‘This people honors me with their lips, But their heart is far from me. But in vain do they worship me, Teaching as doctrines the commandments of men.’ “For you set aside the commandment of God, and hold tightly to the tradition of men—the washing of pitchers and cups, and you do many other such things.” He said to them, “Full well do you reject the commandment of God, that you may keep your tradition. For Moses said, ‘Honor your father and your mother;’ and, ‘He who speaks evil of father or mother, let him be put to death.’ But you say, ‘If a man tells his father or his mother, “Whatever profit you might have received from me is Corban, that is to say, given to God;”’ then you no longer allow him to do anything for his father or his mother, making void the word of God by your tradition, which you have handed down. You do many things like this.” and again it is written in Col. 2:6-15 As therefore you received Christ Jesus, the Lord, walk in him, rooted and built up in him, and established in the faith, even as you were taught, abounding in it in thanksgiving. Be careful that you don’t let anyone rob you through his philosophy and vain deceit, after the tradition of men, after the elements of the world, and not after Christ. For in him all the fullness of the Godhead dwells bodily, and in him you are made full, who is the head of all principality and power; in whom you were also circumcised with a circumcision not made with hands, in the putting off of the body of the sins of the flesh, in the circumcision of Christ; having been buried with him in baptism, in which you were also raised with him through faith in the working of God, who raised him from the dead. You were dead through your trespasses and the uncircumcision of your flesh. He made you alive together with him, having forgiven us all our trespasses, wiping out the handwriting in ordinances which was against us; and he has taken it out of the way, nailing it to the cross; having stripped the principalities and the powers, he made a show of them openly, triumphing over them in it. And Paul warned the followers of Christ, saying in 2Th. 3:6-14 Now we command you, brothers, in the name of our Lord Jesus Christ, that you withdraw yourselves from every brother who walks in rebellion, and not after the tradition which they received from us. For you know how you ought to imitate us. For we didn’t behave ourselves rebelliously among you, neither did we eat bread from anyone’s hand without paying for it, but in labor and travail worked night and day, that we might not burden any of you; not because we don’t have the right, but to make ourselves an example to you, that you should imitate us. For even when we were with you, we commanded you this: “If anyone will not work, neither let him eat.” For we hear of some who walk among you in rebellion, who don’t work at all, but are busybodies. Now those who are that way, we command and exhort in the Lord Jesus Christ, that with quietness they work, and eat their own bread. But you, brothers, don’t be weary in doing well. If any man doesn’t obey our word in this letter, note that man, that you have no company with him, to the end that he may be ashamed.

We need to dig through the traditions of man so that we can be separated on the basis of the truth, the Word is the truth, John 17:16-19 They are not of the world even as I am not of the world. Sanctify them in your truth. Your word is truth. As you sent me into the world, even so I have sent them into the world. For their sakes I sanctify myself, that they themselves also may be sanctified in truth.

To be aligned in reference to Jesus as the Chief Cornerstone, is to walk in obedience to the Word of God, not like the pharisees who aligned themselves to the tradition of man. Jesus said in Matt. 5:20 For I tell you that unless your righteousness exceeds that of the scribes and Pharisees, there is no way you will enter into the Kingdom of Heaven. To be a living stone within the living temple, we need to be in perfect alignment to our Lord Jesus Christ, the chief Cornerstone.

Gideon asked a question in Judges. 6:13-14 Gideon said to him, Oh, my lord, if Yahweh is with us, why then has all this happened to us? and where are all his wondrous works which our fathers told us of, saying, Did not Yahweh bring us up from Egypt? but now Yahweh has cast us off, and delivered us into the hand of Midian. Yahweh looked at him, and said, Go in this your might, and save Israel from the hand of Midian: have not I sent you? If we want to see God's promises fulfilled in our life and the lives of the people around us, we should as Gideon, adhere to the Word of God, and tear down the altars of our fathers (traditions) and build a new altar to the glory of God, based on the Word of Truth,. Judges. 6:25-27 It happened the same night, that Yahweh said to him, Take your father’s bull, even the second bull seven years old, and throw down the altar of Baal that your father has, and cut down the Asherah that is by it; and build an altar to Yahweh your God on the top of this stronghold, in the orderly manner, and take the second bull, and offer a burnt offering with the wood of the Asherah which you shall cut down. Then Gideon took ten men of his servants, and did as Yahweh had spoken to him: and it happened, because he feared his father’s household and the men of the city, so that he could not do it by day, that he did it by night.