TODAY'S VERSE:

Ephesians 2:19-22 Consequently, you are no longer foreigners and strangers, but fellow citizens with God’s people and also members of his household, built on the foundation of the apostles and prophets, with Christ Jesus Himself as the Chief Cornerstone. In Him the whole building is joined together and rises to become a holy temple in the Lord. And in Him you too are being built together to become a dwelling in which God lives by his Spirit.
 
In Prep School we have been learning about the plan of God and the “job” of each member of the Trinity. God the Father is the architect- the designer, God the Son (Jesus Christ) is the executor- the one who carries it out, and God the Holy Spirit is the power source. Our verse sounds as if they are building something- what’s the plan and what are they building?

In Ephesians 2:19-22 Paul is talking to Gentiles. He is assuring them that, as believers, they are members of the Church; any Jew or Gentile who is a believer in Christ is a member of the Church, the body of Christ.  And, Jesus Christ is the Chief Cornerstone!

In ancient building practices, the cornerstone was the principal or most important stone placed at the corner of the building. The cornerstone was usually one of the largest, most solid, and the most carefully constructed stones of any in the building. Jesus describes Himself as the Cornerstone that His Church would be built upon, a unified body of believers, both Jew and Gentile. Now this is not a building that you can see; it is a spiritual “building” of believers with Jesus Christ as the Person who makes the “building” possible. Ten days after Jesus Christ ascended into Heaven, God sent the Holy Spirit to live inside of believers. In love, Jesus Christ carried out everything that was necessary for the body of Christ, the Church, to be built; and He did it through the power of God the Holy Spirit. He was born as the God-man, lived, died, was buried, and rose from the dead!  He ascended into Heaven and is now seated at the right hand of God the Father! He is the Cornerstone and we are His building being built by God the Holy Spirit!

As the body of Christ, through the power of the Spirit, we are to use the spiritual gift God gave to each of us to serve and encourage others. We are to have close relationships with others through our relationship with Christ! We are to always put Jesus Christ first! He is our Cornerstone and the One we are to focus on to hold our relationships together! In the plan of God for the Church, God the Father is the architect, God the Son is the one who carries it out, and God the Holy Spirit is the power source.

Ephesians 4:4-6 There is one body and one Spirit, just as also you were called in one hope of your calling; Lord, one faith, one baptism, one God and Father of all who is over all and through all and in all.