THE CORNERSTONE
“ ‘the stone you builders rejected, which has become the cornerstone.’ Salvation is found in no one else, for there is no other name under heaven given to mankind by which we must be saved.” —Acts 4:11-12
Wherever the cornerstone of a building was set that determined the location of the rest of that building. Everything was to be aligned with that cornerstone— everything plumbed and leveled from it. If a person tried to plumb and level each stone by itself and not work off the cornerstone then the building would not turn out to be like it should.
Jesus is the cornerstone of our lives. If lives are not “built—plumbed and leveled” off of His life then our lives will not be what He desires. Those of us who know Jesus must build our lives on His desires. People that do not know Jesus do not have the True Cornerstone to build their lives on and so their lives will not be at all what God desires.
In the verses above we are told that there is no other Cornerstone, no other Name “under heaven given to mankind by which we must be saved.” Jesus is the only Cornerstone, the only way to the Father, the only way to know God, the only way to serve God and be with Him one day in heaven.
The world does not like to hear about this exclusiveness. These days much of the world is all about inclusiveness, especially here in the West. But God’s Word is clear, all other ways are excluded. Jesus is the only way and all other religious systems are rejected by Him. Only through God’s Son, Jesus, are we saved from our sin. Only Jesus paid the penalty for our sin. Jesus was the only One who walked on this earth and lived a perfect life. Only Jesus has eternally existed as the Son of God. Only Jesus rose from the dead after 3 days and was seen as He ascended back to heaven. Only Jesus will come back one day to judge the world. Yes, Jesus is the only way to know God, to serve God, and to be with God one day.
Is your life being built off of the Cornerstone, Jesus? If not, then your life cannot, will not be what God desires. He desires perfect righteousness and that is only found in His Son (II Corinthians 5:21; Galatians 3:27). Listen, there is no other religious leader or religious systems that can make us right with God, enable us to serve God correctly now or guarantee us heaven one day— only through Jesus can this happen. For we who know Jesus, let us build our lives from His standards. For those who may be reading this, may you truly trust the Lord Jesus as your Cornerstone.
Dear Father, thank You that You loved us so much that you sent Jesus that whoever believes in Him could know You now, serve You now and be with You in heaven one day. For those of us who know You, please help us to constantly refer to the Cornerstone to build our lives correctly. For those who do not know You, may they indeed allow the Cornerstone to direct the building of their lives. May it be so.