Creation

It's been a few days since I've blogged.  We've been on vacation.  I'll blog about that in the days to come.  But, since returning I want to start on Genesis.  I'm going to talk about Genesis 1 & 2 today.  This is the story of creation.  We've heard the story of creation so many times before.  But, maybe we can gain something out of if anyway.  

The word "Genesis" actually means "beginning" or "the origin or mode of formation of something."  It tells us in Genesis 1:1 that "In the beginning God created the heavens and the earth."  That means there was nothing to begin with.  It was void.  Picture an artist with a blank canvas, starting with just a blank white surface.  

When I read the creation story, I picture God as the master artist.  He started with a blank canvas.  His first creation was the heavens and the earth.  This would mean the creation of the galaxies.  All the stars and planets that we see today.  There are millions of them.  Then he created the earth. He designed the world in which we live.  It's immaculate and complex.  It was dark.  So, he created light, the sun, moon & stars.    Isn't it marvelous?  And, what is more amazing it is that He just spoke the words and it came to be.  Days, nights, weeks, months, seasons, years.  We are soon approaching fall.  Things will pass away and go into hibernation for the coming winter months.  Then, spring will come and bring everything new again.  He then created the "firmament."  Well, that's just another word for our atmosphere that creates the perfect conditions for vegetation to grow.   He separated the land from the sea and created vegetation.  He created the creatures of the land and sea.  He created us. 

Genesis 2:7 says this:  "then the Lord God formed the man of dust from the ground and breathed into his nostrils the breath of life, and the man became a living creature."  Have you ever wondered why he created us?  Well, I believe that He created us specifically to have a relationship with Him.  He created us to LOVE us.  He created us in His image.  You want relationship with others.  If we are in His image, it begs to reason that He wants us to have a relationship with Him.   Have you ever wondered what it was like there in the Garden of Eden?  I can only imagine that God, Adam & Eve spent a lot of time together.  Relationship.  That's the reason, I believe, that God created this world.  Yet, we deny Him this relationship with us.  We have other things that seem to take priority over our lives:  a child's ballgame, the shopping mall, a television show, the list could go on and on.  How about, today, make God your priority.  He created us for this purpose.  

Prayer:  Heavenly Father, thank you for this beautiful creation we call earth.  Thank you for creating me to have a relationship with you.  Forgive me, Father, for those times when I have placed greater importance on things other than you.  Help create a desire in my heart to spend more time with you.  In Jesus name, Amen.

God's Children

First of all, let me say thank you for joining me on this journey.  If you like this page, please share.  Also, if you get a moment and haven't already, go over to my Facebook page and give us a like.  Adventures in Bluegrass and Bible Studies Facebook Page

On to today's post:

What does it mean to be a child of God?  What makes a child of God different from the rest of the world?  I didn’t talk about it last time, but 1 John 2:29 tells us that Christians are those who are “born” of God.  This is just an emphasis that the Christian’s spiritual life is a result of God’s redemptive work in us.  Once we are “born again”, we are called God’s Children.  So, what is the significance of being called the “children of God” and what does it mean for our lives?

1 John 3:1 says, “See what kind of love the Father has given to us, that we should be called children of God; and so we are.  The reason why the world does not know us is that it did not know him.” 

The KJV says “Behold what manner of love the Father has bestowed on us”.  Don’t you just love that verse!  It’s through God’s love that we can become His children.  It’s an honor.  Can you imagine the love that God must have for us to “allow” us to be His?  I imagine this as how adoptive parents feel toward their children.  Do you know any children who have been adopted?  We know several folks who have adopted.  Let me tell you, they love their children just as much as if they were born to them.  It’s unconditional.  That’s just like the love of God for us.  Do you know the song “How He Loves” by the David Crowder Band?  It goes like this:

"He is jealous for me, loves like a hurricane, I am a tree
Bending beneath the weight of His wind and mercy
When all of a sudden I am unaware of these afflictions
Eclipsed by glory and I realize just how beautiful You are
And how great Your affections are for me

And oh, how He loves us, oh
Oh, how He loves us, how He loves us all"

That's the love that He has for you and I.  It's strong, like a hurricane.

Well, take a look at that second verse.  It tells us that the world doesn’t know us.  People who are lost know us, so what does that mean?  It means that they don’t recognize what we have become in Christ.  They may even look at us as religious freaks.  Why?  Because they just don’t know Jesus.  We should expect the world to treat us the same as the world treated Jesus.  Despised.  Rejected.  Think of it this way:  while Jesus was here on earth, he has a great following, they saw his miracles, they believed in who he said he was.  Yet, they were the ones that wanted to crucify him.  See how the world does? The world will turn it’s back on you.

But, look at verse 16!  It says “By this we know love, that he laid down his life for us, and we ought to lay down our lives for the brothers.”  Jesus laid down his life for you (and me).  Shouldn’t we be willing to do the same thing?  Shouldn’t we be willing to take the criticism of the world? 

Prayer:  Heavenly Father, thank you for allowing me to be one of your children.  Help me, each day, I pray, to realize the love that you have for me.  I know you loved me so much that you sent Jesus to die on the cross for my sins.  Help me, Lord, to remember that love and to share it with others.  Forgive me for ever not believing in that love. In Jesus name, Amen.

**Note:  I cannot take credit for the graphics.  I found these.  I apologize to whomever and will remove them if the owner doesn't approve.  

Interference

I'm sorry for being so behind.  I would say I have an excuse, but I do not.  See there, the topic of conversation today.  Sin.  The devil didn't want me to post again.  And, he succeeded.  Why do I let it happen?  Why do you let it happen?  Do you ever feel like you can’t get away from sin?  Well, so do I.  But, as John tells us in 1 John 2, there isn’t any way around it.  We’re all going to sin.  It’s inevitable.  It’s a fact of life.   I wanted to post about something completely different and that isn't where God led me. 

So, let’s talk about our relationship to sin.  Once you became a Christian, did you think you wouldn’t ever sin again?  Well, I didn’t think that I wouldn’t ever sin again, but I did think it would be easier.  Let me tell you first hand, it’s not easier.  If anything, it’s harder because that ol’ devil just wants you to cave.  And, sometimes we do.   What happens though is that our attitude toward sin changes.  We no longer love sin like we used to.  We no longer brag about those things we did the other night at that party.  We no longer even plan to go to those parties, because we just don’t enjoy them any longer.  Charles Spurgeon said of sin, “We cannot bear sin – when it is near us, we feel like a wretch chained to a rotting carcass; we groan to be free from the hateful thing.”  We just cannot stand to be around sin any longer.  1 John 2:1 says, “My little children, I am writing these things to you so that you may not sin.  But if anyone does sin, we have an advocate with the Father, Jesus Christ the righteous.”  

John wants us to know that there is always forgiveness for any sin we confess.  We have an “advocate”, someone who will speak up for us on our behalf.  That “advocate” is Jesus.  Verse 2 of 1 John says this:  “He is the propitiation for our sins, and not for ours only but also for the sins of the whole world.”  What in the world does “propitiation” mean?  I used to even struggle with how to pronounce it, much less what it meant.  Let me tell you what it means.  “Propitiation” is defined as “the action of propitiating or appeasing a god, spirit, or a person.”  For the Christian, this means that Jesus is the one that is appeasing the Father.  We’re guilty, but Jesus runs interference for us.  He is our defender.

There is so much more in this chapter.  But, these first couple of verses stood out to me for some reason.  I guess I needed the friendly reminder that Jesus is there to be my defender.

Prayer:

Heavenly Father, I know I am not worthy of your presence, so, I thank you so much for sending Jesus to be my defender.  Help me to recognize when I am tempted with sin and help me make the decision to avoid it at all costs.  Give me a heart where I recognize those sins and change my attitudes toward those that I don’t.  In Jesus precious name, Amen.

The Light

John, the last living disciple, wrote this first epistle to a group of Christians who were facing false teachings.  We don't really know which group, but we do know that he was familiar with them.  Gnosticism was gaining ground.  What is Gnosticism, you ask?  Gnosticism is a complete contrast to what Christianity is.  It was the most dangerous heresy of the first century.  It taught that salvation is achieved through special knowledge.  It's a little too complicated for this discussion though.  This letter was really to give his readers the basics about faith in Christ.

1 John 1:1-2 states "That which was from the beginning, which we have heard, which we have seen with our eyes, which we looked upon and have touched with our hands, concerning the word of life—the life was made manifest, and we have seen it, and testify to it and proclaim to you the eternal life, which was with the Father and was made manifest to us".  John was telling his readers that he was a witness.  He saw Jesus with his own eyes, witnessed His miracles, saw him crucified and even witnessed his reappearance after the resurrection and touched him then.  He was an eyewitness!   

John goes on to describe Jesus as light.  1 John 1:5-7 says, "This is the message we have heard from him and proclaim to you, that God is light, and in him is no darkness at all.   If we say we have fellowship with him while we walk in darkness, we lie and do not practice the truth.   But if we walk in the light, as he is in the light, we have fellowship with one another, and the blood of Jesus his Son cleanses us from all sin."

Jesus is light.  Light is Truth.  Therefore, Jesus is Truth.  This is the message of Christ that John heard.  He is a truth of hope and joy.  With Christ there is no darkness.  Darkness is full of threat and is dangerous.  This, again, doesn't mean Christians will not have problems or trials.  It does mean that Jesus is with us in whatever trials we face.  And in the end, if we have Jesus, we will live in eternity with him.  That is the hope and joy that we should carry around with us.

What about the darkness?  What does that mean "walking in darkness"?  I think it means being a person of hate, being controlled by the things of the world, living sinfully and never being remorseful for it, and being controlled by power or prestige.  Does this describe you?  You can change that.  You can become a person of love.  A person who is full of light.  John tells us that if we have the "blood of Jesus", we can be cleansed "from all sin."  We can walk in the light.  We can be the light for others.  

This reminds me of the hymn "Trust and Obey".  I know you've heard it.  It says this:

When we walk with the Lord   In the light of His Word, What a glory He sheds on our way;   While we do His good will,   He abides with us still, And with all who will trust and obey.
	Trust and obey, For there’s no other way To be happy in Jesus,   But to trust and obey

See that?  It says the His Word is Light.  And if we trust Him, he will abide with us and his glory will light our way.  He will be the light on the dark pathways of this dark world. 

Prayer:  Heavenly Father, thank you for this message today.  In a world full of darkness, you are the light.  Thank you for sending Jesus, your precious son, to cleanse us from our sins.  I pray that if anyone that is reading this doesn't know Jesus as their personal Savior, that they will ask you for forgiveness and ask you into their heart.  Shine your light on them today.  Father, I ask that you forgive me when I've not been the light that I was supposed to be.  Help me, Lord, to share the hope and joy that your love brings.  In Jesus name, Amen.

Last Days

An important reminder.  That is how Peter describes this second letter.  He knew that it was important to remind his readers of the scriptural message.  He knew that there would be opposition to the gospel message. 

2 Peter 3:3 tells us “knowing this first of all, that scoffers will come in the last days with scoffing, following their own sinful desires.” 

Let me point out “last days” does not mean “end of times”.  “Last days” is specifically the time between Jesus’ first coming and His second coming.  He is pointing out in this verse that Christians shouldn’t be surprised when someone scoffs at the idea of Jesus coming again.  These people will do their best to distract us, feeding our fears and unbelief.  These scoffers will make light of sin, mock the salvation that is offered by Jesus.  They believe that this is the only life, that there is nothing in the hereafter, and thus enjoy, indulge and have the mentality of “eat, drink and be merry.”  They don’t believe that Jesus will come back.  But I know in my heart of hearts, He WILL come back.    Charles Spurgeon said this:  “Every time a blasphemer opens his mouth to deny the truth of revelation, he will help confirm us in our conviction of the very truth which he denies.  The Holy Ghost told us, by the pen of Peter, that it would be so; and now we see how truly he wrote.”  Have you ever faced this kind of opposition?  I have.  Each time, it just makes that knowledge in my heart stronger.  I know the feeling that Spurgeon speaks about. 

So, what does Peter say about the second coming?  Well, let’s look at verse 10.  It says, “But the day of the Lord will come like a thief, and then the heavens will pass away with a roar, and the heavenly bodies will be burned up and dissolved, and the earth and the works that are done on it will be exposed.”  Personally, I think Jesus hasn’t returned because of God’s true love of his people.  He wants his people to love him, to come to Jesus.  But, he is going to come back.  It says in this verse that he will come back like a “thief in the night.”  That means we aren’t going to know when.  It’s going to be a surprise.  It could be today.  Peter also tells us that there will be a transformation of this world.  Heavens will pass away and be burned up and dissolved (this means by fire).  He goes on to tell us this in verse 13, “but according to his promise we are waiting for new heavens and new earth in which righteousness dwells.”

So, what are we to do in the mean time?  Well, Peter tells us in verses 12 and 14 to “wait with patience” and to be “diligent”.  But he also issues a warning in verse 16, “There are some things in them that are hard to understand, which the ignorant and unstable twist to their own destruction, as they do the other scriptures.”  He wants us to be wary of those who try to twist the scriptures to say what they want it to say, to mean what they want it to mean.  But, his final words to us are that we “grow in the grace and knowledge of our Lord and Savior Jesus Christ.  To him be the glory both now and to the day of eternity.”  (verse 18)

False Teachers

One thing is for certain, there are a great number of false teachers out there!  This is what 2 Peter 2 is showing us in today's passage.  These false teachers give the facade that they are speaking from the Holy Spirit when in reality, they are only motivated by greed.  You know those of whom I am talking about.  Don't you?  Well, let's see what Peter tells us.

2 Peter 2:1 says this:

"But false prophets also arose among the people, just as there will be false teachers among you, who will secretly bring in destructive heresies, even denying the Master who bought them, bringing upon themselves swift destruction."

Peter plainly tells us that there will be false teachers among us.  Have you ever encountered on.  You can see them daily on television or even hear them on the radio.  One of them may eve be the pastor of your church.  Have you ever heard a pastor who never mentioned Jesus?  The way I see it, if you don't mention Jesus, the cross, the suffering, then you are teaching a false gospel.  They are merely "denying the Master who bought them".  They are only appearing to be saved to ensnare followers.  For me, and it should be for you as well, ALL ABOUT JESUS.  

Peter also says that these false teachers will "secretly bring in destructive heresies".  This doesn't mean that their teachings will be secret.  But, what it does mean is that the deception nature of their teaching is secret.  These folks wouldn't just come out and tell you that what they are teaching you is deceptive.  What would be the point?  They wouldn't be leading you down the wrong path if they came out and told you.  

If we go further and look at 2 Peter 2:2-3, it says "And many will follow their sensuality, and because of them the way of truth will be blasphemed.  And in their greed they will exploit you with false words. Their condemnation from long ago is not idle, and their destruction is not asleep."  Peter tells us that these false teachers will have many followers.  Remember several years back the Bakkers?  Jim and Tammy Faye.  I was probably in high school when their "empire" fell.  If you do remember, do you also remember how many people were following them?  People would flock to them.  They believed every word that was said.  But, come to find out, those Bakkers were awfully greedy.  They only wanted your money.  See, Peter tells us that too.  He says that "their greed will exploit you".  I could go on with more recent examples.  

All of this is said to merely warn you.  Be very wary in who you put your trust in when it comes to the gospel.  There are those who are greedy enough to feed you a line that you'll fall for that doesn't coincide to the scriptures.  For this very reason we should hide the words of the gospel in our hearts, so that we will know when false teachers lurk.

Living a Christian Life

Today we are looking at the second epistle of Peter.  It is called the “general” letter, because it was not written to one specific church, but they were probably directed to the same group that the first letter was written to.  The whole letter is a warning against danger from within, dealing with false teachers who took the message of grade too far.  These false teachers were twisting Paul’s words and turning it into a license to sin.  Peter knew he was probably going to die soon and he wanted these believers to survive spiritually without an apostle’s testimony.  So, in essence, this was Peter’s last will and testament.  The letter also serves to demonstrate the Christian life.

Here is something to think about as we jump right into the scripture.  Think about your imperfections.  Do they make you try harder, or do they make you want to quit trying?  Let’s look at what Peter has to say about our Christian life.

2 Peter 1:3-4 says this:

“His divine power has granted to us all things that pertain to life and godliness, through the knowledge of him who called us to his own glory and excellence, by which he has granted to us his precious and very great promises, so that through them you may become partakers of the divine nature, having escaped from the corruption that is in the world because of sinful desire.” 

See that, he has granted us all we need for life and godliness.  All. Nothing is left out. 

What does godliness mean?  Godliness is defined as “devotion to God which results in a life that is pleasing to him.” Pleasing God comes by the behavior that is a result of our relationship with him. 

And do you see the rest of the verse?  He grants us precious and great promises, to be partakers of divine nature and escaping corruption that is in the world.  So, what are some of these promises?  Well, he has promised us victory over sin, the fruit of the Holy Spirit, wisdom and strength to deal with trials, and peace. 

What does it mean to be a partaker of “divine nature”?  Well, once we are called to salvation, we are given eternal life, we become a child of God.  This gift that he has given to us is the gift of the Holy Spirit.  We share the life of God through the Holy Spirit.  That moment when we become a child of God, God dwells within us.  Does this mean we won’t sin?  Of course not, but our desires change.  We no longer want to live for the world, whether it is by living for sex, greed, pride, etc.  But, we do have the Holy Spirit to guide us to help us to make the right choices.

Peter then goes on to tell us the Christian attributes we should add to our faith.  2 Peter 1:5-7 says “For this very reason, make every effort to supplement your faith with virtue,^[e] and virtue with knowledge, ⁶ and knowledge with self-control, and self-control with steadfastness, and steadfastness with godliness, ⁷ and godliness with brotherly affection, and brotherly affection with love.” 

We need to add the following to our faith:

 1.   Goodness – the ability and desire to stand up for what is right in a morally defunct world.

2.  Knowledge – knowledge of God and His ways and how to live our everyday life.

3.  Self-control – discipline and diligence of controlling emotions, behaviors and desires.

4.  Perseverance – patience and steadfastness in spite of the difficulty.

            5.  Godliness – living a life pleasing to God.
            6.  Brotherly kindness – caring and kindness for others.
            7.  Love – unconditional, like the love that God shows to us.

If we aren’t continually trying to add these things to our faith, temptation will begin to creep in.  And, boy, is it strong.

Shepherds Leading the Flock

1 Peter 5 reminds me of a shepherd and his responsibility of leading a flock of sheep.  Hence, the title of this post:  Shepherds Leading the Flock.  In this chapter Peter is speaking directly to the leaders of the church.  Are you a leader of the church?  Have you paid particular attention to this chapter.  I'm a Sunday School teacher.  I, as a leader of that group, need to take heed to this message.  I need to approach my role with great responsibility.  

So, what does it mean to be an elder?  Elder is defined as "a person of greater age."  But, is that what Peter really meant?  In this context, Peter was talking about wisdom and maturity rather than age.  This chapter tells the elders what they must do to lead their flock.  

1 Peter 5:2-3 tells us the "shepherd the flock of God that is among you, exercising oversight, not under compulsion, but willingly, as God would have you; not for shameful gain, but eagerly; not domineering over those in your charge, but being examples to the flock."

First, and foremost, the elders are to be shepherds of the flock of God.  In John 21:15-17, Jesus tells them how to do this.  He tells them that they must feed and tend the sheep.  One feeds the Word of God to the sheep.  To tend to them means to protect, guide, nurture and care for the sheep.  Secondly, they should do this willingly, not as if it is something that they just have to do.  You have to want to feed and tend the flock.   You should not lead them for financial gain.  You have to also be willing to be an example to those that you are tending. 

Peter goes on to tell the elders that they need to be humble and watchful.  1 Peter 5:5-8 tells us "Clothe yourselves, all of you, with humility toward one another, for “God opposes the proud but gives grace to the humble.” Humble yourselves, therefore, under the mighty hand of God so that at the proper time he may exalt you, casting all your anxieties on him, because he cares for you. Be sober-minded; be watchful. Your adversary the devil prowls around like a roaring lion, seeking someone to devour."

Humility.  What does it mean to be humble?  Well, it means to have a low view of one's own importance, to be meek and modest.  Humility is demonstrated by submission.  I talked about submission a few days ago.  Sometimes it is hard to be humble.  Sometimes our pride gets in the way.  God doesn't want us to be prideful.  

The key verse for me is this section of verses is this "Casting all your anxieties on him, because he cares for you."  Read that again!  "Casting all your anxieties on him, because he cares for you."  Do you have troubles?  Are you suffering?  Do you have problems that you just don't know how to handle?  Well, now is the time to give them over!  Why?  Because he cares for YOU.  Not just me, but YOU!  Isn't that comforting?  Especially, when we read that last part of verse 8, "your adversary the devil prowls around like a roaring lion, seeking someone to devour."  Do you realize that someone he wants to devour is YOU?  Yep, he wants to devour you so that you don't seek the face of God.  But, when we give our cares to Jesus, we defeat the adversary.  

Suffering

There seems to be a lot of debate about suffering.  On Facebook after the death of a child you'll see those who have no faith post statements like this:  "If God is a loving God, like you claim, why did he allow this child to suffer."  I see it all the time. God doesn't cause the suffering, but he does allow it.  We may not understand why things do happen, we should cling to Him for comfort.  Romans 8:28 tells us that God may not cause all things to happen, but he does "cause all things to work together for good, to those who love God and are called according to His purpose."  

This is what Peter is trying to point out to us in 1 Peter 4:12-13.  We are going to face suffering, sometimes because of our faith.  We may even face persecution.  In verses 12 and 13, there seems to be two commands.  The first command is that they "not be surprised" at any trial you face because of being a Christian.  The second command is how to respond to the trials.  He tells us to "rejoice and be glad when his glory is revealed."  He is telling us that the trials we face will point to God's glory.  See that?  In Romans 8:28 we are told that all things work together for God's purpose.  Now, here in 1 Peter 4:13 we are told that His glory will be revealed.  Peter goes on in verse 16 to tell us that if we do suffer as a Christian, then we are to not be ashamed of it.  

The hymn "How Firm a Foundation" speaks to this very thing:  

"When through fiery trials thy pathway shall lie,
my grace, all sufficient, shall be thy supply;
the flame shall not hurt thee; I only design
thy dross to consume, and thy gold to refine."

So, when you're suffering, no matter the circumstances, be assured that you aren't alone.  Also be assured, that it is for God's glory.   

Submission and Beauty

I'm a wife.  Sometimes I have problems with the word "submit" or "obey".  I like being in control.  I don't like being told what to do.  I'm pretty sure if you are a woman and you are reading this you feel the exact same way, especially when it comes to your husband.  But, let me ask you this:  Do you allow your husband to be the head of the household?  If you want to know what Peter tells us in this next chapter, read on!

"Likewise, wives, be subject to your own husbands, so that even if some do not obey the word, they may be won without a word by the conduct of their wives,  when they see your respectful and pure conduct." ~1 Peter 3:1-2

Peter gives us clear instructions on how to behave toward our husbands.  It may not be what the world says we should do, but it is how God wants us to behave.  The women that Peter was talking to were wives of men who were not saved.  So, with that in mind, this was for evangelistic purposes.  He was telling these women that their behavior, being will to be submissive to their husbands, would be and influence to their husbands.  Being submissive didn't mean taking abuse.  It meant having a servant's heart.  See that in verse 2, he says we should be "respectful' and have "pure conduct".  We are to be an example.  This verse gives me hope.  Look at it.  If we are respectful and pure in conduct, we could lead someone to Christ without ever saying a word.  Isn't that great news?

Another thing in 1 Peter 3 I would like to point out is how Peter describes the beauty of a woman.  

"Do not let your adorning be external—the braiding of hair and the putting on of gold jewelry, or the clothing you wear-but let your adorning be the hidden person of the heart with the imperishable beauty of a gentle and quiet spirit, which in God's sight is very precious." ~1 Peter 3:3-4

Let me ask a few questions.  How much time do you spend in front of the mirror each morning?  How much time do you spend fixing your hair?  Do you buy a lot of makeup?  Do you go every couple of weeks for a mani/pedi?  Do you buy a lot of beauty products and then spend a lot of time using them?  What about your clothing?  Do you choose your clothing just to get the attention of a man (even your husband)?

My point in these questions is this:  Do you spend more time getting beautified than you do with Jesus?  Your outward appearance should not be your chief concern.  Rather, Peter points out that what is most important is the "gentle and quiet spirit".  The outer appearance does very little to win the world to Christ.  

Cornerstone

What is a cornerstone?  Cornerstone is defined as “a stone that forms the base of a corner of a building, joining two walls; an important quality or feature on which a particular thing depends or is based.”  So, what does it mean that Jesus is the “cornerstone”?  Isaiah 28:16-17 says:

 “Therefore thus says the Lord God,
“Behold, I am the one who has laid as a foundation in Zion,
    a stone, a tested stone,
a precious cornerstone, of a sure foundation:
    ‘Whoever believes will not be in haste.’
And I will make justice the line,
    and righteousness the plumb line;
and hail will sweep away the refuge of lies,
    and waters will overwhelm the shelter.”

So, God tells us Himself that He is the cornerstone, the foundation.  Jesus is God’s son, He is God, so therefore, He is the cornerstone.  That brings us to 1 Peter 2:4, “Coming to Him as to a living stone, rejected indeed by men, but chosen by God an precious, you also, as living stones, are being built up a spiritual house, a holy priesthood, to offer up spiritual sacrifices acceptable to God through Jesus Christ.”  So, what does that mean, “living stone”?  Jesus is the cornerstone.  We are the stones that God is using to build his house (spiritual).  As believers we place our trust in Jesus.  We place our lives upon His foundation so that we can grow. 

One of the hymns that I loved growing up in church was “My Hope Is Built On Nothing Less”.  It says:

“My hope is built on nothing less Than Jesus Christ, my righteousness; I dare not trust the sweetest frame, But wholly lean on Jesus’ name.
On Christ, the solid Rock, I stand; All other ground is sinking sand,  All other ground is sinking sand.’

If we don’t put our trust in the “cornerstone” and build a good foundation, how will our faith survive?