1 Peter 2:4-5 – The Cornerstone of Life

“As you come to him, a living stone rejected by men but in the sight of God chosen and precious, you yourselves like living stones are being built up as a spiritual house, to be a holy priesthood, to offer spiritual sacrifices acceptable to God through Jesus Christ.”

1 Peter 2:4-5 ESV

When I was growing up, there was a popular contemporary christian song that went like this: “…The building block which was rejected became the cornerstone of a whole new life….” Often, I have wondered if this song was actually related to today’s scripture.

I believe that this passage has strong implications for the church today. Through years of growth and decline, healthy times, conflicted times, suffering, joy, pain, and love, the church has withstood the tests. The church still stands today as it seeks to be a hopeful cornerstone in the midst of a hurting world. When one looks back at the beginning of the church through the present, we see ways in which the cornerstone of Christ encourages people who have stumbled.

When we look in the scriptures, Jesus encountered the woman at the well in John 4, and he offered her encouragement as well as love when He offered her “living water” to quench her thirst forever. When he restored life to Lazarus, Jesus was the cornerstone of hope and restored life. When He appeared to the disciples after His resurrection, He was the cornerstone of hope and renewed life upon which the church stood back then, and still stands today. The coming of this cornerstone was prophesied in Isaiah 28.

The cornerstone of Christ offers hope, redemption, and a new identity to all who call Him Lord. “…The building block which was rejected became the cornerstone of a whole new life and world….”

Today’s Prayer: O Loving Christ! Come and be the cornerstone of a whole new life and world. A-men.

Guest devotion by Constance “Connie” L. Russell. Connie, who is presently a member of First Baptist Church, Lexington, NC. She has also served as a Minister of Education, and has several years experience as a Social Worker. Learn how you can become a guest writer.