20 And are built upon the foundation of the apostles and prophets, Jesus Christ himself being the chief corner stone; 21 in whom all the building fitly framed together grows unto a holy temple in the Lord: 22 in whom you also are built together for a habitation of God through the Spirit.
I sometimes like to watch home renovation shows, especially when a house or apartment is completely transformed from an eyesore into something beautiful. It turns out that God is in the construction business, too. His building, though, is entirely beyond what we could ever imagine.
I used to live next to an empty field. One day, a backhoe showed up, and for the next few months, I watched as workers built a new home. Their first order of business? Digging the foundation.
God’s construction project is the church—not a physical building, but the fellowship of all who believe in Jesus Christ. He wants his followers to become a unified group rather than remain a fragmented collection of individuals each doing their own thing.
Let’s look at some of its characteristics. First, Jesus is the chief cornerstone, which is what determines the position of every other stone in a structure. It determines a building’s alignment. In other words, Christ is the one on whom everything else in the church is based. Without him, the church loses its reason for being.
The church is built on the foundation of the Gospel, the message of salvation through Christ proclaimed by the apostles and prophets. The Gospel gives the church its framework and identity. The teachings preserved for us in Scripture distinguish the church from other groups and set the boundaries of its doctrines and beliefs.
And who are the bricks? We are! The people. That is, all those who have repented and trusted in Jesus as their Savior.
Now we come to the most crucial question. What’s the purpose of the church? Why did God put so much effort into building it? Is it so that we can come together on Sunday mornings to sing and listen to a sermon? Is it so that we can help the poor and needy? Is it so that we can be part of a group of believers who encourage us in our faith? All these things are fine and good, but they are only means to an end, not the end itself.
Paul gives us a clue by using the expressions “a holy temple” and “a habitation of God,” which are essentially the same. These terms point to the church as the place where God dwells in his people by his Spirit. All his attributes, such as love, mercy, justice, and grace, should be on full display in the lives of his followers. The church is to be the place where people can come to see what God is like.
Yes, the church has often failed in this mission, but God knew this would happen when he started the construction project. After all, he’s dealing with imperfect people. Nonetheless, his love for us has kept him moving toward his ultimate goal: to reconcile as many people as possible to himself. For this to happen, he has chosen to use a group of people dedicated to showing the world who he is.
May our lives reflect the Lord to those around us. May our local churches be known as “the place where God lives.” Otherwise, we’re missing the point.