Living Stones

When the builders completed the foundation of the LORD's Temple, the priests put on their robes and took their places to blow their trumpets. And the Levites, descendants of Asaph, clashed their cymbals to praise the LORD, just as King David had prescribed. With praise and thanks, they sang this song to the LORD: "He is so good! His faithful love for Israel endures forever!" Then all the people gave a great shout, praising the LORD because the foundation of the LORD's Temple had been laid. (Ezra 3:10-11 NLT)

The people of Israel were building the LORD’s Temple.  They saw reason to celebrate when the foundation had been laid down.  We can celebrate when we look at the foundation that is laid down for the LORD’s Temple today.  The foundation of the Apostles and Prophets give the LORD everything God needs to build the Temple of the Holy Spirit with Jesus Christ as the cornerstone.

Like newborn babies, crave pure spiritual milk, so that by it you may grow up in your salvation, now that you have tasted that the Lord is good. As you come to him, the living Stone--rejected by men but chosen by God and precious to him--you also, like living stones, are being built into a spiritual house to be a holy priesthood, offering spiritual sacrifices acceptable to God through Jesus Christ. (1 Peter 2:2-5 NIV84)

We are that Temple.  We are living stones.  We are being built into a spiritual house where the Spirit of God dwells.  The LORD is our God and we are God’s people.  We are able to be a part of this Temple as a living stone because of the sacrifice made by Jesus, who is the Christ.

For through him we both have access to the Father by one Spirit. Consequently, you are no longer foreigners and aliens, but fellow citizens with God's people and members of God's 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. (Ephesians 2:18-22 NIV84)

How about you?  Is your life built upon the foundation of the Apostles and the Prophets, with Jesus Christ as the cornerstone? Are you being built up into God’s Church: the Temple of the Holy Spirit?  Are you a living stone?