DRAWING NEAR
July 4
Christ: The Precious Cornerstone
"Coming to [Christ] as to a living stone, rejected by men, but
choice and precious in the sight of God" (1 Pet. 2:4).
God's view of Christ is the only accurate standard by which to
measure Christ's worth.
I once read about a conversation in the Louvre Museum in Paris. One
of the curators of the museum, a man with great appreciation for art,
overheard two men discussing a masterpiece. One man said to the
other, "I don't think much of that painting." The curator, feeling
obliged to reply to the man's statement, said to him, "Dear sir, if I
may interrupt, that painting is not on trial; you are. The quality of
that painting has already been established. Your disapproval simply
demonstrates the frailty of your measuring capability."
Similarly, Jesus is not on trial before men; men are on trial before
Him. He has already been approved by the Father. Those who arrogantly
dismiss Him as unworthy of their devotion simply demonstrate their
inability to recognize the most precious treasure of all.
Peter said,"This is contained in scripture: 'Behold I lay in Zion a
choice stone, a precious corner stone, and he who believes in Him
shall not be disappointed.' This precious value, then, is for you who
believe. But for those who disbelieve, 'The stone which the builders
rejected, this became the very corner stone,' and, 'a stone of
stumbling and a rock of offense'" (1 Pet. 2:6-8). By God's standards,
Jesus is the perfect cornerstone. But the leaders of Israel had
faulty standards of measurement. They inspected Him closely but
rejected Him because He didn't fit their concept of a Savior. Sadly,
millions of men and women throughout history have followed their
lead.
As you tell others about Christ, many will evaluate Him by the wrong
standard and reject Him. Others will evaluate Him according to God's
standard and find Him precious beyond measure. In either case be a
faithful witness, knowing that someday His full value will be
proclaimed by all (Phil. 2:10-11).
Suggestions for Prayer:
Make a list of Christ's attributes that are especially meaningful to
you. Use each attribute as a focal point of prayer and worship.
For Further Study:
Read Acts 4:1-13, noting how Peter applied the principles found in 1
Peter 2:4-8 to the Jewish leaders.
Drawing Near, Copyright 1993 John F. MacArthur, Jr.
All rights reserved. Used by permission.
http://www.gty.org
~~~
Philippians 2:10-11
10 that at the name of Jesus every knee should bow, of those in
heaven, and of those on earth, and of those under the earth,
11 and that every tongue should confess that Jesus Christ is Lord,
to the glory of God the Father.
Acts 4:1-13
4:1 Now as they spoke to the people, the priests, the captain of the
temple, and the Sadducees came upon them,
2 being greatly disturbed that they taught the people and preached
in Jesus the resurrection from the dead.
3 And they laid hands on them, and put them in custody until the
next day, for it was already evening.
4 However, many of those who heard the word believed; and the number
of the men came to be about five thousand.
5 And it came to pass, on the next day, that their rulers, elders,
and scribes,
6 as well as Annas the high priest, Caiaphas, John, and Alexander,
and as many as were of the family of the high priest, were gathered
together at Jerusalem.
7 And when they had set them in the midst, they asked, "By what
power or by what name have you done this?"
8 Then Peter, filled with the Holy Spirit, said to them, "Rulers of
the people and elders of Israel:
9 "If we this day are judged for a good deed done to a helpless man,
by what means he has been made well,
10 "let it be known to you all, and to all the people of Israel,
that by the name of Jesus Christ of Nazareth, whom you crucified,
whom God raised from the dead, by Him this man stands here before you
whole.
11 "This is the 'stone which was rejected by you builders, which has
become the chief cornerstone.'
12 "Nor is there salvation in any other, for there is no other name
under heaven given among men by which we must be saved."
13 Now when they saw the boldness of Peter and John, and perceived
that they were uneducated and untrained men, they marveled. And they
realized that they had been with Jesus.
~~~
These devotions are posted with permission from John MacArthur's
first (1993) devotional work, _Drawing Near_, and they are also sent
out daily for free to several folks via e-mail.
In addition, John's second (1997) devotional, _Strength for Today_,
is also available free via e-mail only. _Strength for Today_ follows
the same format as what you have seen here from _Drawing Near_, but
with different monthly themes.
If you would like to receive daily devotions via e-mail from either
of these series, just let me know (via e-mail), and I will gladly add
you to the list(s) of your choice.
You can hear John MacArthur daily via the Internet by visiting:
http://www2.oneplace.com/Ministries/Grace_to_You/
and
http://www.gty.org.uk/
You may email John MacArthur in care of Grace to You at:
letters@gty.org
NOTE for those of you reading via newsgroups: If you wish to reach
me, please contact me via e-mail for quickest results.
In Christ,
Peter
Peter G. Chase :: Columbus, Ohio, USA
pchase1@wideopenwest.com
STOP! Who do you think Jesus is?
http://www.gty.org/Gospel
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To forgive is to set a prisoner free, and to discover that the prisoner was you. -Alistair Begg
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