The Cornerstone of Identity
Jonathan made a foundational connection last Sunday night in his message from 1 Peter 2 bibref1peter2 about living stones. He said that we seek our identity where we seek our righteousness. That’ll preach.
We’re religious beings. What makes our identity unique from other warm-blooded, breathing animals is our responsibility to worship God and our relationship with Him, and others. We can’t worship God in unholiness/unrighteousness, and we can’t truly fellowship with others in darkness/unrighteousness (1 John 1:6-7 bibref1john1 bibref1john1v6 bibref1john1v7).
God the Father chose us, and sent His Son, who “suffered once for sins, the righteous for the unrighteous, that he might bring us to God” (1 Peter 3:18 bibref1peter3 bibref1peter3v18). We are a “people for his own possession,” and in that identity we “proclaim the excellences of him who called [us] out of darkness into his marvelous light” (1 Peter 2:9 bibref1peter2 bibref1peter2v9).
“He is the source of [our] life in Christ Jesus, whom God made our wisdom and our righteousness and sanctification and redemption. Therefore, as it is written, ‘Let the one who boasts, boast in the Lord’” (1 Corinthians 1:30-31 bibref1corinthians1 bibref1corinthians1v30 bibref1corinthians1v31). Jesus Christ is the cornerstone, chosen and precious.
Jesus is our righteousness, and our baptism proclaims our identity as those who have died and rose again in Him. Jesus is our righteousness, and the bread and the wine are the tokens of the cost. Jesus is our righteousness, and there will be glory and honor and peace for all those who do good, from faith to faith. The righteous shall live–and eat and drink–by faith.