(Luke 20:17-18) The stone which the builders rejected was made the chief cornerstone. Everyone who falls on that stone will be broken to pieces, but it will crush whomever it falls on to dust. 

(Romans 9:31-33) What shall we say then? That the Gentiles, who didn’t follow after righteousness, attained to righteousness, even the righteousness which is of faith; but Israel, following after a law of righteousness, didn’t arrive at the law of righteousness. Why? Because they didn’t seek it by faith, but as it were by works of the law. They stumbled over the stumbling stone; even as it is written, 

“Behold, I lay in Zion a stumbling stone and a rock of offense; and no one who believes in him will be disappointed.” 

(1 Peter 2:7-8) “Behold, I lay in Zion a chief cornerstone, chosen, and precious: He who believes in him will not be disappointed.” For you who believe therefore is the honor, but for those who are disobedient, “The stone which the builders rejected, has become the chief cornerstone,” and, “a stone of stumbling, and a rock of offense.” 

The hardest task a Christian must face is meeting the stone and either falling on it or stumbling on it. It is our choice. All Christians must make this decision. There are only two choices. There is no in between. When we fall on the stone and break into pieces we are giving up the self-directed life. This is the most difficult task a person will ever face. Our Lord is asking us to give up our self-directed life and submit to a God-directed life. His Spirit joins our spirit, and his values become our values, like a little child depending on his father. We are giving God permission to live inside our hearts and give us the values we need to have the  life he wants each of us to live. As his values become our values we are being restored to his image. 

When we stumble on the rock, we retain control of our lives. We make the choices for our life. We decide the differences between good and evil. We decide what righteousness is and how to obtain it. We then gravitate towards others whose choice of Christian lifestyle meets our own. These people believe they have a better way to live. These people are acting exactly like Adam and Eve when they decided to do life their way and not God’s way. They ate the fruit of the tree of the knowledge of good and evil. 

Each day as we eat his flesh and drink his blood as he has asked, we are falling on the stone and giving up self. Each day we present our bodies as a living sacrifice to him and submit ourselves as slaves to righteousness we are falling on the stone and giving up self. 

As we fall on the stone, his Spirit is becoming more and more engaged with our spirit. We no longer decide what is right and wrong. His values and our values are becoming one. Our works become not what we do but what our Lord does through us. Our actions become instinctive. They are so automatic we do not even know we are doing his works or his will. 

This was the difference between the sheep and the goats in the parable Jesus told. The sheep on the right were confused when the Lord invited them into his kingdom. They knew they were not worthy and they hadn’t done anything to merit this invitation. This lack of knowledge was due to the works of God being done through them. Their actions being so instinctive they were unaware of them. The Spirit of Christ was in their heart and he knew them. The goats, on the other hand, were sure they would be in his kingdom because they knew they had always done his works. These were the works the goats had done in their own will. The Spirit of God was not in their hearts. Jesus did not know them. (Matthew 25:31-46) 

(Colossians 1:27) Falling on the stone and giving up self is the only way to victory. It is the only way we can participate in the mystery of Godliness, Christ in you, hope of glory. 

(Luke 20:17-18) The stone which the builders rejected was made the chief cornerstone. Everyone who falls on that stone will be broken to pieces, but it will crush whomever it falls on to dust. 

(Romans 9:31-33) What shall we say then? That the Gentiles, who didn’t follow after righteousness, attained to righteousness, even the righteousness which is of faith; but Israel, following after a law of righteousness, didn’t arrive at the law of righteousness. Why? Because they didn’t seek it by faith, but as it were by works of the law. They stumbled over the stumbling stone; even as it is written, 

“Behold, I lay in Zion a stumbling stone and a rock of offense; and no one who believes in him will be disappointed.” 

(1 Peter 2:7-8) “Behold, I lay in Zion a chief cornerstone, chosen, and precious: He who believes in him will not be disappointed.” For you who believe therefore is the honor, but for those who are disobedient, “The stone which the builders rejected, has become the chief cornerstone,” and, “a stone of stumbling, and a rock of offense.” 

The hardest task a Christian must face is meeting the stone and either falling on it or stumbling on it. It is our choice. All Christians must make this decision. There are only two choices. There is no in between. When we fall on the stone and break into pieces we are giving up the self-directed life. This is the most difficult task a person will ever face. Our Lord is asking us to give up our self-directed life and submit to a God-directed life. His Spirit joins our spirit, and his values become our values, like a little child depending on his father. We are giving God permission to live inside our hearts and give us the values we need to have the  life he wants each of us to live. As his values become our values we are being restored to his image. 

When we stumble on the rock, we retain control of our lives. We make the choices for our life. We decide the differences between good and evil. We decide what righteousness is and how to obtain it. We then gravitate towards others whose choice of Christian lifestyle meets our own. These people believe they have a better way to live. These people are acting exactly like Adam and Eve when they decided to do life their way and not God’s way. They ate the fruit of the tree of the knowledge of good and evil. 

Each day as we eat his flesh and drink his blood as he has asked, we are falling on the stone and giving up self. Each day we present our bodies as a living sacrifice to him and submit ourselves as slaves to righteousness we are falling on the stone and giving up self. 

As we fall on the stone, his Spirit is becoming more and more engaged with our spirit. We no longer decide what is right and wrong. His values and our values are becoming one. Our works become not what we do but what our Lord does through us. Our actions become instinctive. They are so automatic we do not even know we are doing his works or his will. 

This was the difference between the sheep and the goats in the parable Jesus told. The sheep on the right were confused when the Lord invited them into his kingdom. They knew they were not worthy and they hadn’t done anything to merit this invitation. This lack of knowledge was due to the works of God being done through them. Their actions being so instinctive they were unaware of them. The Spirit of Christ was in their heart and he knew them. The goats, on the other hand, were sure they would be in his kingdom because they knew they had always done his works. These were the works the goats had done in their own will. The Spirit of God was not in their hearts. Jesus did not know them. (Matthew 25:31-46) 

(Colossians 1:27) Falling on the stone and giving up self is the only way to victory. It is the only way we can participate in the mystery of Godliness, Christ in you, hope of glory.