В Матей 21:41 и 1 Петър 2:6-8, we not only read that Jesus Christ is the chief Cornerstone, but that Jesus is a Stone of stumbling and a Rock of offense. To whom is Jesus a precious Cornerstone and to whom is Jesus a Stone of stumbling and a Rock of offense? What does the Bible say about the precious Cornerstone and what does a Stone of stumbling mean?
Ето, I lay in Sion a chief cornerstone, elect, precious: and he that believes on Him shall not be confounded. Unto you therefore which believe He is precious: but unto them which be disobedient, the stone which the builders disallowed, the same is made the head of the corner, And a stone of stumbling, and a rock ofoffense even to them which stumble at the word, being disobedient: whereunto also they were appointed (1 Петър 2:6-8)
For whom is Jesus a precious chief Cornerstone?
Jesus is a precious chief Cornerstone to those, who believe in Jesus Christ and want to follow Him and are prepared to lay down their lives for Him. Because Jesus Christ is the living Word, the Word is precious to them. Следователно, they shall spend in the Word, listen to the Word, и се подчинявайте на думата.
They shall lay down their lives and become born again in Christ.
They shall feed their spirit and обновяват ума си със Словото Божие. Така че, their mind will line up with the will of the Father, Исус Христос (Божият Син и живото Слово), и Светия Дух.
Because they believe in Jesus Christ, they shall believe and do His words and walk in His commandments.
The Word shall lead them into all truth. And as they follow the Word, they shall live in the truth of God.
They shall be doers of the Word and walk in His commandments in the faith. (Прочетете също: ‘The hearers versus the doers of the Word’).
For whom is Jesus a Stone of stumbling and a Rock of offense?
Библията казва, that Jesus a Stone of stumbling and a Rock of offense to those, who stumble at His words and are rebellious and disobey the Word and refuse to walk in the commandments of Jesus.
Because they refuse to listen to Him and refuse to walk in the Word, they shall not build their lives upon Jesus Christ, Живото Божие Слово. They shall disobey the words and commandments of Jesus and change the words of God so that they fit into their lives. And so they change the Truth of God into a lie.
They don’t love but hate the Word, because the Word testifies of their evil works; техните грехове и беззакония.
Исус, the precious Cornerstone and the living Rock, shall be a Stone of stumbling and a Rock of offense to them, and they shall not be able to endure Him. As they can’t endure the Word, they can’t endure Christians either and be in their presence. They shall avoid them. Защо? Because Christ lives in them.
Why does the world hate born-again Christians?
When you are prepared to lay down your life and live in obedience to God according to His will, you shall be hated by the world. You shall be hated by the people around you, who live in darkness in disobedience to God (в грехове и беззакония). Because you live in obedience to God in the light. As Jesus is a Stone of stumbling to them, you shall also be a stone of stumbling to them.
That’s the price you have to pay, to follow Jesus. Затова е важно да пребройте разходите before deciding to follow Jesus Christ. Because following Jesus will cost you your life!
Обаче, when you’ve laid down your life and отхвърлете стареца, you don’t mind what other people think. You don’t mind whether other people like you, despise you, or even hate you.
That’s because you don’t longer live but Christ lives in you. You’ve разпна плътта ти в Христос. This means that you’ve crucified your carnal emotions, чувства, мнения, констатации, и така нататък. which are all part of the flesh.
You don’t need to be liked or to be accepted by people. You also don’t need to prove yourself на другите. Защото знаете, кой си в Христос.
Бащата, Синът, and the Holy Spirit know who you are and that’s what matters. You have their confirmation and therefore you don’t need the confirmation of the world.
Когато вървиш след Духа, you shall understand why the светът те мрази. You shall understand, why some people can’t be in your presence and avoid you. Because you know who their father is and to whom they belong and who lives on the inside of them.
The Holy Spirit testifies of their evil works
When people belong to the world and live in disobedience to God and don’t accept Jesus Christ as their Saviour and are not willing to make Him Lord of their lives (neither in the future and God knows this, because God knows already who belongs to Him and who don’t), these people shall not want to be with you and don’t want to hang out with you.
Защо? Because they can’t hang out with someone, who constantly testifies of their evil works; грехове и беззакония.
Even if you don’t say anything, Светият Дух, Който пребъдва в теб, изобличава света в греха. Следователно, you shall be for those, who don’t believe, a stone of stumbling and a savor of death
Защото ние сме благоухание на Христос за Бога, в тях, които са спасени, и в тях, които загиват: За единия ние сме аромат на смърт за смърт; а на другия - живот за живот (2 Коринтяни 2:15-16)
Единият, който живее в тях; дяволът, hates Jesus Christ and therefore they will hate you. By the abiding of the Holy Spirit, Jesus Christ is in you and He testifies of their evil works; грехове.
Исус каза, Ако светът те мрази, знаете, че то Ме намрази преди вас. Ако бяхте от света, светът би обичал своето: а понеже не сте от света, но аз те избрах от света, затова светът те мрази (Джон 15:18-19)
A born-again Christian is set apart from the world
Като новороден християнин, you are set apart from the world. Въпреки че живееш в този свят, ти вече не принадлежиш на света. Therefore you shall not live like the world anymore.
You have freely laid down your old worldly life and your sinful nature, който присъства в плътта. Your state as a sinner has been exchanged for a holy and righteous state as son of God (Това се отнася както за мъжете, така и за жените). В резултат на това, you shall be persecuted by the world, by the people, who live in disobedience to God. (Прочетете също: Все още ли си грешник?).
Хората, които принадлежат на света, could be your acquaintances, приятели, колеги, членове на семейството, and maybe even fellow Christians.
Има много хора, who go to church and call themselves Christians, while they live in rebellion against God and disobey the Word. They still belong to the world and live like the world in darkness.
If you live like the world, doing the same things that unbelievers (грешници) направете, who don’t know God and disobey Him, and if the world likes you and enjoys hanging out with you, you should examine yourself if you are really born again. (Прочетете също: Как да разберете дали Христос е във вас?).
You could ask yourself the following questions:
Am I really born again? Have I become a new creation? Does Jesus Christ live in me? Is the old ‘me’ really crucified and have I really laid down my life as a sinner? Do I live after His will or do I live after my will? Do I love the Word or do I love the world? Who do I obey and serve?
Защото както каза Исус, “Remember the word that I said unto you, Слугата не е по-велик от своя господар. Ако са Ме преследвали, те също ще те преследват; ако са опазили словото Ми, те също ще запазят вашите. Но всички тези неща ще ви направят заради Името Ми, because they know not Him that sent Me” (Джон 15:20-21)
Is the savor of Christ a savor of life or a savor of death?
The world shall not love you because you are no longer of the world. You shall be an offense to the world. Това е защото, through regeneration and the indwelling of the Holy Spirit, you are the light that shines in the darkness.
To those, who belong to the darkness and walk after the flesh and love the works of darkness and keep doing the works of darkness, you shall be an offense and a savor of death. They shall dislike and hate you and avoid you, because you expose their evil works of the flesh and testify that their works are evil. (Прочетете също: The savor of Christ; a savor of life or a savor of death).
Но на тези, who are seeking and are willing to give up their lives for Jesus Christ, to them you shall not be an offense, nor a savor of death, but you shall be to them a savor of life; a sweet savor of Christ. They shall be drawn to the Light; Исус Христос, Който живее вътре в теб. You shall lead them to Jesus Christ, and they shall покайте се of their evil works and be saved.
Исус Христос, живото Слово, shall always be the Cornerstone. Но въпросът е, is Jesus to you a living Stone and a precious Cornerstone or is Jesus to you a Stone of stumbling and a Rock of offense?
„Бъдете солта на земята’
