Today it seems like the term “chiseled” is being applied to shaping something other than stone or wood; something formed or crafted. I suppose the reference in gyms across the land refers to a strong, muscular body or a well-formed shape. But that’s not what hit me the other morning as I was reading in Ephesians.
Eph 2:19-21 So then you are no longer strangers and aliens, but you are fellow citizens with the saints and members of the household of God, built on the foundation of the apostles and prophets, Christ Jesus himself being the cornerstone, in whom the whole structure, being joined together, grows into a holy temple in the Lord. ESV
I had made some notes in the margin of my Bible regarding the “cornerstone” of the Temple and where and how it was made. In order to maintain complete silence at the site of the Temple construction, all of the stones were “hammered” (chiseled) in a quarry miles away from the Temple. What a picture of the life of Christ here on earth. Just like the cornerstone was chiseled into the perfect cornerstone upon which the entire Temple was constructed so was He. If the cornerstone wasn’t perfect the whole Temple would be out of plumb. Jesus was hammered and chiseled by the world until the very moment that He was laid as the Chief Cornerstone of the Temple in heaven… perfect! There was not a flaw in Him. The only mark of sin on Him was not His, it was my sin and your sin.
He now sits in heaven as the perfect cornerstone at the right hand of the Father but we are still down in the quarry, down here in the sin-filled world.
Eph 2:22 In him you also are being built together into a dwelling place for God by the Spirit. ESV
As Jesus’ bride, we are being hammered and chiseled every day into “living stones” so that when it comes time for us to be placed into a dwelling place for God, we will be a perfect fit… joined together in a holy temple in the Lord.
1 Peter 2:4-6 As you come to him, a living stone rejected by men but in the sight of God chosen and precious, you yourselves like living stones are being built up as a spiritual house, to be a holy priesthood, to offer spiritual sacrifices acceptable to God through Jesus Christ. ESV
Yes, we are being prepared down here with every rough edged being smoothed out and shaped by the hand of the Holy Spirit. As “living stones” we are being conformed (chiseled) into the image of the Chief Cornerstone. Or as Paul put it …
Rom 8:29 … conformed to the image of his Son, in order that he might be the firstborn among many brothers. ESV
The Chief Cornerstone is the firstborn of many precious living stones who will fit perfectly with Him in the heavenly Temple. Yes, while the hammering and chiseling day after day takes it’s toll, we have to keep the end result in mind and hold it tightly by faith. We will be a perfect fit when our time comes to be placed alongside our bridegroom, and in the meantime He has a perfect plan to get us there.