NOT CONFOUNDED

"Wherefore also it is contained in the Scripture, Behold, I lay in Zion a chief corner stone, elect, precious: and he that believeth on Him shall not be confounded." (1 Peter 2:6)

THE HOLY SPIRIT ALWAYS sends us to the Scripture, anchoring our faith in Divine utterance. In the Kingdom of God, the ultimate proof of a matter is not human logic, visible evidence, or popularity with the people. It is always God's Word – what He has said on the subject. And, if God has said nothing concerning the matter, it is unlawful for it to be the primary focus of our thought and speech. This is a principle of God's Kingdom, and is to be embraced.

NOW THE SPIRIT WILL CONFIRM the truth stated in preceding verses. He will justify the choice of Jesus as the Foundation for life, as well as our total dependency upon Him. He will also confirm why our sacrifices are accepted of God "by Jesus Christ."

THE WORD "CONTAINED" is an unusually strong word. Most of the Standard versions are consistent in using this word. The RSV reads, "it stands in Scripture," and the NIV reads "in Scripture it says." But this means more than saying it is in the Bible – although it surely is. The emphasis of the expression is not what is contained, but what does the containing. It is as though the Spirit said, "The Scripture is wrapped around this truth." Isaiah was used to provide the actual statement (Isa 28:16), but all of Scripture supports, and is about, this reality.

GOD HIMSELF PLACED His Son in Zion – where He works, and where He has placed His name – in the following capacities. The words of our text elaborate on these realities. (1) The One through Whom every aspect of God's working is determined: "Chief Corner Stone." (2) God appointed Jesus to this saving ministry, and He has no relevance for men apart from salvation: "Elect." (3) All Kingdom values find their apex in the Lord Jesus Christ. He alone brings value and worth to every facet of spiritual life: "Precious."

NO WORD OF SCRIPTURE has been written without regard to the Son of God, Savior of the world. It is all wrapped around Him, testifying of Him (John 5:39).

THE POSITION OF THE "CHIEF CORNER STONE" was itself evidence of God's Sovereignty. The devil sought to thwart the laying of this Stone, and provoked men to do their best to stop it also. Thus it is written, "The kings of the earth set themselves, and the rulers take counsel together, against the LORD, and against His Anointed, saying, Let us break Their bands asunder, and cast away Their cords from us. He that sitteth in the heavens shall laugh: the Lord shall have them in derision. Then shall He speak unto them in His wrath, and vex them in His sore displeasure. Yet have I set my king upon My holy hill of Zion" (Psa 2:2-6).

THE PLACEMENT OF THE "CORNER STONE" occurred when Jesus was exalted to the right hand of God (Rom 8:34; Eph 1:20; Heb 1:3; 1 Pet 3:22).

BECAUSE JESUS IS THE "ELECT," nothing done independently of Him, or in disassociation from Him, will be recognized by God. God has chosen Him, and will receive no one who fails to choose Him also. Because of the effectiveness of His ministry toward believers, He is "precious," for in Him our hopes are brought to fruition, and our deepest desires satisfied. He is "precious," held in honor and prized most highly, to us, because that is how the Father regards Him. In a very real sense, what God thinks of Jesus is the very root of our acceptance. When we regard Jesus in the same manner as God, He fully receives us. That regard for Jesus is summarized in a single word: "believes." We receive Jesus as God has presented Him, and have cast the weight of our soul and destiny upon Him. In the words of John, we have "believed the record that God gave of His Son" (1 John 5:10).

HERE WE HAVE ONE of the great promises of God: "he that believeth on Him shall not be confounded." "Confounded" means "put to shame" (NIV), or "disappointed" (NASB). It means the person who believes on Christ will never be disgraced because of that faith. Such a person will never be made to blush for his unwavering faith in the Chief Corner Stone. Jesus is everything God has declared Him to be, and those who rely upon Him will find that to be true. The believer will never find a single aspect of life that is not supported by the Lord Jesus. There is not a single facet of our being that does not find its ultimate goal in the Son of God. There are no exaggerations about His accomplishments or the value and effectiveness of them. No statement concerning Him is merely rhetorical or metaphorical. The faith that is bold enough to fully embrace Christ, abandoning the poverty of this world and its wisdom, will never be proved wrong, or be dissatisfied.

– Given O. Blakely