In Vain? ... or ... In Christ?

(1 Corinthians, Chapter 15:Verses 1-11)
Now, brothers, I want to remind you of the gospel I preached to you, which you received and on which you have taken your stand. By this gospel you are saved, if you hold firmly to the word I preached to you. Otherwise, you have believed in vain.

For what I received I passed on to you as of first importance: that Christ died for our sins according to the Scriptures, that he was buried, that he was raised on the third day according to the Scriptures, and that he appeared to Peter, and then to the Twelve. After that, he appeared to more than five hundred of the brothers at the same time, most of whom are still living, though some have fallen asleep. Then he appeared to James, then to all the apostles, and last of all he appeared to me also, as to one abnormally born.

For I am the least of the apostles and do not even deserve to be called an apostle, because I persecuted the church of God. But by the grace of God I am what I am, and his grace to me was not without effect. No, I worked harder than all of them—yet not I, but the grace of God that was with me. Whether, then, it was I or they, this is what we preach, and this is what you believed.
(1 Peter, Chapter 2:Verses 4-12)
As you come to him, the living Stone—rejected by men but chosen by God and precious to him— you also, like living stones, are being built into a spiritual house to be a holy priesthood, offering spiritual sacrifices acceptable to God through Jesus Christ. For in Scripture it says:

"See, I lay a stone in Zion,
a chosen and precious cornerstone,
and the one who trusts in him
will never be put to shame."
Now to you who believe, this stone is precious.
But to those who do not believe,
"The stone the builders rejected
has become the capstone," and,
"A stone that causes men to stumble
and a rock that makes them fall."
They stumble because they disobey the message—
which is also what they were destined for.

But you are a chosen people, a royal priesthood, a holy nation, a people belonging to God, that you may declare the praises of him who called you out of darkness into his wonderful light. Once you were not a people, but now you are the people of God; once you had not received mercy, but now you have received mercy.

Dear friends, I urge you, as aliens and strangers in the world, to abstain from sinful desires, which war against your soul. Live such good lives among the pagans that, though they accuse you of doing wrong, they may see your good deeds and glorify God on the day he visits us.

POINTS BY PETER & PAUL:
a) We are nothing without God.
b) Christ is the Cornerstone for those who believe & a stumbling block for those who don't or whose faith is weak.
c) Through the scriptures we are built up.
d) Through Christ we are saved --- Ours sins forgiven.
e) Hold firm to the Scriptures, Live by the Word and live in Christ!

HARLEY'S THOUGHTS:
When we are baptized, we are baptized in Christ because of our faith in him --- not because we want to please man --- otherwise our baptism is in vain.

When we live our lives, we are to live a life of faith by the example put forth for us in the scriptures. We are to live a life pleasing to God, pleasing to Christ. If we are living our lives to please man, we are living our lives and faith in vain.

Today I challenge you to look at yourself, your faith, your life and truly ask yourself --- ask yourself if you are living a life that is pleasing to God ... pleasing to Christ ... worthy of the sacrifice Christ made for us ... worthy of being saved?