May 4, 2007 - Fire
May 4, 2007
I may have left some confused yesterday as I know God is a God of love, but it would seem that I painted Him as a God of vengeance. God forgives the sin when we ask but there will be a punishment. Let's start with some facts from First Corinthians:
1Co 3:10 KJV
(10) According to the grace of God which is given unto me, as a wise masterbuilder, I have laid the foundation, and another buildeth thereon. But let every man take heed how he buildeth thereupon.
Paul, and we when we lead others to Christ are masterbuilders. We lay a foundation in their life. Likewise in our lives a foundation was laid for us.
1Co 3:11 KJV
(11) For other foundation can no man lay than that is laid, which is Jesus Christ.
That foundation is Jesus Christ, our rock. We are responsible for what gets built on it. That is where our reward and punishment system comes in to play.
1Co 3:12 KJV
(12) Now if any man build upon this foundation gold, silver, precious stones, wood, hay, stubble;
The works that we do can be transferred to one of six items as Paul writes it. We need to break these down into two groups because of the next verse. Gold, silver and precious stones are in one group. Wood, hay and stubble are in the other. Notice that they go in order from the most valuable to the least. While we know what most of them are some may not know what stubble is. Stubble is the rough part of the plant that is left behind and dries out. You might put it in bricks like the Hebrews did in Egypt, but it has little value. Think of the things that you have done as a Christian. Which ones are gold, silver or precious stones? Which of those works are wood or hay? Now which of them is stubble?
1Co 3:13-15 KJV
(13) Every man's work shall be made manifest: for the day shall declare it, because it shall be revealed by fire; and the fire shall try every man's work of what sort it is.
(14) If any man's work abide which he hath built thereupon, he shall receive a reward.
(15) If any man's work shall be burned, he shall suffer loss: but he himself shall be saved; yet so as by fire.
Now if someone has not accepted Jesus, none of this matters. They will go to the lake of fire. But as Christians, what we do will bring us our reward (or punishment) in our life in heaven. What we build on our foundation will have fire put to it when we get to heaven. What happens to gold, silver and precious stones? The fire takes them and purifies them even more. What happens when the fire is put to the wood, hay and stubble. I can tell you that I had two ricks of firewood at one time. One cold winter I burned them all to help stay warm. Two ricks is a good size, but when I cleaned out the fireplace, all of that wood got taken out in a small box. Those works, for all purposes, have gone.
Our reward will be based on the good and the bad we have done. We as Christians will survive even if all we have left is the ash from the fire. The fire will not take out the gold, silver and precious stones, they will be our reward. It has been suggested by one person I read, that what is left is what our home in heaven shall be built of. What type of building do you want?
