The Quality Of Each Man’s Work

The Quality Of Each Man’s Work

All those  who do any sort of service  for God’s kingdom  are in some way or another  supposed to be  building up  the church of God.     There are pastors,  teachers,  musicians,  councilmen,  and regular lay people,  who witness in their everyday lives.     Just being a Christian at heart  includes living for Christ and serving our Savior in some way.

The Bible is our blueprint.     It has laid the firm foundation  of Jesus Christ  as the one and only Savior.     We are saved by grace through faith.     Amongst all those who surely believe in Jesus  are those who add their own opinions and feelings  to their faith  in Jesus.     They might feel that Christians should  not eat or drink certain things — or that certain Old Testament traditions must be kept to honor God — or that a person must speak in tongues  — or worship in a certain manner — or dress a certain way.     The list of personal opinions is long and varied.

All of these Christians  have faith in Jesus,  so we know they are saved.     But,  they are not helping other people to become strong  in the true faith,  with the firm foundation  of Christ Jesus alone.     All their well-intentioned opinions  are not really resting  in the salvation we have  in Jesus.     These Christians are sincere,  but all the hard work  they are doing  to promote their personal opinions  are not God-pleasing.

The early Christian church faced the same situation.     Paul and Jesus’ disciples preached the solid gospel of salvation  by grace  through faith in Jesus.     Many were saved  and also started sharing this gospel.     That was good.     However, amongst those who shared their faith  were those  who added their own opinions,  desired traditions,  and personal rules for living.     They meant well — but their work of preaching  was not  as good as it should have been  because they went beyond  the gospel of Jesus.

As Paul describes this scenario in 1 Corinthians 3:10-15,   we should consider our own witness.     What is the quality  of our work  in this building of God’s kingdom?

According to the grace  of God  which was given to me,  as a wise master builder  I laid the foundation,  and another is building upon it.     But  let each man be careful  how he builds  upon it.     For no man  can lay a foundation  other than the one which is laid,  which is Jesus Christ.

Now  if any man builds upon the foundation  with gold,  silver,  precious stones,  wood,  hay,  straw,  each man’s work  will become evident;  for the day will show it,  because it is to be revealed  with fire;  and the fire itself  will test the quality  of each man’s work.    

If any man’s work  which he has built upon it  remains,  he shall receive a reward.    

If any man’s work  is burned up,  he shall suffer loss;  but he himself  shall be saved,  yet so as through fire.

In this scenario, Jesus is the foundation.     We are building upon Jesus  by the way we witness and live.     If we witness with things of  “gold,  silver,  precious stones”,  we are sticking to the teachings and doctrines of God’s word only.     So, we would be showing how Jesus is the true Savior  based on how His life is the fulfillment of Old Testament prophecies — we would be guided by the doctrines  in the Bible,  instead of the traditions of men — we would glorify God’s grace  in our attitudes  of humbly wanting  God’s will to be done  in our every life situation.

If we are witnessing to Jesus  with  “wood,  hay,  straw”,  our lives are emphasizing things like  staunchly promoting our opinions  on proper worship,  defining and stressing good works,  desiring to rank people in the church, etc.     None of these things are a good witness of Jesus — even though a Christian feels they are important.

On Judgment Day,  all believers will be saved.     Those who witnessed only according to sound doctrine will  “receive a reward”.     Those who witnessed  with their own opinions  will  “suffer loss”.     They will be saved because of their faith,  but the opinions emphasized  will not survive the  “fire“.     There will be no reward  because human reasoning was used.

As we seek  to let God teach us  in His word,  we say,  “Hallelujah!     Lord,  thank You for teaching us as we abide in Your word.”

Love,
Margaret

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Handel’s Hallelujah Chorus by the Yupiq Eskimo village of Quinhagak, Alaska

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… Handel’s Hallelujah Chorus …

A Christian devotional to glorify the LORD of lords and GOD of gods

Pray for our country

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The LORD made this day, let us rejoice and be glad in Him.

Psalm 118:24

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The word of the LORD is tried;

He is a shield to all who take refuge in Him.

Psalm 18:30

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Sing for joy in the LORD,  O you righteous ones;

Praise is becoming to the upright.

Psalm 33:1

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How blessed are those who dwell in Thy house!

They are ever praising Thee.

Psalm 84:4

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Just as a father has compassion on his children,

So the LORD has compassion on those who fear Him.

Psalm 103:13

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O give thanks to the LORD,  for He is good;

For His lovingkindness is everlasting.

Psalm 107:1

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Glory in His holy name;

Let the heart of those who seek the LORD be glad.

Psalm 105:3

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