10By the grace God has given me, I laid a foundation as a wise builder, and someone else is building on it. But each one should build with care. 11For no one can lay any foundation other than the one already laid, which is Jesus Christ. 12If anyone builds on this foundation using gold, silver, costly stones, wood, hay or straw, 13their work will be shown for what it is, because the Day will bring it to light. It will be revealed with fire, and the fire will test the quality of each person’s work. 14If what has been built survives, the builder will receive a reward. 15If it is burned up, the builder will suffer loss but yet will be saved-even though only as one escaping through the flames. 16Don’t you know that you yourselves are God’s temple and that God’s Spirit dwells in your midst?” – 1 Corinthians 3:10-16 I am wondering what response this passage evokes in you. Concern? Fear? Praise? Wonder? Disbelief? If any of those responses are yours, you are not alone. Consider the thought process that sometimes accompanies each: Concern: “How will God find the quality of my work?” Fear: “I think most of my work will be burned up, and I will suffer loss.” Praise: “Praise God for his grace. He not only has saved us, but he offer rewards!” Wonder: “I don’t understand this passage. Will God really reward people? What does suffering loss mean? I wonder what this all looks like.” Disbelief: “This isn’t true. I just don’t believe it.” Some people struggle with the idea of people being rewarded by God. They feel that God has already done so much for us, and that whatever we do is certainly not worthy of a reward from God. I think that when someone reads this passage, it is important for them to acknowledge a few things:
- What we can do in the Lord is because of His grace.
- Christ must be the only foundation for all the believer’s work. We should be careful how we “build” on Him.
- The rewards / losses are possible for anyone – 12If anyone builds on this foundation”. “13their work will be shown for what it is”. 14If what has been built survives, the builder will receive a reward. 15If it is burned up, the builder will suffer loss”.
- We all have choices about what we will “build” with. Will we build with good materials or not? – 12If anyone builds on this foundation using gold, silver, costly stones, wood, hay or straw,”
- We will not know until we are before Christ if our work will be rewarded or burnt up
I want to focus on that last point. This whole passage requires faith. Faith not only to believe that what has been stated is true, but that it is to be acted on! God wants us to know that what we do in the body matters. It matters to Him and His kingdom, and it matters in terms of how He will consider our lives He emphasizes this by sharing, 16Don’t you know that you yourselves are God’s temple and that God’s Spirit dwells in your midst?” This question exhorts us that as the church of Christ, we should build carefully and with our best of efforts. It therefore matters what doctrine we hold, and what we share about it. It also matters how we treat other believers, and how we serve Christ and His church. It matters how we minister to a lost world. Additionally, how we live in accordance with God’s Word is of great significance. Of course, God will consider all things about our life, but the point is that how we live really really matters. I have a suggestion for each of us If what we do in this span of seventy five years or so, matters for all eternity, let’s live out our lives before Christ in ways that bring Him the most glory. This life is not about pursuing rewards from God. Pursuing God and His ways is deeply rewarding, and the beautiful thing is that if we succeed, God delights in rewarding us further. A person who purposes to live for Christ will enjoy “gain” in this life and the one to come. So, let’s get building with precious metals and stones, in order to honor our precious Savior. For Him, Rob