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November 2008
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Dividing the Word of Truth
(2
Timothy 2:15)
This
is good and acceptable in the sight of God our Savior, who desires all men to
be saved and to come to the knowledge of the truth. 1Timothy 2:3-4
1 Corinthians (Lesson 12)
1 Corinthians 3
9: For we (Believers) are God’s fellow workers; you are God’s
field, God’s building.
Last week I closed
mentioning that Believers are not independent agents or contractors doing and
saying whatever they want within God’s church.
We are God’s building. We are
subcontractors, working for God and with one another, and the church which is
likened to a field and a building is actually God’s field and God’s building.
The church belongs
to God. It is not the property of its
members and the Body of Christ is not free to act in any manner in which it chooses. If God is going to sanction growth in His church, it is imperative
that every Believer plant and water according to His design, because on
our own we have nothing worthwhile to contribute to this activity. We need God’s help. Jesus Christ taught this same principle when
He described Himself as “the true vine” saying, apart from Me you can do nothing. (John 15:1-8).
This is the point Paul
is making as he carries the analogy of the church as a building over into 1 Corinthians 3:10-15.
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Please
open your Bible at 1 Corinthians 3:10-11 and I’ll meet you there.
1 Corinthians 3
10: According to
the grace of God which was given to me, like a wise master
builder (following
God’s design) I laid a
foundation, and another (person comes along after me and) is building on it. But each man (and woman) must be careful how he (or she) builds on it. (Romans 12:3)
11: For no man (or person) can lay a foundation other than the one
which is laid, which is Jesus Christ.
According to the grace
of God which was given to me, in describing Paul’s ministry among the
Corinthians, he begins with a declaration of grace. Considering his
history as a destroyer of God church,
Paul knew that his status as a worker in
God’s field or on God’s building was based on God’s undeserved favor and not on his
own merit.
Like a wise master
builder (following
God’s design) I laid a
foundation, when Paul planted the church in Corinth, Greece (Acts 18), he laid the only Foundation that can be
laid – the person and work of Jesus Christ.
Yet he understood that others would come along after him and build on
this Foundation: and another is building on it.
So, Paul says let each person pay attention to how they build on
it: But
each man (and woman) must be careful
how (or she) he builds on it. Paul’s point being, the Foundation has
already been laid, so a person can’t build on any other Foundation, but an
individual can build unworthily on
the one Foundation.
A
construction engineer is aware that the shape of a building, to a great extent,
is determined by its foundation and that the foundation provides the parameters
for how the rest of the structure is to be built. As members of God’s church, or more to the
point, the Body of Christ, each Believer must always bear in mind the nature of Jesus Christ; that is to say His
personality and His true doctrines as we go about our day influencing others
for the Lord Jesus Christ. When we do so,
we’re building on the one Foundation either directly or indirectly.
Everything
we build on the Foundation Paul laid must
be in keeping with the shape of the one Foundation. Paul is specifically speaking of Jesus
Christ’s life and the finished work of the cross. Paul says this begins by taking on the same
attitude as Jesus Christ: Have this attitude in yourselves,
which was also in Christ Jesus, who
although He existed in the form of God, did not regard equality with God a
thing to be grasped, but emptied Himself, taking the form of a
bond-servant, and being made in the
likeness of men. Being found in
appearance as a man, He humbled Himself by becoming obedient to the
point of death, even death on a cross (Philippians 2:5-8; Romans 12:1-3).
The
church in Corinth was struggling spiritually.
They began to put their faith in
several “human” leaders instead of the One who had laid down His life for all so that all who believe may have life in Him (John 3:15; 2 Corinthians
5:15). So, Paul reminds these
Corinthians of the church’s one Foundation which is Jesus Christ, the
Lord. He then instructs them by warning them
in verse 12 that they must be careful how they build on it.
1 Corinthians 3
12: Now if any man (or woman) builds on the foundation with gold,
silver, and precious stones, wood, hay, straw,
13: each man’s (or the
individual’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 (or workmanship).
During
the Middle Ages many Gothic churches were built. Gothic churches were beautiful and elaborate
structures. They required a vast amount
of energy, time and money to build. What
I find most fascinating about these churches is the manner in which they were
constructed. A mine was established,
often as distant as 50 miles from the construction site. When the rocks were mined volunteers from all
over the countryside would form a human chain from the mine to the building
site. The rocks would then be passed hand-to-hand
all the way to the construction site. If
anyone in this human chain dropped the stone or failed to do his or her part
the church could not be built because the build required the efforts of
everyone involved.
Fast
forward to today and we find the church is still dependent upon Believers to
faithfully work together in building God’s Church. If we fail to properly build His church
according to His design, it will never be all that God desires it to be. More importantly, as the Bible clearly states,
what we do with our lives here and now in regard to this effort will have
serious ramifications on our heavenly experience; for our future rewards are derived from helping God build
His Church here on earth.
To
that end, Paul mentions 6 building commodities, in two groups at verse 12, in
descending order of value. In light of his
discussion over the last two chapters and his obvious concern for the
Corinthian’s spiritual maturity, I’ve narrowed his list down to two items: cheap
and costly, or if you prefer imperishable
and perishable.
Gold, silver, and
precious stones are
imperishable materials fit for construction
on the Foundation which had been laid by Paul because they will endure the test
of fire. When Paul speaks of gold, and silver, however, he’s
not talking about earthly minerals. This
is merely figurative language meant to represent the wisdom of God (the Word of God) which is imperishable (Isaiah 40:8).
To be more specific, Paul is speaking of God’s hidden and secret wisdom:
but we speak God’s wisdom in a mystery, the hidden wisdom which God predestined before the
ages to our glory (1 Corinthians 2:7).
Besides
the precious doctrines of truth found in God’s Word these three commodities
also represent feelings, habits, opinions, practices, and views which these true
doctrines stimulate either in an individual Believer or in a particular church
group (1 Corinthians 6:19-20). In effect
we’re talking about an individual’s or a church’s spiritual growth or how much distance they’ve put between
themselves and old Adam.
As
for these precious stones, Paul
isn’t talking about diamonds, emeralds, and rubies. He’s referring to those huge foundation
stones that were carved out of fine granite or marble and used in building the magnificent
structure. They were costly stones
because they required a great deal of man-power in quarrying them, shaping
them, and fitting them into place.
But
wood, hay, and straw are inferior
building materials, unfit for construction on the foundation which Paul had laid
because they are neither imperishable nor
“fireproof.” These building materials represent
the perishable things of human wisdom that perceives the Gospel
of Jesus Christ and the cross as foolish. They also represent false or perverted doctrines within
God’s church such as the prosperity gospel and the Word of Faith movement. If a person genuinely comes to faith in Jesus
Christ but then begins placing their faith in the words of men instead of the true doctrines found in God’s Word, they
are placing “things” on their spiritual foundation which will eventually be
burned up; these deceptive and false teachings have no place on the Foundation
Paul has laid.
Wood, hay, and
straw also
represent an individual’s intentions and motives lying beneath the works they perform. If you’re not serving God wholeheartedly,
intending to step back out of the limelight so that the honor, glory, and
praise goes to Him alone. Then perhaps
you should check your “motives.” In
other words, if you’re interested in making a name for yourself, receiving a “pat on the back” for you’re efforts, or
if you’re working but complaining about it to everyone within earshot, then your
works are all about you. God may not be in the picture at all, and if
this is the case, verse 13 is a wake-up call!
Let’s
go to verse 13.
1 Corinthians 3
13: each man’s (or Believer’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 (or workmanship).
The
Greek word for evident is Phaneros (pronounced: fan-er-os’) and means – manifested; to be plainly recognized or known. What every man and woman has built on the
one Foundation will become evident or
manifested (placed under the
spotlight for inspection): for the day will show it because it is to be revealed with fire. Our Apostle Paul makes it clear here, as he
does at Romans 14:10-12, that every Believer will have his or her service for
the Lord examined by the fire of
divine scrutiny one day.
Please
turn with me to Revelation 19:11-12 and we’ll see what this divine fire Paul’s talking about is: And I saw heaven opened, and behold, a
white horse, and He who sat on it is called
Faithful and True, and in righteousness He judges and wages war (note
the capitalization of the words Faithful and True this is referencing deity; it’s
the Lord Jesus Christ! Let’s read verse
12 now) His eyes are a flame of (what) fire,
and on His head are many diadems; and
He has a name written on them which
no one knows except Himself.
Flames
of fire aren’t shooting from the Lord’s eyes.
This is symbolism and the book of Revelation is filled with it. Permit me to help you understand it’s meaning
with an illustration: have you ever
stood toe-to-toe, eye-to-eye, with someone who looked to be staring right
through you while you were having a serious conversation with them? I had a commanding officer in my division who
fit this description. He was a force to
be reckoned with. I thought he could
read my mind at times… I would forget to breathe when I was in front of
him. Well, that’s nothing compared to
what the Lord Jesus Christ is capable of doing when he gets you and me in front
of Him at the Bema Seat Judgment and examines our works or “workmanship”
done in and for the building of His church.
Elsewhere
in the New Testament our Apostle Paul describes the second coming of the Lord
Jesus Christ as, “in blazing fire,”
(2 Thessalonians 1:5-7), an appearance that denotes judgment as well.
Now
I think we’re ready for verses 14-15.
1 Corinthians 3
14: If any
man’s (or
woman’s) work which he (or
she) has built (using the first 3
commodities Paul mentioned) on it (the
one Foundation) remains, he (or
she) will receive a reward.
Jesus
Christ will examine everyone’s intentions and motives. If a person has built using gold, silver, and precious stones, then
they will receive their reward: For we must all appear before the judgment
seat of Christ, so that each one may be recompensed for his deeds (works) in the body (church), according to what he (or she) has done, whether good or bad (2
Corinthians 5:10).
Paul
wants the Corinthians (and us) to understand that the day is coming, (sometime after the rapture of Body of Christ) when each
person’s workmanship (even those things done in secret) will be judged by Jesus
Christ Himself, and this includes their knowledge of God’s Word and what they
did with that. Paul has this to say on
the subject: In this case, moreover, it is required of stewards that one be found
trustworthy (or faithful). (1
Corinthians 4:2)
A
trustworthy person is one who fulfills a given responsibility and who rightfully carries out an obligation or
duty. Every Believer should have a heart
that desires to please their Savior and be faithful to Him in all things. In order to “find” my God-given
responsibilities and duties, I must go to the pages of God’s Word, the Bible,
to learn of them.
The
concept of the Bema Seat comes from the ancient Olympics, where a judge would
sit on the Bema Seat at the finish line to determine what position the runners
came in – first, second, third, and so on; and then to give out the appropriate
rewards. This is the imagery behind the
Judgment Seat of Jesus Christ as described in 1 Corinthians 3:12-15.
The
Scriptures do not say when this judging will take place and the timing of the
event doesn’t really matter. So, let’s
not get tangled up discussing “the when,” when the only thing that matters is
being prepared for your final exam!
When
you consider your life up to now are you the least bit concerned about what
Jesus Christ will say and do at the Bema Seat Judgment? Are you the least bit anxious about all the
opportunities you’ve wasted; for the time you frittered away on foolish and
frivolous activities; for the people you could have helped; for all the moments
you lacked the courage to speak to someone about Jesus Christ and God’s free gift of grace, etc. If so, this somber warning in verse 15 from
our Apostle Paul is intended for you.
1 Corinthians 3
15: If any
man’s (or
woman’s) work is burned up (because
they used perishable building
materials which Paul likened to wood, hay
and straw), he (or she) will suffer loss; but he
himself (or the Believer) will (still)
be saved, yet so as through the fire.
Paul
wants these Corinthians to know that every one of them bears the responsibility
for his or her contributions in building upon the one Foundation and will
receive rewards based on the quality of their workmanship. If they build carelessly, they’ll suffer loss. There will be no finger pointing and the
“Blame-Game” will not be in play at the Judgment Seat of Christ. Each person will take ownership of their
activity or inactivity whether good or
bad.
Just
so you know there won’t be any unbelievers present at the Bema Seat Judgment. This has absolutely nothing to do with
condemnation of God’s fellow workers. The sin issue was settled once and for all at
the cross (Romans 8:1). Instead, this has everything to do with, “What have you done with your salvation?” Rewards and not salvation is the subject
matter here. Salvation, per Scripture,
is a free gift of God (Ephesians
2:8); rewards are earned by the
Believer by good works (fruit-bearing): For we are His workmanship, created in
Christ Jesus for (what) good works,
which God prepared beforehand (before the foundations of the earth) so that we (Believers) would walk in them (Ephesians
2:10; Colossians 3:5-17).
So, You’re Saved; What
Now?
All
that is done for sake of personal gain, popularity, influence, or to impress
the world and its inhabitants will
add up to zero before Jesus Christ at the Bema Seat. This Truth should make every Believer stop
and consider the questions Jesus Christ will be asking them on that day; questions such as:
“How
faithful were you to My Word?”
“Did
you share My gospel with others?”
“Did
you honor Me in your business, in your school, and during your idle hours?”
“Were
you accountable to your spouse, your family, your friends, your co-workers?”
“Did you love your spouse as I loved the
church?”
“Did
you teach your children My Truths?”
“Were
you more interested in becoming like Me or the world around you?”
“Did you accurately
handle the word of truth?”
It’s
been said experience is a hard teacher because it gives the test first and the
lessons come after. However, our Apostle
Paul has given us numerous written guides to help us prepare for our final exam. Every day that the Lord Jesus Christ’s return
is delayed is one more day in which we have time to prepare for it. Let’s not waste time…
“Of all the words of tongue or pen, the
saddest of these is: ‘it might have been.”
John
Greenleaf Whittier
I
heard a sermon preached on verses 14-15 one Sunday morning that I’ll never
forget; it had that kind of impact. He used
an illustration of a huge file room up in heaven, rows upon rows of file
cabinets filled with the files of every Believer who has ever lived. These files contained every thought, word,
deed, and missed opportunity of every individual in the Body of Christ.
The
Lord took this man to the “file room,” selected his file, and then walked him
to a nearby warehouse. Upon entering the
building the man observed brightly wrapped packages stacked from floor to
ceiling as far as the eye could see. Jesus
led the man over to a corner of the warehouse where hundreds of beautiful
packages were piled to the ceiling and said, “All these rewards the Father
meant for Me to give to you. However,
because you were not faithful with a few things I
entrusted to you, they must remain here forever, unopened.” (Matthew 25:14-30). The
saddest part of his illustration, when he hammered it home, was that this
entire warehouse and many others like it in heaven were dedicated solely for
the purpose of storing Believer’s lost
rewards.
One
of the applications (life lessons) we learned from our study of Romans is "We are not saved to sit – we’re saved to serve!"
So, what are you doing with the abilities, gifts, talents, and the Word
of God that God has given to you, while the Lord Jesus Christ is in heaven,
waiting to return, and His return is imminent?
Are you sitting on them or are you putting them to work? And if you’re serving the Lord, what’s
motivating you?
Permit
me to direct you to a Bible verse through which you should filter every
thought, word, and deed in your life – for the rest of your life, in light of
your future appointment with the Lord Jesus Christ before the Bema Seat: Whatever
you do, do your work heartily, as for the Lord rather than for men, knowing
that from the Lord you will receive the reward of the inheritance. It is the Lord Christ whom you serve. (Colossians 3:23-24).
(To
be continued)
[Published weekly
on Friday]
©
Copyright 2011
GJ
Heitzman’s Ministry
All
Rights Reserved
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