November 18th
Today's Bible Reading
Fire tested
1 Corinthians 3:12-13
Now if anyone builds on the foundation with gold, silver, precious stones, wood, hay, straw- each one’s work will become manifest, for the Day will disclose it, because it will be revealed by fire, and the fire will test what sort of work each one has done.
We live in a world where our deeds are evaluated. They are Scrutinized and tested. They are brought under review. Our contributions are considered and our works are weighted. All that we have done is dissected.
Paul here speaks of an end time evaluation. He mentions the day of disclosures. He tells of the day when all we have done will become manifest. Everything will be seen and scrutinized. Our works will be tested to see what sort of deeds were done.
He uses the analogy of a foundation that one builds upon. He relates it to our spiritual deeds. Every believer has an eternal unshifting foundation in Jesus Christ. Nothing can destroy that foundation. It remains regardless. We build upon the foundation. We build upon it by what we do for the kingdom throughout our life. Sometimes we built combustible deeds upon it, referred to as wood, hay and straw. At other times we build fire retardant works upon it of gold, silver and precious stones. All that we have every done is metaphorically built upon the foundation. All of it will be fire tested.
We are admonished to “take care” how we build upon the foundation. We are to carefully weigh out our works. We are to be cautious about the materials that us to construct our “building”. We are to carefully consider our choices. We are to contemplate the content and the character of what we do.
We are saved to serve. We are to be an active part of body life. We are to intentionally seek to participate in building up the body of Christ. We are to be a functioning follower. This kind of involvement in the body produces noncombustible components of. These items are unhampered by the flames. These works remain.
Yet many are saved to sit. They are inactive and uninvolved in the body of Christ. They are useless and unproductive parts of the church. They are flippant followers. They have no regard or interest in assisting in the advancement of the kingdom. They are busy about their own interests. Their deeds produce combustible contents such as wood, hay and straw. Their deeds are consumed in the fire.
So we must act in a manner that will produce fire tested deeds. We must strive to produce gold, silver and precious stones works that remain through the fire. We must invest in an inheritance that is fire tested rather than one that produces wood, hay and straw which is destroyed n God’s flames.
Today strive for the works that produce the deeds that when fire tested remain. Live so something remains when all that you have done is fire tested.
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