Careless Christians excuse their foolishness by speaking of being saved as by fire. Do they have any idea of what it means to be saved by fire? Do they think to be saved as by fire means they will have a two-story mansion in Paradise instead of a much larger house? Is this what they picture as being saved as by fire?

To be saved as by fire means to have most of our personality burned away in an agony of judgment and then to enter as a naked spirit into the Kingdom of God. No reward! No "well done, good and faithful servant!" No crown of life and righteousness! No closeness to God as a pillar in His temple! No position of authority over the nations as a royal priest! No place in the throne of Christ! The loss of reward will be staggering—enough to cause unbearable remorse for a long, long time.

The rewards for serving the Lord begin in the present world and will continue for eternity. The loss incurred and the lashes given for not obeying God are terrible and we do not know how long the consequences will continue.

We are not speaking now of those who are cast into the Lake of Fire, a fate so frightful as to be beyond human comprehension. Rather we are referring to being saved as by fire--a destiny reserved for those who build wood, hay, and straw on the foundation of Christ.

Satan has successfully persuaded the Christians of our day that the rewards that will be given to all believers are so similar there is no reason to become concerned about possible differences. The sternly obedient, the lukewarm, the careless, the disobedient will all be "saved," meaning they will enter Paradise and perhaps serve God as a king on the earth.

It is my opinion that if the Lord's people understood clearly that in the Day of Christ they are going to receive the consequences of the choices they are making today, and that their carelessness and rebellion is not being covered by "grace," at least not by a scriptural grace, they would repent and turn to God and begin to do His will fervently and with a pure heart. Then our nation would be healed. Then God's Presence would be among us.

Those who choose to continue in the current lie are free to do so. As for me and my house, we intend to serve the Lord with a whole heart. We know that God is to be feared. To not serve Him is to face loss of reward and possibly lashes when the Lord Jesus returns from Heaven. To serve the Lord faithfully throughout one's lifetime is to gain a certain hope of joy and glory at His coming. Of course, the greatest joy of all is to know in our heart that we have been a true servant of Christ and that God is pleased with us.

Don't you agree? (from Christians Shall Be Rewarded According to Their Works)