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The Daily Word of Righteousness
The Divine Fire, #4
For other foundation can no man lay than that is laid, which is Jesus Christ. Now if any man build upon this foundation gold, silver, precious stones, wood, hay, stubble; Every man's work shall be made manifest: for the day shall declare it, because it shall be revealed by fire; and the fire shall try every man's work of what sort it is. (I Corinthians 3:11-13)
If the individual has sown to his human personality, walking in his own desires, his work will be destroyed by the Divine fire.
The point is, every person's work will be tested by fire whether or not he or she believes in Christ. This is very important to understand because of the current overemphasis on "grace."
Let us proceed with the passage.
If any man's work abide which he hath built thereupon, he shall receive a reward. If any man's work shall be burned, he shall suffer loss: but he himself shall be saved; yet so as by fire. (I Corinthians 3:14,15)
If a believer has faithfully followed the Lord and the Lord has given him a fruitful ministry, He will receive a reward in the Day of the Lord.
If the ministry of the believer has been self-motivated, he has not followed the Lord but his own spiritual ambitions, he has been treacherous toward his family, has sought his own glory, has practiced immorality, has coveted money, all he has accomplished shall be burned up in the fire of God.
Paul goes on to say, "he himself shall be saved; yet so as by fire."
The current Christian mythology teaches that to be saved is to live forever in a mansion in heaven. The idea of being saved as by fire is that although the individual may not be crowned as a king over the nations he still will live forever in Paradise in his mansion. He may not receive a seven-story mansion but what he does get will be fantastically better than anything experienced during life on earth. So why worry about the quality of one's service!
The truth is, to be saved as by fire, in the terms of I Corinthians 3:14,15, is the same as the salvation offered to the incestuous believer of the church in Corinth.
To deliver such an one unto Satan for the destruction of the flesh, that the spirit may be saved in the day of the Lord Jesus. (I Corinthians 5:5)
Not that he would go to Heaven when he died but that his spirit would be saved in the Day of the Lord.
The goal of our salvation is not to bring us to a mansion in Heaven but into the Kingdom of God. There is a vast difference between having an abundant entrance into the Kingdom of God and being saved as by fire.
Think of the difference between the salvation of Abraham and the salvation of Lot. Really think about it. Abraham is revered as the father of all who believe. God is the God of Abraham. Christ is the Seed of Abraham.
Lot lost his wife, his possessions, and with his daughters brought forth Moab and Ammon, the despised of the Lord.
To be continued.