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 3:15)

When we keep on interjecting our fleshly, soulish will into what we are and do, the Life of Christ is pushed to one side. No permanent fruit is borne in us or in those to whom we are attempting to minister. We then are in danger of being cut off as a branch, although we may be saved as by fire. We are not serving our intended purpose in the plan of God.

It appears likely that our fruit-bearing will gather momentum after we die. This certainly has been true of Abraham and of the Apostle Paul. The Divine Life that issued through Abraham and Paul has continued to bear fruit throughout the centuries. We can bear a hundredfold or sixtyfold or thirtyfold depending on how willing we are to be pruned.

God has called us to exceedingly great fruit-bearing, perhaps on a scale with that of Abraham. We are pioneers, coming on the scene at the beginning of the construction of the Kingdom of God. All eternity lies before us. No doubt we shall populate new worlds with the image of Christ, although how that will be we do not know as yet.

The amount of fruit we bear depends on the extent to which we are willing to die during this present life. If we cling to our human life we will die in barrenness, even though we appear to have been fruitful in the Kingdom of God. If we are willing to die to our human life, giving place to the new Life of Christ that is in us, our fruit will remain. When the Lord returns, our fruitfulness and dominion will be extraordinary on the face of the earth.

In the Kingdom of God, the barren rejoice with a multitude of children while the children of the married wife are as nothing by comparison (Isaiah, Chapter 54). This follows the experience of Sarah. Those who are busy in church work may produce an abundance of accomplishments. Those who wait on the Lord may spend many years in hope and trust with little apparent success. When the "death" of the barren has been completed to God's satisfaction, much fruit is borne.

Lot pitched his tent toward Sodom, toward the ways of the world. Lot fathered two daughters without difficulty. Later, Moab and Ammon were born. God never required that Lot offer up any of his children as an offering to the Lord.

Abraham waited for the promise of God and was without children for many years. When Abraham finally did have a son he was required to give back his son to the Lord. (How precious in the sight of the Lord is the death of His saints!) Abraham has become the father, and Sarah the mother, of all who believe in Christ.

To be continued.