Every believer's ministry gets tested. Not by men. By fire.
1 Corinthians 3 11 thru 15
"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... the fire shall try every man's work of what sort it is. If any man's work abide... 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."
The foundation Jesus Christ. Laid it by the grace He gave us to learn through the apostle Paul. Nobody lays a different one.
But what gets built on that foundation that's where the fire comes in.
Gold, silver, precious stones on one side. Wood, hay, stubble on the other.
This isn't a checklist test. It's a works test. The fire doesn't ask, "did you follow the right steps?" It asks, "what were you actually building with?" And Was it for His glory. Or was it for you.
Some of you may be asking the question.
If we're all in Christ, how can one of us "suffer loss"? Weren't they in Christ too?
Yes. And that's exactly the point worth bringing into the open. The works Paul is describing here are outside of salvation. They're not what got you in. They're your response to what He already did in you.
Philippians 2:12-13 puts it this way "work out your own salvation with fear and trembling. For it is God which worketh in you both to will and to do." Not work for -Work out. God works the salvation in. We're working that response out. This building in 1 Corinthians 3 is that outworking and it can be tested, tried, even burned, without ever touching the -"in Christ"- that was never on trial.
Watch what fire does - with
Wood, hay, stubble fire consumes it. Nothing left to show.
Gold and silver fire Shines it Comes out brighter than it went in.
Job says"when he hath tried me, I shall come forth as gold."
Precious stones shine for his Glory
Remember Shadrach, Meshach, and Abednego. Thrown into a furnace so hot (steel drums). Nebuchadnezzar looks in and sees four men walking loose, and says the fourth looks like the Son of God.
Daniel 3 the fire had no power over them. Not a hair was singed. Not even that smell of smoke was found
Fire didn't prove how strong they were. It proved who it was standing in the fire with them.
Thats the good news underneath it.
Loss of reward is never loss of salvation. "He himself shall be saved; yet so as by fire." The man doesn't burn. The wood does. Your standing in Christ was settled the moment you believed sealed, untouchable, done. That was never what was on trial.
So when the fire comes and it comes for everyone the shineing on the gold isn't the metal congratulating itself. It's proof the refiner is bringing his refection to bear in the worker who will be tested there!
Build for Him.
Not for the show.
Run the race to win the prize,before you feel the heat.
Gracecountrymusic
