Every
building has a firm foundation. Without it, the building would fall down. Similarly,
our faith has to have a firm foundation. That foundation is Jesus. Anything
else will fail-even the church.
The
first reason that churches fail is because they violate their commitment to
Jesus Christ as their foundation. Churches must be built on Christ; then a
community of believers can glorify Him through social justice or outreach or
service. To establish a church on any other foundation-even one compromised of
seemingly virtuous causes-will not succeed.
Wood,
hay and straw will decay. God, silver and precious stones are permanent. The
framework of the church must be carefully chosen for endurance. God only uses
quality materials such as gold, silver and precious stones. These represent
dedicated, spiritual service in building the church. Too many people build the
foundations of their lives on material that will decay. They build their lives
on worldly ways and worldly things. The only foundation that will last is the
foundation of Jesus Christ. When we trust in Jesus, the Holy Spirit takes up
residence in our hearts. He will be in us and with us forever. We are
significant because God lives in us.
If we want God to live in
us, we need a daily dose of disciplined faith. That includes setting aside time
every day to pray and study the Bible. These habits will go a long way to
achieving spiritual health. Our reward for an earnest faith is a deep hunger to
know God.
Paul
explains in 1 Corinthians 3:10-23 that the Day of Judgment will declare the validity of each person’s
work. This is not the Great White Throne judgment where Jesus will condemn
unbelievers. It is the Judgment Seat of Christ, where believers will be
evaluated. The phrase, “test each one’s work” means that God will see His
children as they really are-all their motivations, desires and reasons for
serving Him. The work that Christians do in true faith and obedience to God
will survive and be rewarded. Work done in the power of the flesh or in
disobedience to the Scriptures will not. A sinner who lives a good life is
still a sinner. God needs people who see themselves as sinners and Him as a God
who saves. He wants people to ask for mercy.
There
are no limits to our possessions in Christ. Pastors and teachers are fellow
servants ministering the things of God. It’s foolish to fight over an Apollos
versus a Paul versus a Peter when they, like every member within the church,
are part of God’s purpose for the body of Christ.
What
we do on earth will affect our eternal destiny. If we let our lives and our
words be witnesses to the lost, we will build up rewards in heaven. Believers
will be given rewards based on the quality of their service. Notice that it is
not their service that saves. Both the rewarded believer and the believer who
suffers loss are saved. Works can never earn salvation. Faithfulness in service,
however, will earn the right to give God even greater glory as the faithful lay
their rewards at His feet. God will reward us with heavenly responsibilities
according to how faithful we have been here on earth. If we use the best
resources to the best of our ability, we will receive all of the goodness He
offers.
Sometimes
we may ask ourselves what God is thinking or what He wants us to do. We can
know His thoughts and His will. All we have to do is forget about our earthly
ways and learn His principles for living our lives. Worldly ways are the exact
opposite of God’s ways. If we study God’s Word we can see God’s message and His
method. We will see how he works in the lives of His people.
Anyone
who tries to stop God’s work is not part of God’s family and will be destroyed,
just like God destroyed all of Israel’s enemies. It is one thing to disagree if
one’s desire is what is best for a community of believers. Those who are
motivated to block or ruin what God wants to do are sinning. This is what
happened to the church in Corinth.
The
Corinthians knew that they belonged to God and not to the person who led them
to Christ. The person was only doing God’s work. They should only boast in God.
The source of real unity among us is the fact that we are all servants of the
same master. We are all products of God’s grace, which is the source of our
Christian unity.
Bibliography
1.
Jeremiah,
David: The Jeremiah Study Bible, New King
James Version (Brentwood, TN: Worthy Publishing; 2013; p. 1577-1578)
2.
Chafin, K.L.
& Ogilvie, L.J.: The Preacher’s
Commentary series, Vol. 30: 1,2 Corinthians (Nashville, TN: Thomas Nelson Inc.; 1985; pp. 51-56)
3.
ESV Study
Bible. Part of Wordsearch 11 Bible software package.
4.
MacArthur,
J.F. Jr.: The MacArthur Study bible, New
American Standard Bible (Nashville, TN; Thomas Nelson Publishers, 2006)
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