As Through Fire…
1 Corinthians 3:15 What materials are you using to help build God’s church?
“If any man’s work is burned up, he will suffer loss; but he himself will be saved, yet so as through fire.”
1 Corinthians 3:15 NASB1995
Paul’s first letter to the church at Corinth is one of the early explorations of the precept of the Christian church being not a physical structure like a synagogue or tabernacle, but a body of believers. To many of the first Christians this may have been a difficult concept to visualize, so Paul wisely used the analogy of a physical church to make his point.
Paul founded the church in Corinth, and in 1 Corinthians chapter 3 he says that he “laid the foundation” and that the other believers now build on that foundation as workers through the grace of God. Paul realized that his status as a fellow worker with God was entirely based on God’s undeserved favor, not on his own merit. All others doing God’s work — even today — need to be cognizant that there’s nothing in them that make them worthy of being His worker; it’s according to His grace.
The foundation of the church is the person and the work of Jesus Christ, the only foundation on which the Christian church can truly be built. It takes care to ensure that the continuing “building work” is done in a manner that is worthy of God’s approval.
God will test the work done by His fellow workers, some of whom will build the church with precious things (symbolized by gold, silver, marble and granite), and others with unworthy materials (symbolized by wood, straw and hay). The test of the work comes through fire, and those who “build” with the wrong “materials” (the wrong sort of work or for the wrong reasons) will find that their work is destroyed and vanishes forever, like flammable materials turned to smoke.
Enduring Word Commentary has this to say about today’s verse:
It is a sobering thought: many, many people who believe they are serving God, but are doing it in an unworthy manner or with unworthy “materials” will come to find in eternity that they have, in reality, done nothing for the Lord. Some will be saved, but with a life that was wasted, and receive no crown to give to Jesus, for His glory (as in Revelation 4:10-11). He himself will be saved, yet so as through the fire shows that some will be saved, but barely saved, and saved with everything gone.
The bottom line for today’s verse is that all believers, as God’s fellow workers, should constantly and consistently ask ourselves if we are doing the right sort of work in the correct manner. Are we serving God for His glory, or for ours? And are we doing that work wholeheartedly as if eternity depended on it?
If your answers are that “I volunteer at my church so I look ‘good’ to others”, or “Well, I’ll give the church a few bucks now and then”, you might be trying to help build His church with straw, wood, and hay…
Heaven On Wheels Daily Prayer:
Lord, Paul’s words convict us, but were not sent by You to condemn us. Instead, these words encourage us to work with You in ways that fulfill the promise You give us. Through our work with You, let us be loving, full of compassion and mercy, at peace, and filled with Your joy. Let our work with You be guided by Your Spirit, in Jesus name, AMEN.