1 Corinthians 3:14–15: If anyone’s work which he has built on it endures, he will receive a reward. If anyone’s work is burned, he will suffer loss; but he himself will be saved, yet so as through fire.
What kind of material are you using? I like to put it like this: there are going to be some people in heaven who will be there because their foundation is Christ but who will smell as if they had been bought at a fire sale! Everything they ever did will have gone up in smoke. They will not receive a reward for their works. Now if you are a carnal Christian, you cannot expect a reward because you have not been rightly related to God through the Word of God. The carnal Christian is the one who does not know the Word of God. You see, one can identify the three categories which Paul mentions by their relation to the Word of God. The natural man says it is foolishness. The spiritual man discerns the Word, and it gives him spiritual insight. The carnal Christian says, “Let’s have a banquet and not a Bible study.” Or he says, “Let’s listen to music rather than to the teaching of the Word of God.” That is the way you can identify the carnal Christian. 1
Application
- Read Romans 5:1-5 and ask God to be filled with the love of His Holy Spirit right now.
- Consider how a Godly perspective in tribulations can build faith, hope and love into your life. Pray for the strength to endure difficulties by glorifying God with faith.
Thought to Share
My difficulties are the bricks God uses to build His life in me. – TWEET IT
Prayer
Lord, may I hold on to your promises and not to my circumstances.
1. McGee, J. V. (1991). Thru the Bible commentary: The Epistles (1 Corinthians) (electronic ed., Vol. 44). Nashville: Thomas Nelson.
