For we are God’s
fellow workers;
you are God's field,
you are God's building.
According to the
grace of God which was
given to me, as a
wise master builder
I have laid the
foundation, and another
builds on it. But let each one take heed
how he builds on it. For no other
foundation can any
one lay than that
which is laid, which
is Jesus Christ.
1 Corinthians 3: 9 --
11
It is so
easy to become caught up in the affairs of this world, its culture, and all the
things that seem to be so joyful and happiness that we forget that we are not
citizens of this world. We are not
called to be successful, or to be simply philanthropic although that is a good
thing for when it is done for our Lord and Savior Jesus Christ it is a very
good thing. It is good to be successful
but not at the expense that would cause us to leave behind who we are, and who
we represent, and our demonstration of our faith. Paul in his second letter to the Corinthians gives us exactly
what our work is while we remain on this earth, until either Jesus Christ comes
or we die. Paul wrote very
important words for every Christian:
"Now all things are of God, who has reconciled us to Himself through Jesus
Christ, and has given us the ministry of reconciliation, that is, that God was
in Christ reconciling the world to himself, not imputing their trespasses to
them, and has committed to us the word of reconciliation. Now then, we are ambassadors for Christ, as
though God were pleading through us: we implore you are in Christ’s behalf, be
reconciled to God" (2 Corinthians 5: 18 -- 20). When we exercise our faith so that we are
fully converted to our Lord in Jesus Christ we are not the same people any
longer: "Therefore, if anyone is in
Christ, he is a new creation; all things have passed away; behold, all things
have become new" (2 Corinthians 5: 17). This is a problem that is clearly seen in the Corinthian church
and unfortunately we see this in many churches today whereby they have invented
new doctrines that have the sound of good things only they are nothing more
than an introduction and invading of the wisdom of this world and its
culture. We are citizens of the
heavenly kingdom: "For our
citizenship is in heaven, from which we also eagerly wait for our Savior, the
Lord Jesus Christ" (Philippians 3: 20). This is a most wonderful truth that we are no longer subject to
the throes of this world with all of its sinfulness, trials, and even
persecution for we are, even though we now live in this world, and must at times suffer
those throes, we are all already and legally in heaven. This ought to be cause for rejoicing, and as
we face what ever this world may throw at us we know we have the promises of
God and that He cares for us. God may
not take us away from things that may even be harmful, but God has promised to
take us through anything this world can throw at us for our God is faithful and
our faith has the foundation based upon the Lord Jesus Christ and the work he
did in His passion on the cross:
"Therefore humble yourselves under the mighty hand of God, that He may exalt you in due time, casting all your care upon Him, for He cares for
you" (1 Peter 5: 6 -- 7). When our lives are for God, and not just to make us feel pious, for if it is not on the foundation of God and His doctrines, then we begin to do things that make us feel as though God
loves us and we begin to do work that's not based upon faith but rather to try
to wrench from God His favors and love.
We are to rid ourselves from those things that we participated in before
we fully gave our lives over to the Lord Jesus Christ and became a fellow
worker with a message of reconciliation.
Are you demonstrating this message of reconciliation by the way you
live, by the way you talk, so that others can see the Lord Jesus Christ for who He is; and how your faith in God and His Son is the foundation for
your life? As Paul said: "Now if anyone builds on this
foundation with gold, silver, precious stones, would, hay, straw, each one's
work will become clear; for the Day will declare it, because it will be
revealed by fire; and a buyer will test each one's work, of what sort it
is" (1 Corinthians 3:12 -- 13).
What are you building upon; is it things that may be destroyed or is it
that which can never be destroyed? Are
you vacillating because you're not fully committed to your convictions about
the Lord Jesus Christ? What have you allowed
to enter into the church that are things that are of the culture of this world
and of its wisdom? These are important
questions Paul then gives this stern warning: "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" (1 Corinthians 3: 14 -- 15). I'm
afraid that some Christians are going to enter into heaven with; “SMOKE ON
THEIR BODIES AND CLOTHES.” Your
salvation is assured by God for He cast none of His children out of the hand of
His Son Jesus Christ to whom he gave.
For it is not as some teach that you can lose your salvation, you cannot
lose your salvation, but, you will as all of us will give and account for what we
have said or done in relation to the ministry of reconciliation, the Gospel of
Jesus Christ to our world. This
assurance of our salvation does not give this cause to be apathetic and tacitly
approving of what this sinful world guns and its effect upon us, and our
children, and even our congregation with which we worship. Under the Jewish economy the actual physical
temple was where God resided in where the sacrifices for sins were brought to
Him by the priests. Our priest today is
not a man, rather, it is the Lord Jesus Christ and we are the temple of God
under the new economy brought to us by the death, resurrection, and is
sanctioned by Jesus Christ into heaven where He sits making intercession for
all of the children of God: "Do you not know that you all are the
temple of God and that the Spirit of God dwells in you? If anyone defiles the temple of God, God
will destroy him. For the temple of God
is holy, which temple you are" (1 Corinthians 3: 16 -- 17). The word that is translated from the Greek
as defiled actually means to be corrupt, and the word that is translated from
the Greek as destroyed, has the actual meaning of having been brought to
corruption and it is in the future tense and can carry and does carry the
meaning of spiritual ruin, one who has become depraved and the good news as
recorded by Peter under inspiration is: "Grace and peace be multiplied
to you in the knowledge of God and Jesus our Lord, as His divine power has
given to us all things that pertain to life and godliness, through the
knowledge of Him who called us by glory and virtue, by which have been given to
us exceedingly great and precious promises, that through these you may be
partakers of the divine nature, having escaped the corruption that is in the
world through lust" (2 Peter 1:2 -- 4).
Pray for
the aid of the Holy Spirit for that aid is so much needed as we live in this
sinful world for God is faithful to take us through all things for his promises
are always yes and yes.
Then Job answered the LORD and said:
"I know that You can do
everything,
and that no purpose of Yours can be withheld from you....
I have
heard of You by the hearing of the ear,
but now my eyes see You.
Therefore I up for myself,
and repent
in dust and ashes."
Job 42: 1 -- 2; 5 -- 6
Repent and follow Him
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