Ultimate Redemptive Potential
For no one can lay any foundation other than the one already laid, which is
Jesus Christ. If any man builds on this foundation using gold, silver, costly
stones, wood, hay or straw, his work will be shown for what it is, because the
Day will bring it to light. It will be revealed with fire, and the fire will
test the quality of each man's work. If what he has built survives, he will
receive his reward. If it is burned up, he will suffer loss; he himself will
be saved, but only as one escaping through the flames. 1
Corinthians 3:11-15
Every Christian has a purpose in God's kingdom. We each have tasks to fulfill, a ministry to invest in, a building to create, people to reach. In the end, God knows the worth of our efforts. He will test the fruits of our character and of our obediance.
If we have no fruit then that's a pretty easy test to fail. If we have fruit but did not have love then that is worthless, as 1 Corinthians 13 says. I remember someone who told me that they sang in the church choir every week while their Monday-to-Saturday life was questionable. They realized that singing in the choir required more than just their voice.
Paul is not saying that we are not Christians and that we do not love God if we have bad fruit. Our salvation is by faith and not by works. However, God still cares about the results of our lives, and it will be shown for what it is. I, for one, do not want to be "as one escaping through the flames." I don't want to just sqeak through my Christian life. I want to reach my ultimate redemptive potential.
3 comments:
I agree that our salvation is by faith and not by the works that we do. God will always know our spirit and our motivation for doing things and that's what really matters.
Cheers,
Important issues
http://tijafer.blogspot.com/
Agreed, God does test by the motivations of our heart. Hence the "Love Test" I mentioned from 1 Corinthians 13.
This verse also says that our actions and their results will be tested. Even with a good intentions we can do wrong. This passage challenges me to have a loving heart and to produce good fruit. To be all I can be, in my soul and in action, by God's grace and power.
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