"Only one life, 'twill soon be past; only what's done for Christ will last."
1 Peter 4:17 For it is time for judgment to begin with the family of God; and if it begins with us, what will the outcome be for those who do not obey the gospel of God?
1 Corinthians 3:12-15 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.
This is the judgment that every believer will go through after the rapture. Notice that the judgment isn't about our sins, or concerning our salvation. We are all saved period and that will never be taken from us. However this judgment concerns everything we have said and done since the moment of our salvation. The foundation laid for each of us was Jesus Himself, and it's what we built on that foundation that will be judged.
I want to point out that God isn't going to just judge the quantity of our work, but He will also judge it's quality. Therefore someone who has spent their entire life in missionary work or volunteering in soup kitchens or something like that, but whose heart had not really been in it, and who wasn't truly doing it for Jesus, won't be rewarded for it. Yet another person who out of love and concern for their fellow man because of what Jesus did for them, helped a neighbor, will be rewarded for that act of kindness. So this is about our hearts and our attitudes as well. If we tell others about Jesus because we're trying to earn brownie points with God, then it will be burned away as dross; but if we tell others about Jesus because we love Him, and because we want to see that person saved, then that will be judged worthy or reward.
I think the biggest question I had when I first heard about this was "how does someone build on that foundation?" That is answered in God's word too. The first way we build on the foundation is by something I'm quite sure you're all sick and tired of hearing me say. It's God's Truth though so I'll say it yet again. We build on it every time we read, study, and reflect on God's Word and talk to Him about it. Again if we are "reading the bible" out of a feeling of "duty" then that won't build on the foundation and will be burned away as dross. If however we are reading and studying His Word because we love Him and want to know more about Him and know His Will for us, and know more so we can speak intelligently to others about Him, that will build on the foundation and be rewarded.
So the first two ways and the foremost ways we build on the foundation is
1. by reading, studying and reflecting on God's Word and
2. through prayer.
In other words, by working to become mature in Christ.
I want to say a little more about prayer here though because many types of prayers will survive the fire as will the time spent praying them. Anytime we spend time praying for others or praying for God to help us understand His Word or His Will for us etc will survive the fire.
The next thing that builds on the foundation is
3. telling others about God. That includes things like witnessing, discipling others, teaching others, teaching Sunday School, or bible class, or even doing what I'm doing right now. It would include answering other people's questions about God and anything else that has to do with this. Again though it must be being done out of our love and gratitude to God for our salvation and not because we think we "have to" or because we want to look good to others.
The next area that builds on the foundation concerns how we live our lives after salvation. Anything we do regularly that is in line with God's will for our lives will build on the foundation. For example,
1. wives submitting to their husbands, raising their children to know the Lord and His Ways, honoring their husbands and being a good godly wife to them, even something as simple as keeping their house clean because they know that's what Jesus would want them to do;
2. husbands loving their wives the way Christ loved the church--with a sacrificial love, raising their children to know the Lord and His Ways, being responsible for the spiritual development and growth of their wife and children;
3. having a good work ethic and working for the Lord and not man--in other words, when you do your best even though you could get away with doing less because you know that's what Jesus asks of us; when you put up with being treated badly, not getting that promotion etc because you know that your real boss is God and not a man and that your reward for your work will be much better then any raise a man could give you.
4. Managing your money in accordance with God's Word. Being a good steward of all He's given you. Paying your bills on time etc.
5. Giving money toward God's work in the world. Supporting your minister/church or whoever or wherever you are fed; giving to Christian charities that help others, for example two of the places I give to are Teen Challenge and Moody Radio. Supporting missionaries and their work. Supporting Christian pro life organizations that work with mothers to help them keep their babies, train them in parenting skills, get them the things they need and help pay for their medical care etc. Any place or person that you support that is doing God's Will would come under this.
6. Another area of our lives that would survive the fire would be areas where we take good care of our bodies so that we can be healthy and fit so we can serve the Lord as well as we can. Again here it makes a difference what your attitude about it is and why you're really doing it. If you're doing body building so you can look sexy, that's not going to survive the fire. If you're exercising so you can do the things that the Lord wants you to do, that will survive.
7. Another area would be how we dress and the impression we give others when they first see us as well as when they get to know us. If we're dressing according to God's Will which is to dress modestly and we're doing it because we know it's God's Will and we desire to obey Him and please Him, that will survive the fire.
8. Anything we do for others out of concern for them or to help them will survive the fire because the Lord tells us to help others.
9. Obeying the authorities over us, our government, the laws etc will also survive the fire as the Lord tells us we are to obey the laws unless they contradict God's Word. For children, obeying their parents will survive the fire for they are told to obey their parents.
10. Time spent at church or in His worship will survive the fire IF we are there for the right reasons. Again if it's "duty" or to "look good" then it won't survive, but if we're there because we love God and want to be where He wants us then it will survive. It doesn't matter what kind of church it is, where it is--such as in an "official church denomination" or in your own home--if you are meeting to worship God it will survive the fire. Now this one brings up a whole can of worms however since there are definite things we are to do and things we are not to do as far as church goes. We are not to tolerate false teaching of any kind, so if you're attending a church that does teach heresy and you have done nothing to stop it and are still there, then that won't survive the fire. Which brings us to the next point.
11. Times we've tried to steer people away from error and or heresy and or sin will survive the fire if we're doing it in love and because we love God and don't want others to miss out on anything.
2 Timothy 3:16-17 All Scripture is God-breathed and is useful for teaching, rebuking, correcting and training in righteousness, so that the man of God may be thoroughly equipped for every good work.
2 Timothy 4:2 Preach the Word; be prepared in season and out of season; correct, rebuke and encourage—with great patience and careful instruction.
12. Time spent encouraging others and helping them get through hard times, helping them to keep their focus on God will survive the fire as well.
I'm sure that we could add many other things but what it boils down to is why we're living the way we are. What are we most concerned about? Are we more concerned with what others will think of us, or are we more concerned with what God will think?
The things that are going to burn up are all the time we've wasted, the times we've spent in frivolous things, times we've spent on selfish things. The time we've wasted "looking out for ourselves" instead of others.
Now the Lord doesn't expect us to spend 100% of our time working. He does want and allows us to have times for just refreshing ourselves. I know for myself though that I have often taken that "time for refreshing myself" to the extreme and that won't be honored.
So these are some of the main areas that will survive the fire and for which we will be richly rewarded. However it's about more then just rewards, it's also about how we are going to spend eternity. (notice I said "how" not "where"). We'll get into that tomorrow though as this is already quite long. I do want to leave you with a few more verses that speak about this judgment to reflect on though:
Luke 12:48 But the one who does not know and does things deserving punishment will be beaten with few blows. From everyone who has been given much, much will be demanded; and from the one who has been entrusted with much, much more will be asked.
Matthew 10:40-42 “He who receives you receives me, and he who receives me receives the one who sent me. Anyone who receives a prophet because he is a prophet will receive a prophet’s reward, and anyone who receives a righteous man because he is a righteous man will receive a righteous man’s reward. And if anyone gives even a cup of cold water to one of these little ones because he is my disciple, I tell you the truth, he will certainly not lose his reward.”
2 John 8 Watch out that you do not lose what you have worked for, but that you may be rewarded fully.
Hebrews 10:35-38 So do not throw away your confidence; it will be richly rewarded. You need to persevere so that when you have done the will of God, you will receive what he has promised. For in just a very little while, “He who is coming will come and will not delay. But my righteous one will live by faith. And if he shrinks back, I will not be pleased with him.”
Hebrews 11:25-26 He chose to be mistreated along with the people of God rather than to enjoy the pleasures of sin for a short time. He regarded disgrace for the sake of Christ as of greater value than the treasures of Egypt, because he was looking ahead to his reward.
Luke 14:12-14 Then Jesus said to his host, “When you give a luncheon or dinner, do not invite your friends, your brothers or relatives, or your rich neighbors; if you do, they may invite you back and so you will be repaid. But when you give a banquet, invite the poor, the crippled, the lame, the blind, and you will be blessed. Although they cannot repay you, you will be repaid at the resurrection of the righteous.”
The Bema Judgment of Believers on Fresh Hope
