ONLY WHAT WE DO FOR CHRIST WILL COUNT

Proclamation:

“Every man's work shall be made manifest; for the day shall declare it, because it shall be revealed by fire; and fire shall try every man's work of what sort it is.  If any man's work abide which he hath built thereupon, he shall receive a reward.  If any man's work shall be burned, he shall suffer loss; but he himself shall be saved …” 1 Corinthians 3:13-15 (NKJ)

Explanation:

Under the influence of The Holy Spirit of God the Apostle Paul wrote these words to the believers in Corinth.  Paul told them that all that he had taught them was based upon the gospel of Jesus Christ.  That was the foundation upon which they should base their philosophy and behavior. (1 Corinthians 3:10-11)  All of their life’s activities would be like gold, silver, precious stones, wood, hay, or stubble.  He said that on judgement day, every man’s work would be tested by fire. (1 Corinthians 3:11-12)  The believer would be saved but all of his work which was wood, stubble, and hay would be consumed by the fire, only the work which was gold, silver, and precious stones will pass through the fire. (1 Corinthians 3:13-15)

Application:

Wherever we go and whatever situation we find ourselves in, we should spread The Word of God.  If there is anyone there to talk to, we should speak about the gospel and spread the good news about salvation in Jesus, The Christ.  This is not something that we only to share with those in our local church on Sunday mornings.  The Apostle Paul was under house arrest in Rome but he preached the gospel to all who came to visit him. (Acts 28:16-31)  Some of them who heard him "... believed the things which were spoken, and some believed not ..." (Acts 28:24)  Every one that we tell about the good news will not believe it.  And some people just will not understand it, no matter how we explain it. (Acts 28:26-27)  But our assignment is to tell them, not to make them believe it.  Of all of the people that we talked to this past week, to how many of them did we mention Jesus Christ and salvation in Him?  Think about all of the words that we spoke, how many of them gave God glory?  "For I say unto you, that every idle word that men shall speak, they shall give an account thereof in the day of judgement.  For by your words you shall be justified, and by your words you shall be condemned." (Matthew 12:36-37)  We can't say that our good deeds out number our bad deeds so we are okay.  We don't really know what our good deeds are, and some things that we think of as neutral are actually bad (sinful) like our idle words.  "All unrighteousness is sin ..." (1 John 5:17)  If what we say or do does not give God glory, then it is a sin.  Only our works which are “gold, silver, and precious stones”, things that give God glory, will pass the test of fire on judgement day.  For those things we will receive a reward.  Remember, as the song says, "... only what you do for Christ will last ... only what you what you do for Him will be counted at the end ..."