12/2/23
Building upon the Foundation of Christ. Our Works Shall Be Made Manifest!
Christians are,
Ephesians 2:20-21.” built upon the foundation of the apostles and prophets, Jesus Christ Himself being the chief corner stone; In whom all the building fitly framed together = (being joined together) grows unto an holy temple in the Lord,” our works of faith being the gold, silver and precious stones of its walls. Ephesians 2:20-21.
James 2:14-17, “What doth it profit, — though a man says he hath faith, and have not works? can faith save him? Verse 17, “Even so faith, if it hath not works, is dead, being alone.” Ver.20, Do you want to know, “O vain man, that faith without works is dead.” Verse 26, “For as the body without the spirit is dead, so faith without works is dead also.”
Faith is said to be dead in itself, but when your faith has works, it is made alive. Faith without charity is not faith at all. True faith goes beyond words. Charity must flow from our words. Our faith is made perfect when our work of love is done in the name of and for the glory of Jesus Christ.
Example: A Christian man tells his fellow members that he has lost his job and is having trouble putting food on the table for his family. The members respond, “We will pray for you,” and return to their homes.
What kind of faith is this? It is faith in words only. But others having genuine faith will pray and supply that man with food for his table and any other basics necessary for his family; this is true faith with real works.
Mere verbal professions of faith are not proof of faith. Faith is spiritual, but charity of works is material. Matthew writes, “Every good tree brings forth good fruit, but a corrupt tree brings forth evil fruit.” Verse 19 says, “Every tree that brings not forth good fruit is hewn down, and cast into the fire.”
1 Corinthians 15:58, “Be you steadfast, unmovable, always abounding in the WORK of the Lord, forasmuch as ye know that your labour is not in vain in the Lord.”
What does the Greek word WORK imply? It refers to labor, business, employment, something to be done by every man according to his ability and within their strength and vigor, as opposed to the spirit of fear. So, in various constructions, it is according to one’s power, as far as a person can. Some go beyond their means; see 2 Corinthians 8:3-4. Of works of faith, as springing from faith, combined with faith, as in,
1 Thessalonians 1:3, “Remembering without ceasing your work of faith, and labor of love, and patience of hope in our Lord Jesus Christ.”
2 Thessalonians 1:11, “God would count you worthy of this calling, and fulfill all the good pleasure of His goodness, and the work of faith with power.” So, faith without works is implied in,
Hebrews 6:10, “God is not unrighteous to forget your work and labor of love.”
James 2:14-17-26, “What does it profit, though a man says he has faith, and have not works? Can faith save him?” Verse 17, “Even so faith, if it has not works is dead, being alone.” Verse 26, “For as the body without the spirit is dead, so faith without works is dead also.” Now compare verse 26 with 22. “See thou how faith (was working) with his works, and by works was faith made perfect?”
As for those who labor in the Lord, the works of many will be burned as worthless and useless trash. False teaching, vain babbling, hypocrisies, old wives tales, arguments, disputing, reviling done within the walls of Christian churches, from such withdraw yourselves.
1 Corinthians 3:12-13-14-15, “For other foundation can no man lay than that is laid, which is Jesus Christ. Now if any man build upon this foundation gold, silver, precious stones, wood, hay, stubble; Every man’s work shall be made manifest: for the day shall declare it, because it shall be revealed by fire; and the fire shall try every man’s work of what sort it is. If any man’s work abides 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; yet so as by fire.”
Paul is speaking of certain Christian teachers at Corinth. He asserts, “If any man’s work shall be burnt, he shall suffer loss, but he shall be saved; yet so as by fire.” Let’s get closer to the heart of this matter.
Paul reflects upon the divisions and contentions among the brethren at Corinth, verse 3. There also was a great diversity of doctrines among the teachers there. These irregularities had divided the body of believers into several groups. Paul now compares these teachers and their doctrines to various builders building a structure upon the only foundation laid by Jesus Christ, verse 11.
He writes that if a man were to build upon Christ’s foundation with gold, silver, and precious stones, this means one who teaches a pure, living, uncorrupted doctrine that the building will stand when the fire of testing is applied.
Revelation 21:2, John sees the holy city Jerusalem, coming down from God out of heaven, prepared as a bride adorned for her husband, the bride of Christ, described figuratively as New Jerusalem.
John is taken to a high Mountain and shown the New City, verse 10. Then, in Revelation 21:18-19, we read, “And the building of the wall of it were of jasper: and the city was pure gold, like unto clear glass. And the foundations of the walls of the city were garnished (adorned) with all manner of precious stones.”
The works of the faithful, the test of time, and the test of God’s fire: The works that stand will adorn the great city’s walls to be a witness forever. The bride of Christ, as lively stones, chiseled, shaped, and then bearing the image of the chief cornerstone, which is Christ.
Jesus said, Revelation 22:12, “Behold, I come quickly; and my reward is with me, to give every man according as his work.”
But what of the other man’s building, made of wood, hay, and stubble, it also having been built upon Christ’s foundation? His doctrines are considered to be scattered seeds, inaccurate, and misleading. His building will not stand God’s test by fire; it will burn to ashes.
His message was artful, wily, and speculative: stirred into them was a dash of philosophies, a pinch of Jewish law, and hidden mysteries. His teachings were considered a curiosity, useless to the congregation.
Suppose this person sincerely and conscientiously believes that what they were teaching was correct, done without malice, or having no deliberate opposition to God. In that case, he is saved, but his works burned by fire.
But if they are indifferent, idle, or there was a conscientious lack of effort on his part in searching the Scriptures, he will be without excuse. If a person is corrected and rejects this correction because of personal pride, he is also without excuse. Lazy, uncaring men are not to lead the flock. Let them sit in the pews as others do and give the work of a pastor to those who are hard-working, loyal, studied, humble, and caring.
Verse 13, “every man’s work shall be made manifest; for the day shall declare it, because it shall be revealed by fire; and the fire shall try = (prove) every man’s work of what sort it is.” — “For the day shall declare it.”
1 Corinthians 1:7-8, “waiting for the coming of our Lord Jesus Christ. Who shall also confirm you unto the end, that ye may be blameless in the day of our Lord.”
Malachi 3:2-3, “who shall stand when He appears? For He is like a refiner’s fire, — He shall sit as a refiner and purifier of silver: and He shall purify the sons of Levi = (His priests) and purge them as gold and silver, that they may offer unto the LORD an offering in righteousness.”
Revelation 22:10-20, “The time is at hand,” Jesus said, “Surely I come quickly.”
The fire spoken of here is figurative and spoken of as occurring in the last days. So, in that great and terrible day of the Lord, false doctrines and the systems they produce shall be made manifest and then consumed by God’s fiery judgment. He will show that the Gospel, and the Gospel alone, was that system that would guarantee salvation, bringing rewards to those who had retained and taught it.
The following expression is proverbial concerning persons plucked out of imminent danger.
Amos 4:11, “I have overthrown some of you, as God overthrew Sodom and Gomorrah, and ye were as a firebrand plucked out of the burning.”
Zachariah 3:2, “The LORD said unto Satan, The LORD rebuke thee, O Satan; even the LORD that has chosen Jerusalem rebuke thee: is not this a brand plucked out of the fire?”
Jude 5:23 says, “The LORD, having saved the people out of the land of Egypt, afterward destroyed them that believed not.” Verse 23, “and others save with fear, pulling them out of the fire; hating even the garment spotted by the flesh.”
As a person exits from a home that is destroyed by fire, saving nothing but his life, so will it be on that day of testing. The gospel of Christ shall refine and purify.
Malachi 4:1-2, “Behold the day cometh, that shall burn as an oven; and all the proud, yea, and all that do wickedly, shall be stubble: and the day that cometh shall burn them up, saith the LORD of hosts, that it shall leave them neither root nor branch. But unto you that fear my name shall the Sun of righteousness arise with healing in His wings; and ye shall go forth, and grow up as calves of the stall.” Amen.
Phil LaSpino www.seekfirstwisdom.com