The more that you and I learn from the Bible and allow that sanctified knowledge to guide our actions, the more likely our reward in heaven will be a mansion rathen than a tiny hut.
Yes, I know that’s quite a statement.
But read the following words from the Apostle Paul in I Corinthians 3 and I believe you’ll see what I mean:
“Because of God’s grace to me, I have laid the foundation like an expert builder. Now others are building on it. But whoever is building on this foundation must be very careful. For no one can lay any foundation other than the one we already have—Jesus Christ.
“Anyone who builds on that foundation may use a variety of materials—gold, silver, jewels, wood, hay, or straw. But on the judgment day, fire will reveal what kind of work each builder has done. The fire will show if a person’s work has any value. If the work survives, that builder will receive a reward. But if the work is burned up, the builder will suffer great loss. The builder will be saved, but like someone barely escaping through a wall of flames.” (vv. 10-15)
Paul makes the presumption that all of the above efforts are based on the belief that Jesus is the Messiah, demonstrating one’s Christian belief. That’s why he says a genuine believer’s soul will escape eternity in hell.
However, half-hearted, token efforts to build a congregation or to appear as Christian at work or school or home — efforts that aren’t refined as gold or silver — will be burned up and proven to have been a big waste of time, effort, influence and perhaps money.
Listen, if I don’t grow in my knowledge of scripture and my intimacy with God through prayer, I’m going to end up building a life based on opinions and comfort-zone preferences, both mine and others’.
Why would God reward me by eternalizing memorials to my lack of spiritual discipline?
Such wood, hay and straw should be burned up because it was — to a certain extent — chosen in this life ahead of pursuing the gold and silver of biblical truth.
Listen, we’ll walk on streets of gold in heaven, not bales of hay.
Let’s invest richly the time in devotional study at church and at home so that we might enjoy greater riches in God’s presence when time is no more.
As always, I love you
Martin
