June 9 Click on verses for Full Scripture

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Today's Pathway: I Corinthians 3:10-15 According to the grace of God which is given unto me, as a wise masterbuilder, I have laid the foundation, and another buildeth thereon. But let every man take heed how he buildeth thereupon. 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 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; yet so as by fire.

Paul has mentioned in the previous verses that all of the church body is to be working as a unit for the furtherance of the Gospel. He has also taught that each individual will be rewarded based upon his own service. In verse 10 Paul refers to himself as one who laid foundations. We know that Paul was involved in planting numerous churches throughout his ministry, and that it was his desire to minister in areas where the Gospel had not yet been preached (Romans 15:20). He did so according to the grace that God had given him. Everything he accomplished was done through the power of God, and it was the Lord Who gave him the ability to carry out his evangelistic work. Paul fulfilled his responsibilities "as a wise masterbuilder". He took what God had given him and used it wisely to see people saved and churches started. After the churches were planted, Paul moved on to other cities and other men came in and and provided leadership to those churches. They didn't start the churches, but they built on the foundation that Paul had established. Paul warns, however, that it is important for those who build on a good foundation to build properly.

Some commentators believe that in these next verses Paul is speaking exclusively about pastors who take over the leadership of established congregations. While that is certainly applicable, this section is relevant to all believers regardless of their positions in the assembly. It is true that the foundation of the church must be Christ. But it is also true that the foundation of faith and salvation is Christ. No other foundation will save a man's soul. It is "Christ alone". But, once a person is born again, he now can choose what kind of "house" to build on the foundation. He can use valuable, lasting materials like gold, silver, and precious stones, or he can use common, flammable materials like wood, hay, and stubble. In other words, he can spend his life after salvation doing things that will count for eternity, or he can spend his life on temporal things that have little or no spiritual significance. They may not be inherently evil things; they are just things that really are not all that important. They may appeal to his flesh, but they do not help him or his church fulfill the Great Commission (Matthew 28:19-20).

For all men there will be a day of reckoning. For the believer, those who have built on the proper foundation of Christ, this will take place at the Judgment Seat of Christ (II Corinthians 5:10). According to verse 13 the Christian's life will be revealed for what it was. The fire of God will fall upon the "house of his life" and will burn up the insignificant, carnal things and only those Spirit-led things which were done for God's glory will remain. John MacArthur wrote,

"The materials represent believers’ responses to what they have - how well they serve the Lord with what He has given them. In other words, they represent our works. We cannot be saved by good works or stay saved by good works. But every Christian has been 'created in Christ Jesus unto good works, which God hath before ordained that we should walk in them' (Ephesians 2:10)."

J. Vernon McGee wrote:

"Friend, what are you building today? What kind of material are you using? There are going to be some people in Heaven who will be there because their foundation is Christ, but who will smell as if they had been bought at a fire sale, because everything they ever did will have gone up in smoke."

So, what ARE you building with today?