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THE NORTHERN KENTUCKY SEARCHER VOLUME 2, NUMBER 37, OCTOBER 13, 2002 “REVEALED BY FIRE”
The source of the title for this issue’s article is 1 Corinthians 3:12
– 15. There Paul wrote, “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.”
I believe that the main point of this passage is evangelization, and
building upon the foundation of the Lord Jesus Christ.
As the gospel is presented some will respond favorably and be true and
strong Christians. Even when trials
and tribulations come (“fire” so to speak), they will remain
faithful, coming through those trials and tribulations even stronger than they
were before. These are the “gold,
silver, precious stones”. They
are not destroyed by “fire”; they are purified and strengthened by
it. There are others who will hear the gospel and respond favorably to it, only to fall away when difficulties arise. These are the “wood, hay, stubble”. Difficulties destroy them, burn them up. Those who taught such “wood, hay, stubble”, will feel loss as he sees them fall away. It is heart-rending to see someone you had a part in converting decide to abandon the Lord, but it happens. However, if the one who did the teaching remains faithful, he or she will be saved.
I think that a certain degree of “fire”, of tribulation, even
persecution, is good and beneficial. It
has both a strengthening and a pruning effect.
There are many “Christians” who are really playing at religion.
They are not faithful in their attendance and cannot be counted upon to
do anything other than sit in a pew one time a week for 1 or 2 hours.
I am not sure what continues to motivate them for that 1 or 2 hours, but
it can not be conviction. When
trials and tribulations come upon them, oftentimes they will be gone.
Every congregation can only function to its maximum capability if each
member in it is doing their very best. A
small congregation of faithful, dedicated members is a stronger congregation
than a large one filled with lukewarm, non-dedicated members who lack
conviction. Every member is
important and every member needs to realize that.
In Ephesians 4:15 & 16, Paul wrote, “But speaking the truth in
love, may grow up into him in all things, which is the head, even Christ: from
whom the whole body fitly joined together and compacted by that which every
joint supplieth, according to the effectual working in the measure of every
part, maketh increase of the body unto the edifying of itself in love.”
One very positive effect that can be derived from trials and
tribulations, even outright persecution, is that they can purify and strength us
if we let them. Nobody wants to see
any Christian fall away; but at the same time, nobody wants to see a Christian
“play” at religion. Oftentimes
difficulties separate the wheat from the chaff.
I am reminded of the wonderful words of the Holy Spirit penned by the
Apostle Paul in 2 Corinthians 4:8 – 13. Here
is what can happen to people of conviction when trials and tribulations come
upon us. He wrote, “We are
troubled on every side, yet not distressed; we are perplexed, but not in
despair; persecuted, but not forsaken: cast down, but not destroyed; always
bearing about in the body the dying of the Lord Jesus, that the life also of
Jesus might be made manifest in our body. For
we which live are always delivered unto death for Jesus’ sake, that the life
also of Jesus might be made manifest in our mortal flesh.
So then death worketh in us, but life in you.
We having the same spirit of faith, according as it is written, I
believed, and therefore have I spoken; we also believe, and therefore speak.”
Let the troubles come. We
believe, therefore we speak. As
Peter said before the Jewish council in Acts
4:20, “We cannot but speak the things which we have seen and heard.”
He made that statement after having been arrested and threatened.
That’s the essence of conviction. Having grown up in an athletic environment, I often heard the expression, “When the going gets tough, the tough get going.” That is true in life, in sports, and in spiritual matters.
How
successful would you be in your marriage if you put as much time and effort into
it as you do being a faithful Christian? How
successful would you be in your business if you worked as hard at it as you do
serving the Lord? Are your children learning as much about dedication to the Lord by watching you as they are leaning about dedication to a job or to a team? If
the Lord comes while you are reading this, would you want to be judged on the
basis of how you have lived for Him
to this point?
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