Psalm 105-106 1 Corinthians 3

“The foundation that has already been laid is Jesus Christ, and no one can lay down any other foundation.” (1 Corinthians 3:11 NCV)

Paul described the Christian life in so many different ways that as you read the New Testament, it becomes interesting to see how he’s going to describe it next. As he wrote to the Church at Corinth, he used the example of building a house. It all begins with the foundation. If the foundation is good, the house can withstand a lot of problems. On the other hand, if the foundation is bad, or is laid on sand, for instance, it doesn’t take much to tear the house down. The foundation of faith for those who follow Jesus Christ is Jesus Christ Himself. How we live after that builds the rest of the house.

Once a person has Jesus Christ as the foundation of their life, their relationship with God is secure. They have an eternal hope based on God’s love for them. As we build our houses, though, there are different kinds of materials. When the day of judgment comes, those building materials will be tested by fire. Some endure the fire, others are consumed by the fire. Some will have great rewards in heaven, others will escape the judgment by the skin of their teeth. It would be nice if Paul had let us know what kind of works would be the kinds of materials that would withstand the fire, and which would be consumed. With the reminder that all of our works are a RESULT of salvation, and not the cause of it, if I could render a guess on this issue, I’d say that works done to benefit others would be fireproof. Works done to strengthen our relationship with God should endure the flame. Works done to make ourselves look good or make us wealthy in earthly terms won’t stand before God. I don’t base my life on receiving rewards in heaven; I seek to share the joy of walking with God with others. If there are extra rewards for that, wonderful. I can’t imagine any greater reward, though, than seeing the face of Jesus when my life on this earth is over. That hope is assured because the foundation of my life is Jesus Christ.

Lord, thank You for the gift of salvation in Jesus. Thank You that my eternal life began on the day Jesus came into my life. Help me to share the joy of life with You so that others will seek You and gain a foundation of Jesus Christ for their lives.

Scripture taken from the New Century Version®. Copyright © 2005 by Thomas Nelson. Used by permission. All rights reserved