1 Corinthians 3:10-15 says,
Today's verses are 1 Corinthians 3:10-15, which read,
v.10 - According to the grace of God which was given to me, like a wise master builder I laid a foundation, and another is building on it. But each man must be careful how he builds on it.
Paul has went from the farming illustration to a building illustration. He is speaking in these simple, common stories because the Christians in Corinth need big, hard page children books to understand the basics again. They had gotten off center by worshiping the creatures rather than the Creator. They had let the sin of pride creep into the church and it has caused divisions with groups forming on a figure other than Christ.
Paul came to the Corinthians and laid a foundation on which everything else would build upon. Actually others had come behind him to build upon that foundation. The foundation is set and it is very important that each builder structures his addition according to the foundation that has been laid. The builder can not come in with plans that are contrary to the foundation that has been laid. Any addition needs to follow the blueprints that came with the foundation otherwise an unfit structure could result.
v.11 - For no man can lay a foundation other than the one which is laid, which is Jesus Christ.
What a great verse! There is a foundation that has already been laid. We are not coming in and starting from ground zero. Something has been done already that we can build upon and that something is a someone called Jesus Christ. Paul came to the Corinthians and laid the foundation of Jesus before them. Everything is build upon Him in the Christian's life and the life of the church.
v.12, 13 - Now if any man builds on the foundation with gold, silver, precious stones, wood, hay, straw, each man's work will become evident; for the day will show it because it is to be revealed with fire, and the fire itself will test the quality of each man's work.
If Jesus is the foundation of my life and the life of the church, what will I use to build upon it? Will I use things that are valuable like gold, silver, or precious stones or will I use things that are disposable like wood, hay, and straw? Will others see on this foundation of my life something that is lasting or something that is just for a time? When the fire of life comes will they see a structure of life that can stand under the heat of it or will they see the structure fall under the weight of it?
There will be a final day and a final judgment that will reveal the work I have been doing on the foundation of Jesus Christ. What strikes me is that the whole structure above the foundation can fall but the foundation is still there. Man could build something totally superficial on that foundation and it would eventually fall but the foundation of Christ is ready to be built upon again. I think we have seen this many times in our culture with false religions and cultist leaders building upon the foundation of Christ. They fall or are burned up and shown for what they truly are but the foundation of Christ remains to be built upon by true followers.
v.14, 15 - If any man's work remains, he will receive a reward. If any man's work is burned up, he will suffer loss; but he himself will be saved, yet so as through fire.
We need to build according to the foundation of Christ. If we do so we will see Christ-like results from it. If we do not, we will see like what is happening in the Corinthian church. There are consequences to what we do upon the foundation of Christ but it doesn't not negate that foundation.
I could get really "off" from the truth and my life would eventually show it. My Christian life in God's eyes and those who are following Him could be falling apart and the structure is coming down that I have built but if I am still standing on the foundation all is not lost. I would come under the fire of God to be purged by Him so that nothing is left but Him and then I build again upon that fact.
Paul is telling the Christians in Corinth that the structure they have built upon the foundation of Jesus Christ is inferior and is coming down. It is necessary that it does so that all they have left is the foundation of Jesus Christ to lay the first brick according to Him and not themselves.
"Lord, thank You for the foundation that does not burn up or get destroyed. It has been laid down by Your very life once and for all. Help me to pick very careful how I build upon that fact. May my life reflect the beautiful foundation that has been laid. Amen."
Pastor Adam
v.10 - According to the grace of God which was given to me, like a wise master builder I laid a foundation, and another is building on it. But each man must be careful how he builds on it.
Paul has went from the farming illustration to a building illustration. He is speaking in these simple, common stories because the Christians in Corinth need big, hard page children books to understand the basics again. They had gotten off center by worshiping the creatures rather than the Creator. They had let the sin of pride creep into the church and it has caused divisions with groups forming on a figure other than Christ.
Paul came to the Corinthians and laid a foundation on which everything else would build upon. Actually others had come behind him to build upon that foundation. The foundation is set and it is very important that each builder structures his addition according to the foundation that has been laid. The builder can not come in with plans that are contrary to the foundation that has been laid. Any addition needs to follow the blueprints that came with the foundation otherwise an unfit structure could result.
v.11 - For no man can lay a foundation other than the one which is laid, which is Jesus Christ.
What a great verse! There is a foundation that has already been laid. We are not coming in and starting from ground zero. Something has been done already that we can build upon and that something is a someone called Jesus Christ. Paul came to the Corinthians and laid the foundation of Jesus before them. Everything is build upon Him in the Christian's life and the life of the church.
v.12, 13 - Now if any man builds on the foundation with gold, silver, precious stones, wood, hay, straw, each man's work will become evident; for the day will show it because it is to be revealed with fire, and the fire itself will test the quality of each man's work.
If Jesus is the foundation of my life and the life of the church, what will I use to build upon it? Will I use things that are valuable like gold, silver, or precious stones or will I use things that are disposable like wood, hay, and straw? Will others see on this foundation of my life something that is lasting or something that is just for a time? When the fire of life comes will they see a structure of life that can stand under the heat of it or will they see the structure fall under the weight of it?
There will be a final day and a final judgment that will reveal the work I have been doing on the foundation of Jesus Christ. What strikes me is that the whole structure above the foundation can fall but the foundation is still there. Man could build something totally superficial on that foundation and it would eventually fall but the foundation of Christ is ready to be built upon again. I think we have seen this many times in our culture with false religions and cultist leaders building upon the foundation of Christ. They fall or are burned up and shown for what they truly are but the foundation of Christ remains to be built upon by true followers.
v.14, 15 - If any man's work remains, he will receive a reward. If any man's work is burned up, he will suffer loss; but he himself will be saved, yet so as through fire.
We need to build according to the foundation of Christ. If we do so we will see Christ-like results from it. If we do not, we will see like what is happening in the Corinthian church. There are consequences to what we do upon the foundation of Christ but it doesn't not negate that foundation.
I could get really "off" from the truth and my life would eventually show it. My Christian life in God's eyes and those who are following Him could be falling apart and the structure is coming down that I have built but if I am still standing on the foundation all is not lost. I would come under the fire of God to be purged by Him so that nothing is left but Him and then I build again upon that fact.
Paul is telling the Christians in Corinth that the structure they have built upon the foundation of Jesus Christ is inferior and is coming down. It is necessary that it does so that all they have left is the foundation of Jesus Christ to lay the first brick according to Him and not themselves.
"Lord, thank You for the foundation that does not burn up or get destroyed. It has been laid down by Your very life once and for all. Help me to pick very careful how I build upon that fact. May my life reflect the beautiful foundation that has been laid. Amen."
Pastor Adam
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