Hebrews 10:35
"Cast not away therefore your confidence, which hath great recompense of (what?) reward."
The lost, and unbelieving and those who have turned their backs on Christ have nothing to look forward to but the reading of their works, which will determine their level of punishment in their eternal doom. But for you and I as believers, as well as these Hebrew believers, it’s not a matter of a degree of punishment. Why? Because we've determined within ourselves to remain receptive of God's activities through the essence of Christ's Spirit within us. As God continues to develop His character and nature restored to us through Christ. It’s not even a matter of a degree of how high we’re going to be in God’s program. But, it’s going to be what? Reward. And I don’t know what those rewards are going to be but I know that my God knows how to be absolutely fair and just and so yes, we are laboring as believers, not for salvation but for reward through our salvation IN Christ.
Maybe we’d better go back and look at it. 1 Corinthians chapter 3. So come back with me to 1 Corinthians chapter 3, where Paul is dealing with the rewards system for the believer. Not the punishment level for the unbeliever, the lawless, but the reward system for the believer. Big difference, isn’t it? And we’ll almost have to start at verse 9 to pick up the flow, where Paul writes:
I Corinthians 3:9a
"We are labourers together…"
What's our laboring, sitting under God listening! All the while put down every vain imagination and taking every thought captive to the obedience of Christ. For me this is usually done best in the wee hours of the morning, though it has happened throughout the night hours many times. Like I said, as believers, we don’t labor for salvation that comes by trusting and His faithfulness alone. After having passed through the first estate where we begin to learn of our need of more of Christ and our total undoneness apart from Him. But as soon as we become a believer, and a receiver (awaken to His reality within us) of the Spirit of Christ, God is going to give us opportunity for service, working with Him. And when you truly work with Him then there’s going to be rewards. Remember that Jesus as the son of man worked the works of God or God worked His works through the Man of Jesus Christ. Jesus Himself said 'that He only did that which He saw the Father doing and said only those things that the Holy Spirit (the Father) said to Him to say.' This is our example to follow as a disciple of the risen Christ, our High Priest-King, Mediator and Lord.
I Corinthians 3:9-10a
"We are labourers together with God: ye are God’s husbandry, (see? He’s in control) ye are God’s building. (He’s the One that is putting it all together) According to the grace of God which is given unto me, (Paul writes) as a wise master-builder, I have laid the foundation,…"
Remember that Grace and Truth, John reveals, is only found in the person of Christ Jesus and Paul and John tells us that they are the faithful witness as they are the character of God. They are the two witnesses of Revelation as He alone has the power to do as therein revealed of the Spirit of a man or two witnesses. Now do you see why I emphasize Paul? If you were to show me a beautiful new home, you know one of the first things I would ask you? Who was your contractor? Who built it? If everything went as it should be, what would you do? You’d be glad to tell me who it was, what a great job he did and you know what I would ask you? When did you bring your contractor on the scene? When you had the first floor finished? No. I like to see heads shake. No, of course not. When did your contractor begin the work on your new home? When he set the stakes. Again NO. He dug the foundation. He started from the bottom up. NO. At the foundation, NO. Well before they were even on paper, they were an image and design within the person and in our case that person is the Godhead, Elohim. Christ was and is the master architect and builder, He alone can and does give the glory to God.
Well see, that’s what the Apostle Paul is claiming. He’s not the foundation; he’s the one who laid the foundation. See the big difference? And so Paul says, as a wise master-builder, the contractor, "I laid the foundation." Not Peter, James and John. Not even Jesus, though He's the architect and foundation. I was just reading another one the other night, ‘Jesus didn’t start anything.’ How true. He didn’t start the church. He became the basis of the church but He didn’t start it. Paul did. And so Paul takes by the Holy Spirit’s inspiration full credit for laying the foundation, Christ. That foundation is the finished work of the cross, death, burial, resurrection, and ascension of Jesus Christ who was proclaimed to Son of God after His ascension to the throne of God. To stand in His presence in our place to show the Father of spirits those who would remain in the Lambs book of Life.
1 Corinthians 3:10b
"…I have laid the foundation, and another buildeth thereon. But let every man take heed how he buildeth thereon."
Now here comes the works system we are to enjoy after our redemption and subsequent salvation. We’re saved by that foundation which is Jesus Christ and His finished work of the Cross. (1 Corinthians 15:1-4) But now we’re building on that, as believers. Now verse 11.
1Corinthians 3:11
"For other foundation can no man lay than that is laid, which is Jesus Christ."
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