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SALVATION "AS THROUGH FIRE".
(From 1 Corinthians 3:10-15
NWT & NEB).
"For it is the appointed time for the
Judgement to start with the house of God. Now if it starts first with us, what
will the end be of those who are not obedient to the good news of God? "And if
the righteous [man] is being saved with difficulty, where will the unGodly man
and the sinner make a showing?""
(1 Peter 4:17,18).
Followers of The Christ are advised
to take care how they build upon the foundation of The Christ.
(1 Cor 3:10,11 NEB).
For "the work that each man does will at last be brought to light; the day
of Judgement will expose it. For that day dawns in fire, and the fire will test
the worth of each man's work." (3:13 NEB).
This "fire" is the Spirit of the Lord's Judgement that will
inspect the spirits of all mankind. (Isaiah 66:16 NEB).
If one has built on the foundation of The Christ with "gold, silver,
precious stones, wood materials, hay, stubble, each one's work will become
manifest, for the day will show it up". (1 Cor 3:12,13).
"If anyone's work that he has built on it remains, he will receive a reward;
if anyone's work is burned up, he will suffer loss, but he himself will be
saved; yet, if so, it will be as through fire."
(3:14,15).
Just as there are different sorts
of "work" being built on the foundation of The Christ, we may
deduce that there are different levels in quality of faith. The apostle James
wrote: "Show me your faith apart from the works, and I shall show
you my faith by my works.
(James 2:18). "You see that a man is to be
declared righteous by works, and not
by faith alone." (James 2:24).
TRIALS OF ONE'S FAITH.
A trial of one's
faith occurs when one suffers tribulation that serves to reveal deeply concealed
weaknesses in one's spirit. By our reaction and behaviour during such trials,
The Christ reveals what is in need of correction: The superfluous badness
that is causing us to stumble and that must be removed. (James 1:21,22). It is
through such tribulations for one's faith that righteous ones are being saved,
just as it is written: "As a result we ourselves take pride in you
among the congregations of God because of your endurance and faith in all your
persecutions and the tribulations that you are bearing. This is proof of the
righteous Judgement of God,
leading to your being counted worthy of the Kingdom of
God, for which you are indeed suffering."
(2 Thess 1:4,5). Tribulations for one's faith include sadness, loss,
disappointments, afflictions, vexation, distress, persecution, ostracism
enduring all these for the sake of one's faith in God.
SALVATION "AS THROUGH FIRE". (1 Cor
3:15).
But what does
"if anyone's work is burned up, he will suffer loss, but he himself will be
saved; yet, if so, it will be as through fire" actually mean?
It means that during the "hour of test" when the Spirit of the
Lord's Judgement is sent to test the spirits of mankind, anyone whose
"work" is "burned up" but whose spirit can be reconciled
to God, will be saved; yet if so, it will be by Spirit "burning"
"as through fire". (Rev 3:10). Spirit "burning" is
necessary so that such ones may share in the sufferings of The Christ as beloved
ones of God, just as it is written: "Beloved ones, do not be puzzled at
the
burning among you, which is happening to you for
a trial, as though a strange thing were
befalling you. On the contrary, go on rejoicing forasmuch as you are
sharers in the sufferings of The Christ,
that you may rejoice and be overjoyed also during the revelation of his glory."
(1 Peter 4:12,13).
27/7/93.
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