“If anyone’s work is burned, he will suffer loss; but he himself will be saved, yet so as through fire.”
If anyone’s work is burned, he will suffer loss;
If Jesus burns up our service at the Judgment Seat of Christ, we will suffer a loss of reward. We will lose reward because we served with poor building materials such as a carnal life or manipulation of people.
but he himself will be saved,
Although a believer may lose the reward, he himself will retain eternal life. “He himself” is emphatic, contrasting the person from his work. There is a patent contrast between losing reward and losing eternal life.
yet so as through fire.
The “fire” here is not the eternal fire of hell but the “fire” of verse 13 – “the fire will test each one’s work, of what sort it is.” The believer’s service, in this case, burns down like a house, but he escapes with his life, his eternal life.
PRINCIPLE:
Our ministry needs to be fireproof.
APPLICATION:
Loss of reward does not denote loss of salvation.
Many attempt to serve the Lord through pop psychology, manipulating people, and other distorted means of service. God does not reward these techniques. They serve no eternal purpose. That is why this kind of service is combustible. The losing team always walks off the field with their heads hanging.
a beleiver like the corinthians who were out of fellowship( not walking in the light) they were only producing human good as out of fellowship you only produce
wood hay stubble. when in fellowship walking in the light you are controlled by the holy spirit. 1john 1-9 . but in fellowship you produce gold etc.say you had a argument
with your husband before coming to church and did,nt repent
you gave money to the offering it would be wood hay and
stubble. But if you had repented and given money it would
be gold silver and preceious stones. As you are controlled
by the holy spirit and it is given in the right attitude.
Unbeleiver produce human good only beleivers can produce
divine good when in fellowship with the lord. Some christians will only produce human good like the corthians
their whole life and get no rewards as they were carnel.
just added what i had learnt.Dave
3:15 "If any man's work is burned up" Oh, the tragedy of a fruitless, selfish, factious Christian life-a tragedy for the person, a tragedy for the church, and a tragedy for the unsaved!
? "but he himself will be saved" This shows the priority of grace even with the possibility of the loss of reward.
This concept may answer the theological dilemma of a free salvation in the grace of God, the finished work of Christ, and the wooing of the Spirit contrasted to the cost-everything mandate of the Christian life. My only fear in using this text as a key concept is how rare in Scripture the theological category of a "back-slidden," carnal, baby Christian is used! The modern church uses this concept to explain an ineffective, apathetic, worldly church, but seldom delineates the NT mandate of spiritual growth (cf. Heb. 5:11-14).
? "will be saved" This is has an eschatological orientation. ~ freebiblecommentaries.com
Grant how does antinomianism relate to living carnal as a believer and all your works being burned up? Would a carnal believer be considered an antinomianism ? Thank you
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There are two great errors, relating to the grace of God, that have plagued the church throughout the centuries. The first of these is the error of “turning the grace of God into lasciviousness [absence of restraint, uncontrolled lust, unbridled lust]–see Jude 4. This error expresses itself in this way, “Because I am saved by grace apart from any works at all, I can live any way I please.” This error has been labeled antinomianism [against law] or lawlessness. It is using the grace of God as an excuse for lawlessness and every kind of ungodly type of living.
The Bible gives a strong answer to this error: “What shall we say then? Shall we continue in sin, that grace may abound? God forbid. How shall we, that are dead to sin, live any longer therein?” (Romans 6:1-2). “For the grace of God that bringeth salvation hath appeared to all men, Teaching us that, denying ungodliness and worldly lusts, we should live soberly, righteously, and godly, in this present world” (Titus 2:11-12).
The second great error, relating to the grace of God, is legalism. Legalism is adding some kind of work as a requirement for salvation.
Scott, antinomianism is the belief that a person is free to sin as they please, without confession or concern about any biblical standard. The carnal believer is someone who does not confess their sin but know that their sin is wrong; they believe in God’s standards for life.
Hello Sir, thank you for this articles that you put down for us to study. Please sir I have a question- is it possible for all the fruithful believers that will appear before the judgement seat of Christ to receive a reward?
Henry, there is no extant Scripture on your point, however, it is likely that every genuine Christian will receive reward, such as giving a cup of cold water, and every believer will lose some reward as well.
Henry, you may be interested in this study: https://versebyversecommentary.com/articles/doctrine/reward-for-victory-in-time-crowns/
The question that is not answered in the Biblical commentaries is what is meant by “suffer loss”. If the person is saved and is already in the presence of Christ, what does he care if he suffers loss. What can be lost? Some say that he will lose the crowns that are promised, but that would not be so serious. Others affirm that the loss will be all his effort and dedication. I think the Lord is referring to the fact that he is going to lose something much more important. But what is it, what he who builds with wood, hay and stubble, is going to lose?
Ernesto, there is a reason the commentaries do not go into much detail—this passage does not delineate the specifics of what it means by “suffer loss” with the exception that the issue has to do with “reward” (1 Co 3:14).