Thursday Devo
Scripture Reading:
1 Corinthians 3
9 For we are both God’s workers. And you are God’s field. You are God’s building.
10 Because of God’s grace to me, I have laid the foundation like an expert builder. Now others are building on it. But whoever is building on this foundation must be very careful. 11 For no one can lay any foundation other than the one we already have—Jesus Christ.
12 Anyone who builds on that foundation may use a variety of materials—gold, silver, jewels, wood, hay, or straw. 13 But on the judgment day, fire will reveal what kind of work each builder has done. The fire will show if a person’s work has any value. 14 If the work survives, that builder will receive a reward. 15 But if the work is burned up, the builder will suffer great loss. The builder will be saved, but like someone barely escaping through a wall of flames.
16 Don’t you realize that all of you together are the temple of God and that the Spirit of God lives in you? 17 God will destroy anyone who destroys this temple. For God’s temple is holy, and you are that temple.
9 For we are both God’s workers. And you are God’s field. You are God’s building.
10 Because of God’s grace to me, I have laid the foundation like an expert builder. Now others are building on it. But whoever is building on this foundation must be very careful. 11 For no one can lay any foundation other than the one we already have—Jesus Christ.
12 Anyone who builds on that foundation may use a variety of materials—gold, silver, jewels, wood, hay, or straw. 13 But on the judgment day, fire will reveal what kind of work each builder has done. The fire will show if a person’s work has any value. 14 If the work survives, that builder will receive a reward. 15 But if the work is burned up, the builder will suffer great loss. The builder will be saved, but like someone barely escaping through a wall of flames.
16 Don’t you realize that all of you together are the temple of God and that the Spirit of God lives in you? 17 God will destroy anyone who destroys this temple. For God’s temple is holy, and you are that temple.
Commentary from the ESV Study Bible:
3:12 gold, silver, precious stones. Materials used in the construction of Solomon’s temple (1 Chron. 29:2), and here an image for what will survive the judgment, in contrast to wood, hay, and straw. Work that Christians do in Christlike faith and obedience (1 Cor. 3:10–11) will survive and be rewarded; work done in the power of the “flesh” (v. 1) or in disobedience to Scripture (4:6) will not.
3:14–15 reward … loss … saved … as through fire. See also v. 8 and 4:4–5. Although those who have believed in Jesus have already been justified by faith (Rom. 5:1) and will not face condemnation on the final day (John 5:24; Rom. 8:1, 33), God will still judge their works (Rom. 14:10–12; 2 Cor. 5:10) and reward them accordingly (Matt. 6:1–6, 16, 18; 10:41–42). Paul’s point applies not just to church leaders but to anyone who contributes in any way to building up the church (1 Cor. 12:7, 12–31; 14:12).
3:17 God will destroy him. The one who destroys God’s temple (in this context, the church) is not part of God’s people and so faces eternal destruction on the final day, just as God eventually destroyed the Babylonians who had destroyed Solomon’s temple.
3:14–15 reward … loss … saved … as through fire. See also v. 8 and 4:4–5. Although those who have believed in Jesus have already been justified by faith (Rom. 5:1) and will not face condemnation on the final day (John 5:24; Rom. 8:1, 33), God will still judge their works (Rom. 14:10–12; 2 Cor. 5:10) and reward them accordingly (Matt. 6:1–6, 16, 18; 10:41–42). Paul’s point applies not just to church leaders but to anyone who contributes in any way to building up the church (1 Cor. 12:7, 12–31; 14:12).
3:17 God will destroy him. The one who destroys God’s temple (in this context, the church) is not part of God’s people and so faces eternal destruction on the final day, just as God eventually destroyed the Babylonians who had destroyed Solomon’s temple.
Study Questions:
- The church is a BUILDING. You may have heard that the church isn't a building. Well, yes and no. WE are God's building. Together, WE are his house. We are the temple of the Holy Spirit. We living stones in the house of God. We have been called to assemble and gather. We are here because of the saints that came before us. We should honor them and also look ahead to a legacy of people that will come after us. We have been given the responsibility and privilege to steward his church in our generation. This means we are to sacrifice FOR it and invest IN it. Can you say this is true of you? What are you doing to steward his church well?
- These verses also speak to making sure we know what our faith is built on. Paul is making the point that we need to know that our faith is built on Jesus and what he did for us on the cross. If it's built on anything else, like our own good works or some kind of religious duty, then it will be revealed on judgement day. What is your faith built on? How can you tell that your faith is in the right things?
Pray:
- That you would invest in his church.
- That your faith would be built on the resurrection of Jesus and nothing else.
This Week's City 7:
Try to commit to memory!
1. Who is Jesus? I believe Jesus is God because Jesus said He is God and proved it by rising from the dead and appearing to His disciples, His brother James, 500 others at one time and Paul.
(Mark 3:21; John 8:58, 10:30-33, 14:9-11; Acts 9:1-6; 1 Corinthians 15:3-8; Colossians 1:15-20; Hebrews 1:2-3; James 1:1)
(Mark 3:21; John 8:58, 10:30-33, 14:9-11; Acts 9:1-6; 1 Corinthians 15:3-8; Colossians 1:15-20; Hebrews 1:2-3; James 1:1)
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