11 For other foundation
can no man lay than that is laid, which is Jesus Christ.
12 Now if any man build
upon this foundation gold, silver, precious stones,
wood, hay, stubble;
13 Every man's work shall
be made manifest: for the day shall declare it, because
it shall be revealed by fire; and the fire shall try
every man's work of what sort it is.
14 If any man's work
abide which he hath built thereupon, he shall receive a
reward.
15 If any man's work
shall be burned, he shall suffer loss: but he himself shall be saved;
yet so as by fire.
I stand
by my conclusion in my initial missive. This excerpt
suggests that we earn our way into heaven. I'm surprised
that I'm alone in commenting on this.
Maranatha,
Bob
______________________________
Hi Bob,
Question: Many, like Chuck
Missler, teach that we all will be raptured at once
pre-trib and that after we are raptured the Judgment
Seat of Christ will take place at which time we will
receive rewards for gold, silver, precious stones or
shame if our works burn up but that salvation
itself is not at stake due to the scripture that you
have quoted above. But here is the question, why does
Paul say in verse 13 that every man's work shall be made
manifest of what sort it is for the DAY shall declare
it? If we are already in heaven when this trial takes
place then how can a DAY declare anything since we have
already left time and space as we now inhabit it? But if
the day that Paul is speaking about is the rapture day
itself, then it would make sense to say that the day
will declare what sort it is because if someone was
truly in Christ and submitted to Him and His works were
gold, silver or precious stones, then that person will
receive the reward of being changed and enter the
rapture. If on the other hand the rapture takes place
and the person is not genuinely following Christ and has
works of wood, hay, stubble, that person's works will be
made manifest for what they are and they will
suffer loss of not being raptured but yet they can still
be saved, yet so as by fire of the tribulation period.
That is what I think this is saying and if I am correct,
then it stands to reason that what we do now does
indeed matter for whether we are raptured or not. This
also fits the wise and foolish virgins who all ten go
out to meet the Bridegroom so they must all be
Christians but some have not the right kinds of works
described as not enough oil.
As for what you said about
how we all have thoughts that are not godly etc. you are
correct, that is the stuff that will burn up and pass
away along with all our fleshly ways (thank God) and is
covered by Christ's blood (thank God) as Paul said Who
shall deliver me from the body of this death? And his
answer is Jesus will (thank God) but if we have not used
our time here wisely and by faith bore fruit that
remains then what will we have? We might be like the one
who hid his master's coin and has it taken from him and
given to the one who has ten. Jesus said to him that
has, more shall be given but to him that has not even
what he has will be taken from him. What does that mean
to you? Or the guy who put his hand to the plough but
looked back and is not worthy of Jesus? Or the seed of
the word that sprang up and began to grow in
someone's life but was unable to mature unto fruit
bearing due to weeds or shallow soil and therefore is a
complete loss. Or what about the foolish man who built
his house on sand? He still built a house but it falls
when the storm hits (rapture?) while the wise man's
house stands firm. These examples are not describing
atheists or non-Christians in the usual sense but rather
Christians who either did or didn't have passing report
cards. I hate to say it but if I am correct, then a lot
of people who think they are ready for the rapture may
not be after all.
______________________________
Bob asks:
What do you do with the
five year old who receives Christ and then tragically
perishes? On the other end of the scale, what do you do
with the deathbed conversion of one ripe in years?
Neither is exactly overflowing with Christian thoughts.
_________________________________
Thanks for asking. Like
the thief on the cross, I think both are in and would be
raptured. For me it comes down to opportunities given
and rejected. Jesus said the foolish man is the one who
HEARD His words and then DID them NOT while the wise
hears and DOES. Who has been given much from him much is
expected. We in this country have been given much and
therefore will be judged more harshly at the rapture
than 3rd world countries. In fact I think many from 3rd
world countries will be raptured who never were
Christians while many who have been Christians for years
will not be, according to Jesus' parable of the great
feast. The excuses given for not wanting to come can
only be given by people with money and
they ask to be excused from the feast (by a foolish
act of their own will) while the ones who get in instead
of them (lame, halt, homeless etc.) are compelled to
come in because they are not even Christians but must
receive Christ right then or be cast out like the guy
with no wedding clothes on. But Jesus said they will see
them come from the East, West, North, and South and sit
down with Abraham, Isaac, Jacob, and the prophets while
they who were invited at the first are shut out.
To me all this fits into a
big picture while the "everyone gets raptured at once"
does not. It also fits with the way Paul said the
harvest happens (1 Corinth. 15) : First the handful of
grain which was the graves opening after Jesus rose and
many dead in Christ rose and ascended with Jesus into
heaven. Second is the two loaves rapture (Old and New
Testament saints) which we await any time now and third
is the gleanings in the field which is the corners of
the field and any grain dropped by the reapers that was
left to the poor and stranger (without are the fearful
and unbelieving). They still get in but through fire
(tribulation). Don't be
one of those while there is still a chance to be in the
two loaves.
In short, we are
invited in at the rapture "Behold the Bridegroom, go ye
out to meet Him" We can still turn Him down and He won't
force us in any more than God forced the Israelites to
go in and possess the promised land with similar words
"Behold the promised land, go ye in and possess it." I
think Jesus is coming the same way that He left by
descending slowly and calling us up but the fearful and
unbelieving will refuse to go to Him. Once the door is
closed and they show up with the oil they just bought it
will be too late but they can still be gleanings and get
in by dying in the tribulation.