“There are two days in my calendar: This day and that Day.” Martin Luther

Today is the day to be obedient to Christ and do what pleases Him. Today is the day to work for the kingdom of God using your spiritual gifts. THAT day is the day that your work will be inspected. That day is the day of review, inspection, and reward (or loss).  A day is coming when all our works will be tested “by fire” and Jesus Himself will dole out the rewards. 

One of the prominent images that the Bible uses to describe the shaping of our lives is an architectural metaphor. There is a foundation, a building, an inspection, and a time of rewarding. Yes, Christian friend, the Bible speaks clearly to the fact that God’s people will be judged. As John Philipps states so succinctly, “God’s people will be judged in two capacities. We are judged as sons (Hebrew 12:5–11). This judgment results in chastisement down here. It is parental and remedial and can be avoided (1 Corinthians 11:31). We are also to be judged as servants (Romans 14:10; 2 Corinthians 5:10) when our lives will be reviewed and our works assessed. Both rebukes and rewards will be dispensed at this judgment, which takes place at the judgment seat of Christ.”

In the ancient letter to the Corinthians, Paul urges early Christians to make sure that they are building their lives on the right foundation. That foundation is Jesus. “For no one can lay a foundation other than that which is laid, which is Jesus Christ” (1 Corinthians 3:11). The implication is that our lives must be oriented toward Jesus Christ. In simplest terms, it means that Jesus is our Saviour and Lord. Anyone or anything else is quicksand.  Our lives will crumble under the weight of our sin. Standing on the solid foundation of Jesus Christ means that all our hope is in Him and His work. 

Paul then warns us that “each one’s work will become manifest for the day will disclose it because it will be revealed by fire, and the fire will test what sort of work each one has done” (v. 13-15). The quality of each Christians work will be reviewed by Jesus with the intention of rewarding a person’s investment in God’s kingdom. God’s reward system is key to the future He has planned for His beloved children. Not everyone will receive rewards. Some will even suffer heartbreaking loss. Here’s how Paul frames it in 1 Corinthians Chapter 3: “If the work that anyone has built on the foundation survives, he will receive a reward. If anyone’s work is burned up, he will suffer loss, though he himself will be saved, but only as through fire.

Today is the day to be building our lives on the foundation of Jesus’ life, death, and resurrection. Today is the day to be working for the sake of Jesus. That day is the day we strive to hear him say, “Well done, good and faithful servant” (Matthew 25:21).

Dear church family, I can’t wait to continue our study in the book of 1 Corinthians this coming Sunday. We are going to dig a little deeper into Chapter 3, verses 9 to 23, in a study focusing on the “Indestructible Foundation.” God willing, I will see you at either our 9AM or our 11AM service. 

Have you had a moment in your life when you have felt an overwhelming sense of loneliness? It can take over your mind and senses. Some of us may have experienced this feeling before we became believers in Christ, but many of us have also experienced it as Christians. How do we respond when we are told that God is always with us?

The book of Isaiah explores the pits of despair for God’s chosen people, Israel. The prophet Isaiah tells Israel of a time that will come when they will experience a loneliness beyond their imagination. What will soon happen is that the Babylonians, an enemy nation, will completely conquer Israel and topple the nation. Even worse, after the destruction of their government, Babylon would force the Israelites out of their own country.

Have you ever felt abandoned by God before? I have. Are you in that place now? What you need to know is that there are two questions we need to ask ourselves in our loneliness:

So, what is the truth that you need to hear?

Isaiah 41 answers the first question for us. My life verse is Isaiah 41:10. There was a moment in my life when I was a young Christian, fresh out of high school. I fell right back into old, hurtful habits of pleasure-seeking. In my darkest hour of life, I found myself flipping through the Bible and my eyes landing on Isaiah 41:10. This was God’s truth to me, and this is God’s truth to you today, tomorrow, and forever.

“Fear not, for I am with you; be not dismayed, for I am your God; I will strengthen you, I will help you, I will uphold you with my righteous right hand.” – Isaiah 41:10

In my moment of truth, this was the truth of God spoken to me through His Word. I was not alone, I never was. When I knew that I was falling right back into the way I was, He reminded me that He wasn’t done with me. Though I had felt lonelier than ever and thought that God had abandoned me due to my sinful ways, He spoke to me. He reminded me. He convicted me. To see that God is with me, even at my worst, gave me a relief I had never experienced before.

If you’re in a similar place, this is the truth you need to hear. God is with you. The presence of the Creator of the universe, the one who has complete control of everything, this powerful God is a personal God, and He is with you. With His presence comes His strength. He will strengthen you in your time of weakness. He will keep you up with His hand.

Now, how should you respond? 

It comes back to the first two words of the passage in Isaiah 41:10. Do not fear. You don’t need to be afraid. There is the option to not be stuck in fear but to walk in the truth that, because God is with you, you have not been abandoned and will never be. Take the time to reflect and meditate on the truth that God is with you. Right at this moment, He is with you. Take the time to worship God and praise Him for His unconditional love. Be assured that even in your darkest moments, God is with you.