Tim Maas Retired Quality Assurance Specialist with the U.S. Army

I personally believe that salvation itself (the forgiveness of our sins and the granting of eternal life) is based only on placing one's faith entirely in Jesus' perfect righteousness, atoning death, and resurrection. Our works do not enter into that. Paul compared that to the foundation of our salvation in 1 Corinthians 3:11.

However, I also believe that the redeemed will then be rewarded by God in eternity on the basis of the manner in which their subsequent lives have given witness of their saved status through the love and service that they rendered to God and to others -- that is, what they themselves built on that foundation through their works, which Paul likened in 1 Corinthians 3:13-15 to whether they built with gold, silver, precious stones, wood, hay, or straw.

In that respect, even though the redeemed will spend eternity in God's presence, they will still undergo examination and judgment with respect to the works that they have built on the foundation provided by Christ, which Paul compared to those works being tested with fire. Someone whose works are burned up in that judgment (as wood, hay, or straw would be with increasing severity) will not lose their salvation, but they will be saved (as Paul said) "only as one escaping through the flames".

July 02 2016 • 0 responses • Vote Up • Share • Report