The Works Of Religious Leaders
“The fining pot is for silver, and the furnace for gold: but the LORD trieth the hearts” – Proverbs 17:3
Many religious leaders use verse 1 Corinthians 3:15 as “once saved, always saved” but that is incorrect. First truth, “once saved always saved” is a false doctrine. The second truth is that 1 Corinthians 3, in context, speaks about the works of church leaders. Therefore, being saved by grace entails that the Spirit of the Lord comes to dwell within you (Read Romans 8:9), BUT the soul still needs to go through purification. When we die, the Spirit returns to God who gave it, but the soul…where does it go if it did not go through purification? Where will it go if after receiving Jesus, sin continues? May our Lord Jesus Christ open your eyes of understanding, anoint your eyes with collyrium so you can see, and you may receive this revelation today and be able to know where your soul is going in the name of Jesus Christ.
Matthew 7:21-23
Not every one that saith unto me, Lord, Lord, shall enter into the kingdom of heaven; but he that doeth the will of my Father which is in heaven.
Many will say to me in that day, Lord, Lord, have we not prophesied in thy name? and in thy name have cast out devils? and in thy name done many wonderful works?
And then will I profess unto them, I never knew you: depart from me, ye that work iniquity.
1 Corinthians 6:9
Know you not that the unrighteous shall not inherit the kingdom of God? Be not deceived: neither fornicators, nor idolaters, nor adulterers, nor effeminate, nor abusers of themselves with mankind,
1 Corinthians 3:11-17
(SPEAKS ABOUT THE WORKS OF CHURCH LEADERS)
For other foundation can no man lay than that is laid, which is Jesus Christ.
Now if any man build upon this foundation gold, silver, precious stones, wood, hay, stubble;
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.
If any man’s work abide which he hath built thereupon, he shall receive a reward.
If any man’s work shall be burned, he shall suffer loss: but he himself shall be saved; yet so as by fire.
Know ye not that ye are the temple of God, and that the Spirit of God dwelleth in you?
17 If any man defile the temple of God, him shall God destroy; for the temple of God is holy, which temple ye are.
1 Corinthians 3:15
(The Lord’s spiritual fire destroys sin [man’s work], not people).
If anyone’s work is burned up, he will suffer loss, though he himself will be saved, but only as through fire.
Numbers 31:23
Every thing that may abide the fire, ye shall make it go through the fire, and it shall be clean; nevertheless it shall be purified with the water of separation: and all that abideth not the fire ye shall make go through the water.
Note: Corinthians were allowing sin to remain unchecked. They were focusing on men. Focusing and building on “wood, hay and stubble”. This Christian will only be saved through fire (Spiritual Fire purifies the soul). Be mindful that Paul wanted to correct Corinthians, as they were carnally minded. Additionally, the word of the Lord is the water of purification (Ephesians 5:26– That he might sanctify and cleanse it with the washing of water by the word) and is also the fire of purification (Jeremiah 5:14– Therefore, thus says the Lord, the God of hosts, “Because you have spoken this word, Behold, I am making My words in your mouth fire And this people wood, and it will consume them).
-We also have to discern who are truthfully the disciples of Jesus. Discipleship is proved by BEARING FRUIT.
John 15:8
8 Herein is my Father glorified, that ye bear much fruit; so shall ye be my disciples.
John 15:16
Ye have not chosen me, but I have chosen you, and ordained you, that ye should go and bring forth fruit, and that your fruit should remain: that whatsoever ye shall ask of the Father in my name, he may give it you.
Ephesians 2:10
For we are his workmanship, created in Christ Jesus unto good works, which God hath before ordained that we should walk in them.
Matthew 7:15-20
15 “Beware of false prophets, who come to you in sheep’s clothing, but inwardly they are ravenous wolves. 16 You will know them by their fruits. Do men gather grapes from thornbushes or figs from thistles? 17 Even so, every good tree bears good fruit, but a bad tree bears bad fruit. 18 A good tree cannot bear bad fruit, nor can a bad tree bear good fruit. 19 Every tree that does not bear good fruit is cut down and thrown into the fire.20 Therefore by their fruits you will know them.
Note: The leaders of Corinthians would only be saved by FIRE. When properly dividing the Word of God (2 Tim 2:15), we can understand that verse 1 Corinthians 3:2 speaks about things that can be burned by physical fire (Wood, hay, stubble), things that can be sterilized through fire (metal and stone), and things that can be refined through fire (silver and gold). However, people CANNOT abide in a physical fire, so verse 15 speaks about Spiritual Fire (Saved, but only as through fire).
Isaiah 66:16 (THE FIRE IS TO PLEAD FOR REPENTANCE)
16 For by fire and by his sword will the Lord plead with all flesh: and the slain of the Lord shall be many.
1 Peter 4:12-13
12 Beloved, think it not strange concerning the fiery trial which is to try you, as though some strange thing happened unto you:
13 But rejoice, inasmuch as ye are partakers of Christ’s sufferings; that, when his glory shall be revealed, ye may be glad also with exceeding joy.
Note: The Lord’s cleansing spiritual fire destroys sin.
Isaiah 4:4
4 When the Lord shall have washed away the filth of the daughters of Zion, and shall have purged the blood of Jerusalem from the midst thereof by the spirit of judgment, and by the spirit of burning.
Jeremiah 23:29
29 Is not my word like as a fire? saith the Lord; and like a hammer that breaketh the rock in pieces?
John 15:3
3 Now ye are clean through the word which I have spoken unto you.
Note: Verse 1 Corinthians 3:17 can be further explained with 2 Peter 3:7, as the destruction for the ones whom have defiled the temple of God and did NOT repent.
2 Peter 3:7
7 But the heavens and the earth, which are now, by the same word are kept in store, reserved unto fire against the day of judgment and perdition of ungodly men.
Note: Again, 1 Corinthians 3 does NOT entail that we are always saved. Is a call for repentance inside a carnal church. The Word also indicates that a so-called “Christian” was going to be sent to Satan. Let’s read further and ask ourselves…Where is our soul going?
1 Corinthians 5:1-5
It is reported commonly that there is fornication among you, and such fornication as is not so much as named among the Gentiles, that one should have his father’s wife.
2 And ye are puffed up, and have not rather mourned, that he that hath done this deed might be taken away from among you.
3 For I verily, as absent in body, but present in spirit, have judged already, as though I were present, concerning him that hath so done this deed,
4 In the name of our Lord Jesus Christ, when ye are gathered together, and my spirit, with the power of our Lord Jesus Christ,
5 To deliver such an one unto Satan for the destruction of the flesh, that the spirit may be saved in the day of the Lord Jesus.
Note: Church goers who practice sexual immorality are NOT considered brothers, sisters, nor disciples belonging to the body of Christ. Brothers and sisters let’s “put to death the desires of the flesh that war against the soul” (Read 1 Peter 2:11). Because Spirit and flesh (soul) are opposed to each other (Read Galatians 5:17-21). Furthermore, “For all that is in the world, the lust of the flesh, and the lust of the eyes, and the pride of life, is not of the Father, but is of the world” (1 John 2:16).
1 Corinthians 5:11-13
11 But now I have written unto you not to keep company, if any man that is called a brother be a fornicator, or covetous, or an idolator, or a railer, or a drunkard, or an extortioner; with such an one no not to eat.
12 For what have I to do to judge them also that are without? do not ye judge them that are within?
13 But them that are without God judgeth. Therefore, put away from among yourselves that wicked person.
A Call To Action
1 Peter 2:11
Dearly beloved, I beseech you as strangers and pilgrims, abstain from fleshly lusts, which war against the soul;
Romans 8:1
There is therefore now no condemnation to them which are in Christ Jesus, who walk not after the flesh, but after the Spirit.
Romans 8:5
For they that are after the flesh do mind the things of the flesh; but they that are after the Spirit the things of the Spirit.
Romans 8:8
So then they that are in the flesh cannot please God.
Romans 8:13
For if ye live after the flesh, ye shall die: but if ye through the Spirit do mortify the deeds of the body, ye shall live.
Romans 9:8
That is, They which are the children of the flesh, these are not the children of God: but the children of the promise are counted for the seed.
Note: Unfortunately, Paul could not speak to the Corinthians the same as how he spoke to the Romans. Why? The audience of Romans was “to all in Rome who are loved by God and called to be saints”. Please note that the Romans were also present in Pentecost according to Acts 2:10-11. Corinthians were also called to be saints, but they had issues that they needed to resolve. They also needed to repent from sin. They had a bad reputation; whereas, The Romans had a very good reputation. Also note that Paul wrote to the Corinthians as “to them that are sanctified in Christ Jesus, called to be saints”. Romans were like a prototype of John, the disciple whom Jesus loved (he was the most spiritual because he was “leaning on Jesus’ bosom”- John 13:23). Finally, also remember that Jesus is God (1 Timothy 3:16, John 5:18, Hebrews 1:8, Phillipians 2:6).
