1 Corinthians 3 always captivates me. Each time I read it I am reminded (sometimes forcefully) of a few gospel-driven, Christ-exalting truths. The first truth is found in verses 1-4 and reiterated in Heb 5. We, as Christians, are quite capable of neglecting the gift that we have been given in Christ. And this is to our detriment and to the detriment of those around us. Listen to the tenor of Paul's argument. He is not saying that you need to graduate to an advanced Christianity or that you are is o.k.,. but there is something better ahead. No, his point is that our faith can degrade into a childish (not childlike) faith and this affects ourselves as well as others and deserves a godly rebuke.
Another truth the sings in this chapter is that everything happening in the progression of the gospel, both personally and globally is in the hand of God. Look at verses 5-9. Are people involved? Absolutely. But it is God who brings the growth. I have planted many flowers (seeds and bulbs) in various gardens over the years and I have watered and fertilized them all. In all that time, I have not yet made one of them bloom (or whither). All my yearning, all my coaxing, all my TLC doesn't really make them bloom or not bloom and it certainly doesn't make a marigold into a rose. And don't get me started on the wild flowers in the field across the street! The same is true with the gospel. God brings the growth.
A third truth found in 1 Cor 3 is laid out in verses 10-15. Whatever service we do, whatever ministry we participate in, whatever Bible study we lead, they all are built (or should be) on the foundation of Jesus Christ. This means who Christ is, what he accomplished on the Cross, the reality of His incarnation, His diety, His intercession, His imminent return and so much more must all inform and constrain and empower everything we do. And if it doesn't? Paul is clear: the quality of our work will be revealed. Verse 15 is both a comforting and a scary verse. It is comforting in that we, who trust Christ alone for our salvation will be saved. But it is scary in that everything that we've done, if not built on the foundation of Jesus Christ, could prove to be a waste. In my mind that is similar to graduating high school with a D- average. Do you have a diploma? Yes. Did you even come close to maximizing your high school years? No.
So what's the big idea? The years (perhaps decades) between the Spirit opening our eyes to the truth of the gospel and His bringing us home do not belong to us. They belong to Christ. And when we grow and serve and depend upon Christ and seek to rely on the Spirit, God is glorified, Christ is exalting and His kingdom breaks through. And, in the end, our lives will be judged worthy of the gospel that we have received.
To God Alone be the Glory
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