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Volume 9 ... #8
Rewards From God
The apostle Paul speaks of works whereby God will give "rewards" to man.
I Cor. 3 ... 9 For we are labourers together with God: ye are God's husbandry, ye are God's building. 10 According to the grace of God which is given unto me, as a wise masterbuilder, I have laid the foundation, and another buildeth thereon. But let every man take heed how he buildeth thereupon. 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.
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The only thing any of us can build on is "Jesus Christ" ... "THE WORD".
That "word" we hear from the Spirit of God is that which we must do on this present earth.
If we build on that word, the word from the Holy Spirit, then the work is authored by God that we do on this earth.
For doing "that word", the word given us by the Spirit of God, we receive reward from God.
We are as that faithful servant who watches and waits for the word and when the word is given him, he acts upon that word.
Jesus explains:
Mt. 7 ... 21 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.
22 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?
23 And then will I profess unto them, I never knew you: depart from ME, ye that work iniquity.
24 Therefore whosoever heareth these sayings of MINE, and doeth them, I will liken him unto a wise man, which built his house upon a rock: 25 And the rain descended, and the floods came, and the winds blew, and beat upon that house; and it fell not: for it was founded upon a rock.
26 And every one that heareth these sayings of MINE, and doeth them not,
shall be likened unto a foolish man, which built his house upon the
sand: 27 And the rain descended, and the floods came, and the winds
blew, and beat upon that house; and it fell: and great was the fall of
it.
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The Holy Spirit of God who dwells in us gives us the word God would have us do.
I Cor. 2 ... 9 But as it is written, Eye hath not seen, nor ear heard, neither have entered into the heart of man, the things which God hath prepared for them that love HIM. 10 But God hath revealed them unto us by HIS Spirit: for the Spirit searcheth all things, yea, the deep things of God.
11 For what man knoweth the things of a man, save the spirit of man which is in him? even so the things of God knoweth no man, but the Spirit of God. 12 Now we have received, not the spirit of the world, but the spirit which is of God; that we might know the things that are freely given to us of God.
13 Which things also we speak, not in the words which man's wisdom teacheth, but which the Holy Ghost teacheth; comparing spiritual things with spiritual.
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We, who are of God, are like servants in a great house. We have our assignments as to where we are to serve. We work in that area, carefully attending to our "duty", to our assignment from God.
And we watch for God's instruction to us ... and we wait for God's instruction ... then we faithfully do that which God instructs.
When this is the case, all things (our works) are of God and not of ourselves.
Concerning rewards from God:
Several years ago, I was given the following dream. I entered an auditorium type room. My mother and my aunt were sitting in the center of an aisle in the center of the auditorium seating. I went onto the stage where a concert band was sitting. Someone showed me where I was to sit in the band. It was first chair, first clarinet. I told the man to put me somewhere at the back of the band. I was concerned I wouldn't be good enough and that first-chair seating in a concert band is the highest position in the band and the person sitting there is in a seat of responsibility and honor. The man said, "No this is reserved for you." (I felt it was some type of reward.)
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But as I live on this earth, I'm often concerned that my work might not be "good enough". (Then I often have that dream brought to my attention.)
The main thing for each of us:
We seek God, wait until we believe we have heard from God, and do that which we believe God shows us to do. If it is of God and we build on that word, we receive reward.
Paul says, our works will be tried in the fire and if those works "remain" we will receive reward.
If the works are destroyed in the fire, we will be saved, yet as by fire. I Cor. 3
But I know the works must be authored by the Spirit of God, not by the letter of the law.
You could build on a scripture and still be wrong. How? The Spirit must be the one who led you and not your own fleshly mind!
All works done by our fleshly thinking will be burned in the fire.
Paul explains: I Cor. 13 ... 3 And though I bestow all my goods to feed the poor, and though I give my body to be burned, and have not charity, it profiteth me nothing.
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It is a great mystery but the Spirit of God must be the author of our works.
We could read a scripture and do that scripture and not have the Spirit of God showing us that scripture and it would profit nothing.
God authors the works that are HIS by HIS Spirit.
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