Baby Believers

Brothers and sisters, I could not address you as people who live by the Spirit but as people who are still worldly—mere infants in Christ.  I gave you milk, not solid food, for you were not yet ready for it.  Indeed, you are still not ready.  You are still worldly. For since there is jealousy and quarreling among you, are you not worldly? Are you not acting like mere humans?  For when one says, “I follow Paul,” and another, “I follow Apollos,” are you not mere human beings? I Corinthians 3:1-4

These saints of Corinth still had a lot of growing up to do, and Paul really couldn’t teach them the solid food of the Word, because in their carnal childishness, they had no capacity for advanced spiritual training. These folks were not growing in grace, and were without excuse, because enough time had passed since their salvation to have been demonstrating maturity through divine viewpoint and a relaxed mental attitude. Instead, they were competing and quarrelling among themselves, like natural men with no spiritual discernment whatsoever. They were acting like “mere humans” who are not equipped to comprehend spiritual things. With their personality cults, they were emphasizing human appeal and hindering the Holy Spirit’s leadership in their lives. Paul says “don’t you know you’re worldly?”

What, after all, is Apollos? And what is Paul? Only servants,through whom you came to believe—as the Lord has assigned to each his task. I planted the seed, Apollos watered it, but God has been making it grow.  So neither the one who plants nor the one who waters is anything, but only God, who makes things grow.  The one who plants and the one who waters have one purpose, and they will each be rewarded according to their own labor.  For we are co-workers in God’s service; you are God’s field, God’s building.

 By the grace God has given me, I laid a foundation as a wise builder, and someone else is building on it. But each one should build with care.  For no one can lay any foundation other than the one already laid, which is Jesus Christ. If anyone builds on this foundation using gold, silver, costly stones, wood, hay or straw,  their work will be shown for what it is, because the Day will bring it to light. It will be revealed with fire, and the fire will test the quality of each person’s work. If what has been built survives, the builder will receive a reward. If it is burned up, the builder will suffer loss but yet will be saved—even though only as one escaping through the flames. I Corinthians 3:5-15

Apollos and Paul were just men; servants of God, who brought the gospel message to these Gentiles. Each believer is gifted and assigned a work compatible with his gift. Paul was the Church planter, Apollos continued the work (watered), but none would have mattered without the grace of God, making the seed grow. It is not about Paul, not about Apollos; it is about GOD! There is no competition. We each will be rewarded according to our individual work, which is to evangelize and teach YOU Corinthians.

Paul also likened his work to the laying of a foundation, upon which someone else is building. Each one’s work is important, but it is not the same, and there is no place for jealousy.

Each believer has been given divine operating assets (scripture, Holy Spirit leadership, prayer, pastor-teacher), with which to understand the plan of God and to do the work He has assigned each of us in the world. The foundation is Jesus Christ. Always and only. We build on this foundation of faith in the finished work of Christ by our daily deeds done in the filling of the Holy Spirit. Anything done by the believer, at any time, while in full fellowship with God is gold, silver or precious stones. At the judgment seat of Christ, these precious metals and gems will withstand the fire of judgment, and will earn reward. Anything done in the power of human flesh is wood, hay and stubble. That will burn. There will be no reward for the human good works, but the believer will still have his eternal life IN CHRIST. Lots of human good works are performed every day, by believers and unbelievers. Only those works done in the filling of the Holy Spirit by believers in Jesus Christ will earn eternal reward. My favorite explanation for this: “ if an unbeliever can do it, it is not the Christian Way of Life.”  Unbelievers can do almost anything, overtly, that Christians can do. The difference is unbelievers do not have the indwelling Holy Spirit to fill, teach and motivate them. Carnal believers, also, are not performing in the filling of the Holy Spirit, therefore, the works done in human good are not rewardable.

The believer must confess personal sin according to I John 1:9, cleansing his soul of all unrighteousness, thereby being filled with the Holy Spirit. Then all works are divine good. Gold, silver and precious stones.
Then and only then he can grow. Then he can learn. Then he can build upon the foundation of faith in Jesus Christ, and become the dynamic witness he was intended to be for the gospel.

He will earn reward, but God will receive the glory. That’s the plan.