Sam's Blog

My name is Sam. I am a Christian who tries to study the Bible every day. I will use this blog to record thoughts or insight I get concerning the passages I am studying.

Monday, October 27, 2008

1 Corinthians 3:11-15

11 For no other foundation can anyone lay than that which is laid, which is Jesus Christ. 12 Now if anyone builds on this foundation with gold, silver, precious stones, wood, hay, straw, 13 each one’s work will become clear; for the Day will declare it, because it will be revealed by fire; and the fire will test each one’s work, of what sort it is. 14 If anyone’s work which he has built on it endures, he will receive a reward. 15 If anyone’s work is burned, he will suffer loss; but he himself will be saved, yet so as through fire.

If my transformation to the other side includes it, I imagine that the reflections on my death bed will be like watching my entire life from beginning to end get set on fire. By this I mean that I think I will be able to evaluate the positive things I have done, accomplishments, sacrifices, acts of charity, etc. with a uniquely clear perspective. I picture that the otherwise commendable acts that were performed during my life without pure motives, whether for hidden self gain, for the recognition, for an increased opinion of myself, or some other self-serving reason, will burn the brightest in that metaphorical fire. When this fire has completed its work, I think that I will count all of those things as ashes, no matter how much good may have resulted from them. What I think will remain are the "fireproof" acts that were committed with purity: out of love for my companions during this journey, out of desire to obey my knowledge of what is right, out of desire to protect others who could not protect themselves, and most importantly, those acts that were done out of pure faith in God, that defied any other logiocal explanation. I think these things will stand taller than ever at that time, in contrast to the things that burned, regardless of whether the good that resulted from them was apparent at the time or not.

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