“According to the grace of God which is given unto me, as a wise master builder, I have laid the foundation, and another buildeth thereon. But let every man take heed how he buildeth thereupon” (I Corinthians 3:10).

The apostle Paul compared his missionary ministry of evangelizing and establishing new churches in hitherto unreached communities to that of a “master builder”—a trained and experienced structural engineer—one concerned with stability and structural integrity. As a “wise” engineer, Paul possessed both the specialized training and practical experience to design a sound foundation upon which the building could be erected. Without such a foundation, no building will stand for very long. This foundation, of course, must be Christ Himself.

The building also must be functional and of pleasing appearance, if it is to be not only useful and attractive to potential users, but also able to withstand the elements. Thus one can either “build upon this foundation gold, silver, precious stones,” or “wood, hay, stubble” (I Corinthians 3:12). Furthermore, a fire might leave the structural framework of the building intact, but the facade would be destroyed.

The parallel in the Christian life is obvious. One can erect a very attractive facade with inferior materials, but it will soon disintegrate, especially in the searching fires at the judgment seat of Christ. For “the fire shall try every man’s work of what sort it is” (I Corinthians 3:13).

The test will be “what sort it is”; not “how much it is.” Motivation and doctrinal integrity in a Christian’s life are far more important than reputation and popular appeal. It is important to note that if Christ is really the foundation, then the believer is still saved (v.15), but his efforts will all have been wasted if the Lord’s “building inspection” by fire leaves him nothing to show but the foundation. HMM