IMITATORS OF GOD, Conforming to the Image of Christ 1 Corinthians 3:10-17 Lesson 13 1

1 Imitators of God, Conforming to the Image of Christ 2 1 CORINTHIANS 3:10-17 3 Lesson 13

4 5 6 THE JUDGMENT SEAT OF CHRIST 7 8 1 Corinthians 3:10-17 (NASB) 9 10 According to the grace of God which was given to me, like a wise master builder I laid a 10 foundation, and another is building on it. But each man must be careful how he builds on it. 11 For 11 no man can lay a foundation other than the one which is laid, which is Jesus Christ. 12 Now if any 12 man builds on the foundation with gold, silver, precious stones, wood, hay, straw, 13 each man's 13 work will become evident; for the day will show it because it is to be revealed with fire, and the fire 14 itself will test the quality of each man's work. 14 If any man's work which he has built on it remains, 15 he will receive a reward. 15 If any man's work is burned up, he will suffer loss; but he himself will be 16 saved, yet so as through fire. 16 Do you not know that you are a temple of God and that the Spirit of 17 God dwells in you? 17 If any man destroys the temple of God, God will destroy him, for the temple of 18 God is holy, and that is what you are. 19 20 21 THE JUDGEMENT OF THE BELIEVER’S WORKS 22 23 This passage continues Paul's discussion (1 Cor. 1:10-3:23) of divisions within the Corinthian church. But 24 its more immediate background is the Lord's second coming. Paul shows how worldly and fleshly 25 behavior, and the spiritual division it causes, affects the rewards the Lord will give when He returns. 26 Moving ahead, he discusses the paradox of rewards, with their sureness (since all of us are equally 27 undeserving) and their uniqueness (in that each of us is rewarded individually) Paul affirms both truths, 28 while waiting for glory to bring final resolution to the paradox. 29 30 The Lord's coming to reward His own was one of Paul's greatest motivations. In a sense, everything 31 the apostle did was motivated by that truth. His objective, within the supreme objective of glorifying his 32 God and Savior, was to prepare himself to stand before the Lord and be able to hear Him say, 33 34 Matthew 25:21 (NASB) 35 "'Well done, good and faithful slave. You were faithful with a few things, I will put you in charge 36 of many things; enter into the joy of your master.'" 37 38 He wrote the Philippians, 39 40 Philippians 3:13-14 (NASB) 41 13 Brethren, I do not regard myself as having laid hold of it yet; but one thing I do: forgetting what 42 lies behind and reaching forward to what lies ahead, 14 I press on toward the goal for the prize of 43 the upward call of God in Christ Jesus. 44 45 It was not that he wanted glory or honor for himself, or wanted to prove himself better than other 46 Christians, showing them up in Christian service. He wanted the Lord's highest reward because that 47 would be the most pleasing to the Lord Himself, and would most graphically demonstrate his grateful 48 love. 49 50 In his second letter to Corinth, Paul mentions three specific motivations he had for doing his best for 51 Christ. IMITATORS OF GOD, Conforming to the Image of Christ 1 Corinthians 3:10-17 Lesson 13 2

52 53 1. First, he wanted to please the Lord: 54 55 2 Corinthians 5:9 (NASB) 56 Therefore we also have as our ambition, whether at home or absent, to be pleasing to Him. 57 58 2. Second, he wanted Christ's great love to control everything he did; his whole ministry was 59 directed by his love of God. 60 61 2 Corinthians 5:14a (NASB) 62 For the love of Christ controls us. 63 64 3. And third, he wanted to live for Christ because he knew that Christ's work was complete, that 65 "He died for all," and that therefore the ministry of the gospel would always be effective; it could 66 not fail. Jesus Christ had already finished all the work that would ever have to be done for 67 people to be saved. 68 69 2 Corinthians 5:14b-5 (NASB) 70 having concluded this, that one died for all, therefore all died. and He died for all, so that they who 71 live might no longer live for themselves, but for Him who died and rose again on their behalf. 72 73 Paul was not one to do things halfway. When he ran a race or fought a fight, he did so to win—to win the 74 imperishable wreath of His Lord's reward (1 Cor. 9:24-27). He was not competing with other believers, 75 but against his own weakness, weariness, and sin. Though the particular words had not yet been written, 76 Paul always had before him the knowledge that, 77 78 Revelation 22:12 (NASB) 79 "Behold, I [Jesus] am coming quickly, and My reward is with Me, to render to every man 80 according to what he has done. 81 82 In speaking about believers' rewards, Paul declared, 83 84 Romans 14:10-12 (NASB) 85 But you, why do you judge your brother? Or you again, why do you regard your brother with 86 contempt? For we will all stand before the judgment seat of God. 11 For it is written, "AS I LIVE, 87 SAYS THE LORD, EVERY KNEE SHALL BOW TO ME, AND EVERY TONGUE SHALL GIVE PRAISE 88 TO GOD." 12 So then each one of us will give an account of himself to God. 89 90 Paul was not talking about our judging the works of other believers or about God's judging sin. Because 91 all believers will "stand before the judgment seat of God," each of us giving an "account of himself to 92 God.” 93 94 We do not even know what rewards we will receive for ourselves, much less what another will receive. 95 Both favorable and unfavorable judging are excluded. We do not even have the necessary insight to 96 judge unbelievers in the church, who are tares among the wheat (cf. Matt. 13:24-30). Obviously, we are 97 to rebuke sin and confront the sinning brother (Matt. 18:15-19; 1 Cor. 5:1-13), but that is because we can 98 see such sin. Judging motives and the worthiness of reward is for God, who alone knows the heart. 99 100 101 Matthew 18:15-19 (NASB) 102 15 "If your brother sins, go and show him his fault in private; if he listens to you, you have won 103 your brother. 16 "But if he does not listen to you, take one or two more with you, so that BY THE 104 MOUTH OF TWO OR THREE WITNESSES EVERY FACT MAY BE CONFIRMED. 17 "If he refuses IMITATORS OF GOD, Conforming to the Image of Christ 1 Corinthians 3:10-17 Lesson 13 3

105 to listen to them, tell it to the church; and if he refuses to listen even to the church, let him be to 106 you as a Gentile and a tax collector. 18 "Truly I say to you, whatever you bind on earth shall have 107 been bound in heaven; and whatever you loose on earth shall have been loosed in heaven. 108 19 "Again I say to you, that if two of you agree on earth about anything that they may ask, it shall 109 be done for them by My Father who is in heaven. 110 111 1 Corinthians 5:1-13 (NASB) 112 1 It is actually reported that there is immorality among you, and immorality of such a kind as 113 does not exist even among the Gentiles, that someone has his father's wife. 2 You have become 114 arrogant and have not mourned instead, so that the one who had done this deed would be 115 removed from your midst. 3 For I, on my part, though absent in body but present in spirit, have 116 already judged him who has so committed this, as though I were present. 4 In the name of our 117 Lord Jesus, when you are assembled, and I with you in spirit, with the power of our Lord Jesus, 5 I 118 have decided to deliver such a one to Satan for the destruction of his flesh, so that his spirit 119 may be saved in the day of the Lord Jesus. 6 Your boasting is not good. Do you not know that a 120 little leaven leavens the whole lump of dough? 7 Clean out the old leaven so that you may be a 121 new lump, just as you are in fact unleavened. For Christ our Passover also has been sacrificed. 122 8 Therefore let us celebrate the feast, not with old leaven, nor with the leaven of malice and 123 wickedness, but with the unleavened bread of sincerity and truth. 9 I wrote you in my letter not to 124 associate with immoral people; 10 I did not at all mean with the immoral people of this world, or 125 with the covetous and swindlers, or with idolaters, for then you would have to go out of the world. 126 11 But actually, I wrote to you not to associate with any so-called brother if he is an immoral 127 person, or covetous, or an idolater, or a reviler, or a drunkard, or a swindler—not even to eat with 128 such a one. 12 For what have I to do with judging outsiders? Do you not judge those who are 129 within the church? 13 But those who are outside, God judges. REMOVE THE WICKED MAN FROM 130 AMONG YOURSELVES. 131 132 It is as wrong to highly elevate a person as it is to degrade him. Paul already had warned twice in this 133 letter against such worldly elevation of Christian leaders, including himself (1 Cor. 1:12-13; 3:4-9). 134 135 1 Corinthians 1:12-13 (NASB) 136 12 Now I mean this, that each one of you is saying, "I am of Paul," and "I of Apollos," and "I of 137 Cephas," and "I of Christ." 13 Has Christ been divided? Paul was not crucified for you, was he? 138 Or were you baptized in the name of Paul? 139 140 1 Corinthians 3:4-9 (NASB) 141 4 For when one says, "I am of Paul," and another, "I am of Apollos," are you not mere men? 142 5 What then is Apollos? And what is Paul? Servants through whom you believed, even as the 143 Lord gave opportunity to each one. 6 I planted, Apollos watered, but God was causing the 144 growth. 7 So then neither the one who plants nor the one who waters is anything, but God who 145 causes the growth. 8 Now he who plants and he who waters are one; but each will receive his 146 own reward according to his own labor. 9 For we are God's fellow workers; you are God's field, 147 God's building. 148 149 1 Corinthians 3:4-9 (AMP) 150 4 For when one says, I belong to Paul, and another, I belong to Apollos, are you not [proving 151 yourselves] ordinary (unchanged) men? 5 What then is Apollos? What is Paul? Ministering 152 servants [not heads of parties] through whom you believed, even as the Lord appointed to 153 each his task: 6 I planted, Apollos watered, but God [all the while] was making it grow and [He] 154 gave the increase. 7 So neither he who plants is anything nor he who waters, but [only] God Who 155 makes it grow and become greater. 8 He who plants and he who waters are equal (one in aim, of 156 the same importance and esteem), yet each shall receive his own reward (wages), according to IMITATORS OF GOD, Conforming to the Image of Christ 1 Corinthians 3:10-17 Lesson 13 4

157 his own labor. 9 For we are fellow workmen (joint promoters, laborers together) with and for 158 God; you are God's garden and vineyard and field under cultivation, [you are] God's building. 159 160 We do not know enough about another's heart and motives and faithfulness—in fact, not enough about 161 our own—to know what rewards are or are not deserved. 162 163 1 Corinthians 4:5 (NASB) 164 Therefore do not go on passing judgment before the time, but wait until the Lord comes who will 165 both bring to light the things hidden in the darkness and disclose the motives of men's hearts; and 166 then each man's praise will come to him from God. 167 168 1 Corinthians 4:5 (AMP) 169 So do not make any hasty or premature judgments before the time when the Lord comes [again], 170 for He will both bring to light the secret things that are [now hidden] in darkness and disclose and 171 expose the [secret] aims (motives and purposes) of hearts. Then every man will receive his [due] 172 commendation from God. 173 174 The subject here in 1 Corinthians 3:10-17 is not God's judgment on sin, either. The "judgment seat" 175 before which all believers will one day stand (Rom. 14:10; 2 Cor. 5:10) is the Greek bēma, a tribunal. But 176 both of those passages make it clear that the judgment at that place and that time will not be to dispense 177 condemnation for sin but reward for good works, and that it involves only believers. Christ judged sin 178 on the cross, and because we stand in Him, we will never be condemned for our sins (Rom. 8:1). 179 180 Romans 8:1 (NASB) 181 Therefore there is now no condemnation for those who are in Christ Jesus. 182 183 God's provision of salvation came not through Christ's perfect teaching or through His perfect life 184 but through His perfect sacrifice on the cross. It is through Christ's death, not His life, that God 185 provides the way of salvation. For those who place their trust in Christ and in what He has done 186 on their behalf there is therefore now no condemnation. 187 188 The Greek word katakrima (condemnation) appears only in the book of Romans, here and in 189 Rom. 5:16, 18. Although it relates to the sentencing for a crime, its primary focus is not so much 190 on the verdict as on the penalty that the verdict demands. As Paul has already declared, the 191 penalty, or condemnation, for sin is death (Rom. 6:23). 192 193 Paul here announces the marvelous good news that for Christians there will be no 194 condemnation, neither sentencing nor punishment for the sins that believers have committed or 195 will ever commit. 196 197 Ouketi (“no” Rom. 8:1) is an emphatic negative adverb of time and carries the idea of complete 198 cessation. In His parable about the king who forgave one of his slaves an overwhelming debt 199 (Matt. 18:23-27), Jesus pictured God's gracious and total forgiveness of the sins of those who 200 come to Him in humble contrition and faith (cf. Heb. 11:6). That is the heart and soul of the 201 gospel—that Jesus completely and permanently paid the debt of sin and the penalty of the law 202 (which is condemnation to death) for every person who humbly asks for mercy and trusts in Him. 203 Through the apostle John, God assures His children that "if anyone sins, we have an Advocate 204 with the Father, Jesus Christ the righteous” (1John 2:1-2) 205 206 1 John 2:1-2 (NASB) 207 1 My little children, I am writing these things to you so that you may not sin. And if anyone 208 sins, we have an Advocate with the Father, Jesus Christ the righteous; 2 and He Himself 209 is the propitiation for our sins; and not for ours only, but also for those of the whole world. IMITATORS OF GOD, Conforming to the Image of Christ 1 Corinthians 3:10-17 Lesson 13 5

210 1 John 2:1-2 (AMP) 211 1 MY LITTLE children, I write you these things so that you may not violate God's law and 212 sin. But if anyone should sin, we have an Advocate (One Who will intercede for us) with 213 the Father—[it is] Jesus Christ [the all] righteous [upright, just, Who conforms to the 214 Father's will in every purpose, thought, and action]. 2 And He [that same Jesus Himself] is 215 the propitiation (the atoning sacrifice) for our sins, and not for ours alone but also for 216 [the sins of] the whole world. 217 218 1 John 2:1-2 (NLT2) 219 1 My dear children, I am writing this to you so that you will not sin. But if anyone does sin, 220 we have an advocate who pleads our case before the Father. He is Jesus Christ, the one 221 who is truly righteous. 2 He himself is the sacrifice that atones for our sins—and not only 222 our sins but the sins of all the world. 223 224 A DEEPER DIVE 225 226 Atonement 227 228 Biblical doctrine that God has reconciled sinners to Himself through the sacrificial work of Jesus 229 Christ. The concept of atonement spans both Testaments, everywhere pointing to the death, 230 burial, and resurrection of Jesus for the sins of the world. 231 232 Atonement and the Message of the Gospel 233 234 The Bible makes clear that the central thrust of the church’s proclamation should be the atoning 235 work of God in Christ (1 Cor. 1:22-25). The Scripture presents the truth of the atonement as the 236 gospel itself (1 Cor. 15:3-4), which alone can save a sinner from the wrath of God (Acts 2:13-21). 237 238 In the atonement God has revealed to humanity His saving love. He does not wish to condemn the 239 world but to save it through His Son (John 3:17; cf. Matt. 18:14). The sinner must recognize that 240 He is living under a sentence of death, awaiting the coming judgment (John 3:36). The sinner 241 must look to Jesus as bearing the just penalty for sin on the cross (John 3:14-16). The sinner 242 must trust that God has accepted this sacrifice on his behalf by God’s raising Jesus from the dead 243 (Rom. 10:9). 244 245 When the sinner abandons all hope of his own righteousness before God and trusts in the 246 provision of God in the death and resurrection of Jesus, he finds refuge in Christ (Phil. 3:9). The 247 sinner is now at peace with God (Rom. 5:1). In fact, by the power of the Spirit, he is now a “new 248 creation” awaiting the redemption of the created universe (2 Cor. 5:17). The believer is assured 249 that he no longer faces condemnation because he is united to the One who has already borne 250 and satisfied the wrath of God (Rom. 8:31-39). 251 252 The message of the atonement is presented in strikingly universal terms. All are invited to find 253 refuge in the atonement of Christ (Luke 14:16-17). The apostles plead with sinners to trust in the 254 atoning work of Jesus (Acts 2:40; 2 Cor. 5:20). All human beings are not only invited but 255 commanded to believe the gospel (Acts 17:30-31). This does not mean, however, that the 256 objective accomplishment of the atonement brings about universal salvation. Jesus is Himself the 257 One who is the propitiation of God’s wrath against the world (1 John 2:2). Those who are 258 redeemed are saved from God’s judgment because they are united to Christ through faith (Eph. 259 1:7). On the final day of judgment, those who are not “in Christ” will bear the eternal penalty for 260 their own sins (2 Cor. 5:10) and for the dread transgression of rejecting God’s provision in Christ 261 (John 3:19; Heb. 10:29). 262 IMITATORS OF GOD, Conforming to the Image of Christ 1 Corinthians 3:10-17 Lesson 13 6

263 Jesus was condemned for us (1 Cor. 15:3; Gal. 1:4; 1 Pet. 2:24; etc.). He took the penalty of all our sins 264 upon Himself (Col. 2:13; 1 John 2:12). God has no more charges against those who trust in His Son, 265 those who are His elect, and will allow no one else to bring charges against them (Rom. 8:31-34). 266 267 Romans 8:31-34 (AMP) 268 31 What then shall we say to [all] this? If God is for us, who [can be] against us? [Who can be our 269 foe, if God is on our side?] 32 He who did not withhold or spare [even] His own Son but gave Him 270 up for us all, will He not also with Him freely and graciously give us all [other] things? 33 Who shall 271 bring any charge against God's elect [when it is] God Who justifies [that is, Who puts us in right 272 relation to Himself? Who shall come forward and accuse or impeach those whom God has 273 chosen? Will God, Who acquits us?] 34 Who is there to condemn [us]? Will Christ Jesus (the 274 Messiah), Who died, or rather Who was raised from the dead, Who is at the right hand of God 275 actually pleading as He intercedes for us? 276 277 Romans 8:31-34 (NLT2) 278 31 What shall we say about such wonderful things as these? If God is for us, who can ever be 279 against us? 32 Since He did not spare even His own Son but gave Him up for us all, won’t He also 280 give us everything else? 33 Who dares accuse us whom God has chosen for His own? No one— 281 for God Himself has given us right standing with Himself. 34 Who then will condemn us? No one— 282 for Christ Jesus died for us and was raised to life for us, and He is sitting in the place of honor at 283 God’s right hand, pleading for us. 284 285 Jesus not only pays the believer's debt of sin but cleanses him "from all unrighteousness" (1 John 286 1:9). Still more amazingly, He graciously imputes and imparts to each believer His own perfect 287 righteousness: "For by one offering He [Christ] has perfected for all time those who are sanctified" 288 (Heb. 10:14; cf. Rom. 5:17; 2 Cor. 5:21; Phil. 3:9). More even than that, Jesus shares His vast heavenly 289 inheritance with those who come to Him in faith (Eph. 1:3, 11, 14). It is because of such immeasurable 290 divine grace that Paul admonishes Christians to be continually "giving thanks to the Father, who has 291 qualified us to share in the inheritance of the saints in light" (Col. 1:12). Having been qualified by God 292 the Father, we will never; under any circumstance, be subject to divine condemnation. How blessed to 293 be placed beyond the reach of condemnation! 294 295 The truth that there can never be the eternal death penalty for believers is the foundation of the eighth 296 chapter of Romans. As Paul asks rhetorically near the end of the chapter, "If God is for us, who is 297 against us?" (Rom. 8:31), and again, "who will bring a charge against God's elect? God is the one who 298 justifies" (Rom. 8:33). If the highest tribunal in the universe justifies us, who can declare us guilty? 299 300 It is extremely important to realize that deliverance from condemnation is not based in the least 301 measure on any form of perfection achieved by the believer. He does not attain the total eradication of 302 sin during his earthly life. It is that truth that Paul establishes so intensely and poignantly in Romans 7. 303 John declares that truth as unambiguously as possible in his first epistle: "If we say that we have no sin, 304 we are deceiving ourselves, and the truth is not in us" (1 John 1:8). The Christian's conflict with sin 305 does not end until he goes to be with the Lord. Nevertheless, there is still no condemnation—because 306 the penalty for all the failures of his life has been paid in Christ and applied by grace. 307 308 It is also important to realize that deliverance from divine condemnation does not mean deliverance 309 from divine discipline. "For those whom the Lord loves He disciplines, and He scourges every son 310 whom He receives" (Heb. 12:6). Nor does deliverance from God's condemnation mean escape from our 311 accountability to Him: "Do not be deceived, God is not mocked; for whatever a man sows, this he 312 will also reap" (Gal. 6:7). 313 314 As we will see later, "each man's praise will come to him from God" (1 Cor. 4:5). 315 IMITATORS OF GOD, Conforming to the Image of Christ 1 Corinthians 3:10-17 Lesson 13 7

316 In 1 Corinthians 3:10-17 Paul changes the analogy from agriculture to architecture. He had been speaking 317 of his own planting, of Apollos's watering, and of God's giving the growth (vv. 6-8). At the end of verse 9 318 he makes a transition in his metaphors: "You are God's field, God's building." 319 320 Using the figure of a building, Paul discusses five aspects of the work of the Lord's people on earth: (1) 321 the master builder, (2) the foundation, (3) the materials, (4) the test, and (5) the workmen. We will begin at 322 this point in Part 2 of our study of 1 Corinthians 3:10-17. 323 324 325 Proverbs 22:19 (NASB) 326 So that your trust may be in the LORD, I have taught you today, even you. 327 328 Amen.