A Pile of Precious Stones or Straw

by Pastor Mitch Horton | January 2000

As we enter the new millennium, we are aware that we are living in a rapidly changing world. The signs that Jesus gave us in Matthew 24 that would usher in His second coming are all around us. Wars, rumors of wars, national and ethnic conflict, famines, and earthquakes have all increased in intensity over the last several years See Matthew (24:4-8).

We have the promise from God's Word that, as the world gets darker, we the church will get brighter! As we read in Isiah 60:1-3: "Arise, shine; for your light has come! And the glory of the Lord is risen upon you. (2)For behold, the darkness shall cover the earth, and deep darkness the people; but the Lord will arise over you, and His glory will be seen upon you. (3)The Gentiles shall come to your light, and kings to the brightness of your rising."

God's plan for us during this time is not to cower down in fear, but to rise up in His boldness and to "occupy" until He comes again. Jesus has given us a commission to preach the gospel to the whole world. THat commission is not just for those in ministry, but is for every child of God! DArkness may cover the earth, but that darkness will cause us to shine yet brighter with His presence and power.

In the light of the thought that our time is short, we should live our lives in the context of our destination. One day, we as believers will stand individually before Jesus and be rewarded for our actions, choices, and motives since the day we were born again.

We read in 2 Corinthians 5:10: "For we must all appear before the judgement seat of Christ, that each one may receive the things done in the body, according to what he has done, whether good or bad."

The Amplified New Testament of 2 Corinthians 5:10 reads: "For we must all appear and be revealed as we are before the judgement seat of Christ, so that each one may receive his pay acccording to what he has done in the body, whether good or evil, considering what his purpose and motive have been, and what he has achieved, been busy with, and given himself and his attention to accomplishing."

We are not saved by our works or conduct. But God uses our works as a witness to others of His goodness to the world. Our works, or our outward behavior, should draw people to want to know the God that we fellowship with! Jesus said in Matthew 5:16, "Let your light so shine before men, that they may see your good works, and glorify your Father in heaven."

Our works are the "hope" mentioned in 1 Peter 3:15, tht others see in us, and urges them to inquire about our lives. We are to "work out our own salvation with fear and trembling" (Philippians 2:12b). Our faith produces outward conduct or "works" that confirm that our fellowship with Jesus is genuine. Hence, James wrote to believers: "But be ye doers of the word, and not hearers only, deceiving yourselves" (James 1:22), and, "for as the body without the spirit is dead, so faith without works is dead also" (James 2:26).

The kind of live we live after salvation determines our rewards in eternity. Again, we as believers will stand before Jesus individually and be rewarded for our works of obedience to God after we are born again. Our salvation is not in question here at all. To stand before the judgement (Greek--bema, or rewards) seat of Christ means that you are already a believer. Your eternal position is settled.

Unbelievers will not stand before the judgement seat of Christ, but rather will stand before God at the great white throne of God and be judged for their rejection of Jesus as Savior (See Revelation 20:11-15). No Christians will be there.

Paul mentions the judgement (rewards) seat of Christ in Romans 14:10-12: "But why do you judge your brother? Or why do you show contempt for your brother? For we shall all stand before the judgement seat of Christ. (11) For it is written, 'As I live, says the Lord, every knee shall bow to me, and every tongue shall confess to God'. (12) So then each of us shall give account of himself to God".

Paul mentions what kind of rewards we will receive at the judgement seat of Christ. We read in 1 Corinthians 3:11-15: "For no other foundation can any one lay than that which is laid, which is Christ Jesus. (12) Now if anyone builds on this foundation 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 is burned, he will suffer loss; but he himself will be saved, yet so as through fire."

Every day we live on earth after we are born again we are producing gold, silver, and precious stones (enduring eternal rewards), or wood, hay, and straw (to be consumed by fire).

The things we do based on our love for Jesus and our love for people are producing for us right now rewards of gold, silver, and precious stones. The things we do so that others can see us and the things that we do to please ourselves that disregard God and others are presently producing for us rewards of wood, hay, and straw. Frankly, we all probably have a pile of wood, hay, and straw, and perhaps some of us have some gold, silver, and precious stones.

The book of Revelation shows Jesus appearing with eyes like flames of fire (Revelation 1:14). Fire is a purifying agent. On that great day when we stand before Jesus, His eyes will look right through our works! Only gold, silver, and precious stones will be left. The wood, hay and straw will burn!

Why do you do the things you do? Why do you dress the way that you do? Does your lifestyle bring attention to yourself or is it bringing glory to Jesus? Are you giving so that others will see how much you give? Are you ministering to so that others will think you're really anointed and have special abilities? Are you singing to "showcase" your voice? Do you play that instrument to display your talent and hear the applause or to bring glory to Jesus and worship Him? Do you do certain things or act in certain ways so that others will think you are more spiritually mature than others? Do you perform service for your church so that others will see how involved you are and so that they will think you are "spiritual"? All of these attitudes and actions produce wood, hay, and straw that will burn one day.

In his book, The Judgement Seat Of Christ, author Rick Howard shares a vision that he had of the Judgement seat of Christ. He saw believers in Heaven stand before Jesus and saw Jesus go to each one with what looked like an Olympic runner's torch. Each person had a pile of wood, hay, and straw all around his feet. As Jesus went to each person, He lightly touched the pile at their feet with His torch and it erupted into flames. To his surprise, he heard two sounds come from the saints as Jesus touched the pile of stubble at their feet with the torch. One sound was of ecstatic joy, and the other sound was of intense sobs! When the smoke cleared, various sized piles of gold, silver, and precious stones were laying at some of the believers feet. Some had nothing left.

What will be laying at your feet on that day? In Revelation chapter four, we see a picture of the saints casting their golden crowns before the Lord Jesus. No doubt that the crowns came from the rewards granted them at the judgement seat of Christ. These believers were so thrilled to see their Savior personally and were so thankful for all that He had done for them that they wanted to give Him something. They gave Him some of the rewards that they had earned!

When I was a young boy, in our southern Baptist church, we often sang the song,"Must I Go, and Empty Handed?", a song about believers entering enternity with no gifts to present to their Lord.

What about your life? What is stored up in your account in Heaven? What do you have to offer Jesus when you meet Him face to face? Begin today to make adjustments in what you do and in the motives behind what you do. Begin to live your life in the light of God's Word, as if He were present with you in all you do. Challenge the areas of your life where selfishness and self promotion rule.

Each day brings us closer to the time that we will stand before Jesus. Begin now to make the most of each day, " RE