Build With Quality Materials
Now if anyone builds on this foundation with gold, silver, precious stones, wood, hay, straw, 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.
Several times the New Testament uses the analogy of the Church being God’s building—God’s temple (Ephesians 2:20-22; 1 Peter 2:4-8). The firm foundation is Jesus Christ, and whatever we build should be built on that foundation, with appreciation of the awesomeness of that foundation.
The biblical accounts of the building of God’s temple in the Old Testament show that it was to be built of the highest quality materials. How much more so should Christians strive for quality in building God’s spiritual temple!
Paul explains that our work will be tested “by fire”—what Peter called a “fiery trial” (1 Peter 4:12). By analogy, the wood, hay and straw will be burned up, and only the precious materials will remain.
Read more about the spiritual structure God is building in the article “The Church: What Is It?”
