Previous Challenge Entry (Level 3 - Advanced)
Topic: SPARKLE (08/19/21)
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TITLE: The Sparkle Test | Previous Challenge Entry
By Doug Laird
08/25/21 -
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Now erase all the things on that list that could have been accomplished if you had been an atheist.
Only that which remains (1Cor. 3: 14) is what you, as an advancing disciple, can expect to be rewarded for an good.
Christians, atheists, unbelievers (those who are not born again), and Psalms 96: 5 religious people can all produce human good, for a variety of reasons. If atheist can do something, it is not divine good in view. It is only, at best, human good.
Human good impacts the quality of life on Earth, and primarily glorifies the people that produce it.
Divine good, are the deeds that God produces (John 15: 5) through Spirit-filled believers. Divine good impacts Eternity, and primarily glorifies God who produces it.
It is God, and not Man (1Cor. 3: 7) who produces divine good through Spirit-filled, collaborating disciples. It is for this voluntary collaboration on Earth that an advancing disciple will be rewarded in Heaven.
When a Christian conducts himself independently of God (e.g. with the wrong motivation), he or she, too, is only performing human good.
If an atheist, unbeliever, or a follower of one of the Psalms 96:5 religions of the world can perform any given function, it is only human good that is in view.
Like Christians, an atheist can choose to live relatively well-behaved life styles, feed, clothe, and provide shelter for the poor and needy.
There is a time and place for such human good (1John 3: 17) in the life of a Christian. But all the human good in the world will not, in of itself, save or edify a single soul (Mark 8: 36).
One of the best examples of great human good that is produced by atheists, unbelievers, and Christians alike, are the medical procedures performed every day in hospital operating rooms.
God willing, such human good can preserve the biological life of the body, but can do nothing to evangelize or edify the soul.
Atheists and unbelievers engage in virtually EVERY type of human good along side their Christian counterparts who produce the same type of human good. It is in the midst of such activity that God desires to produce divine good through His disciples, saving and edifying the souls.
Producing good human good is not what opens the door to Heaven. Nor does the production of human good result in receiving the type of reward spoken of in 1Cor. 3: 14.
It will be a jaw-dropping event, when many Christians see what they thought was going to bring them Heavenly reward going up in smoke (1Cor. 3: 13, 15)!
The 1Cor.3: 12 - 15 event will not be for the purpose of comparing one's good deeds with one's bad deeds. One's bad deeds (sin), were already addressed (Romans 8: 1) here on Earth.
The purpose of the 1Cor. 3: 15 event is to separate the good deeds that one performed with human power, and the deeds of divine good that God produced through the believer. Once separated, the deeds of divine good are then rewarded.
In 1Cor. 3: 12-15, the silver, gold, and precious stones represent one's deeds of divine good that receive reward. The wood, hay, and straw represent one's deeds of human good that are burned up and receive no reward.
I refer to the 1Cor. 3: 14 evaluation as The Sparkle Test.
Paul (1Cor. 15: 41, 42) and Daniel (Dan. 12: 3) used the varying degrees of light emanating from the stars as a visual aid for us to understand the concept of eternal reward. To the degree that each born again believer shines (glorifies God) here on earth (Phil. 2: 15), the greater one will sparkle in Heaven.
"Those who have *insight will shine brightly like the brightness of the expanse of heaven, and those who lead the many to righteousness, like the stars forever and ever (Dan 12: 3 NASB)."
In the Church Age, those with *insight are the born again believers that glorify God by identifying and executing the post salvation spiritual life of discipleship.
Discipleship is initially for one's own edification, but with the long term goal of participating in the Great Commission. It will be the advancing disciples among the general population of born again believers in Heaven that will sparkle most brightly.
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