Last week, I attended the memorial service for my 90-year old aunt. As I reflected on the service and the things that were said on her behalf, I thought about Paul’s words to the Corinthians: “If any man's work which he has built on it remains, he will receive a reward” (1 Cor.3:14 NASB). I find an interesting double-meaning in the word “remains.”
When someone is deceased, we speak of their remains, meaning the lifeless body. In the case of my aunt, she requested that her remains be cremated, meaning disposed of by fire. I find this ironic, given Paul's language in verse 13 where he says “there is going to come a time of testing at the judgment day to see what kind of work each builder has done. Everyone's work will be put through the FIRE to see whether or not it keeps its value [i.e., whether it REMAINS].” My aunt's body and her works will go through a fire.
When we leave this world, the work we have done for the Kingdom of God will remain: we will be rewarded. Given the gravity of this, should you—regardless of your age—be more mindful of what you are building? And not only for eternal rewards, but that the ‘building’ you are doing will continue, or remain, ‘in time’ through those people in whom you have invested? As I looked around the church last week at my Aunt Ruby's children, grandchildren, and great grandchildren, I thought to myself, these are her legacy. But now the Lord has given me a fresh revelation of this: they are her eternal 'remains.'
Francis Frangipane said “The Lord inspects His house by walking through it and throwing matches!” Will your 'building' pass the test of His fire. Will it remain?
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