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Holy Fire Reveals The Motives Behind Our Works
What Will Happen When Holy Fire Tests Your Works?
BERT
FARIAS
"Then I saw 'a new heaven and a new
earth.' For the first heaven and the first earth had passed away, and
there was no more sea. I, John, saw the Holy City, the New Jerusalem, coming
down out of heaven from God, prepared as a bride adorned for her husband" (Revelation
21:1-2).
In Revelation 21 when the angel showed John the New Jerusalem,
the bride of Christ (that's the consecrated and surrendered people of God),
some of the construction of the city had been finished.
The wall and its foundations
were named after the apostles.
The apostles suffered great persecution and martyrdom to take
the Lord's love to the nations.
Their motives purified their
works, and their works were translated into materials to help construct the
foundations of the wall of the New Jerusalem.
Glory to God!
Here is a revelation: The New Jerusalem is called the bride of
Christ because the city is furnished with building materials that were
translated from our works on the earth.
Every trial, every difficulty, every
sacrifice you've made, every word and deed you've done in love and for the
honor and glory of God is being translated into construction materials to
furnish your heavenly home.
Even the heavenly clothing of
the saints will be furnished from their righteous acts (Revelation 19:8). That
is a tremendous truth.
That is such a motivating factor to keep on pressing toward the
mark for the prize of the high calling in Christ Jesus.
Our goal, though, must be
like the apostle Paul's, to know Him (Philippians 3:10).
We do not necessarily serve the
Lord for the rewards only, but out of a passion and love for Him who first
loved us (1 John 4:19).
All that is done with pure motives will get the Lord's reward.
When your motives are pure
your love is pure. And pure love will not be ashamed in the day when His holy
fire will test our works.
Understand that Jesus did not preach the gospel and heal the
sick because He was trying to earn points from the Father.
He didn't lay down His life
and forgive His enemies so He could earn wages from the Father and make it back
to heaven.
He never did anything for
money, popularity or to gain a name or an advantage for Himself.
Simply put, everything Jesus
said and did was out of love and for the glory of God alone regardless of
public opinion.
Many profess belief in the Bible but don't really believe that
its words will have any bearing on their eternal destiny.
The Bible has much to say
about works. Certainly we aren't saved by works, but they shall determine our
eternal reward.
After all, it is written that
faith without works is dead. Works are the way we prove the sincerity of our
faith.
But I've met so many people
in my years of walking with the Lord who seem confident that no matter how they
live their lives on the earth they will somehow make it to heaven and even
receive their eternal reward.
"Now if anyone
build on this foundation with gold, silver and precious stones wood, hay and
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. If anyone's work he has built on it endures, he will receive a
reward. If anyone's work is burned, he will suffer loss; but he himself will be
saved, yet so as through fire" (1 Corinthians
3:12-15).
What will make each of our individual works clear is the fire of
God's holiness. It will take holy fire to reveal the motives behind our works.
Our motives play a big part
in determining if our works are gold, silver and precious stones or wood, hay
and stubble.
Some believer's works shall
be burned, and he will suffer loss. Yes, the Bible says loss.
We don't often think that
there will be any loss for the believer who makes it to heaven, but the Word of
God tells us differently.
I don't know about you, but I
don't want that to be my lot and portion.
Every believer needs to live with a daily consciousness of
finishing his race and fulfilling God's plan for his life. I sort of have this
picture in my mind of two graphs in heaven - one represents what I actually did
with my life in God, and the other tells me what the fullness of God's plan was
for me.
And my constant pressing is
to shorten the gap between the two.
At this point certain people may be thinking, "That's alright if I lose my reward
because I'll still make it to heaven, and that's what's important."
I'll be plain here and tell
you that this is a loser's mentality. A wise man considers the afterlife and
his eternal reward, but a fool does not.
A wise man realizes that his life on earth is very temporal, but
eternity is forever.
The issue in not just one of
salvation, but of your personal love for Jesus and your standing throughout
eternity.
Will you have a seat close to
Jesus for all of eternity?
There's a reason why the mother of James and John requested that
they sit on the right and left hand of Jesus (Matthew 20:20-23).
There's a reason why Jesus
promised His disciples thrones where they would be judges (Matthew
19:28).
To those who overcome He
grants a seat with Him on His throne (Revelation 3:21).
There's a reason why Jesus promised more authority to him who is
faithful both here and the hereafter (Luke 16:10-12).
Paul spoke of crowns being
laid up for him (2 Timothy 4:8).
He spoke of attaining unto a
certain resurrection (Philippians 3:11) that included more than just
the general resurrection of the righteous.
Heaven is for the saved. No one without the new nature can enter
into the holy atmosphere of heaven.
But rewards are for the
sanctified and for those who refused to deviate from the pursuit of their first
love.
On the other hand, hell is for the devil and his demons and for
all those who chose to live independently of God.
Let's live like these things are true.
Pockets
of true revival are breaking out across the nation. Want to know more about the
next great move of God? Click here to see Jennifer LeClaire's new
book, featuring Dutch Sheets, Reinhard Bonnke, Jonathan Cahn, Billy Graham
and others.
Bert
M. Farias,
revivalist and founder of Holy
Fire Ministries, is the author of several books including The
Real Spirit of Revival: Preparing The Church For The Glory Of The Lord, The
Harvest, And His Soon Return and
the newly released My
Son, My Son – a beautiful
father-son book co-written with his son Daniel for the purpose of training up a
holy generation. He and his wife also host The Holy Ghost Forum – a school of
the Spirit. Follow him at Bert Farias and Holy
Fire Ministries on Facebook or @Bertfarias1on Twitter.
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