will i pass the test?

Before I interrupted our train of thought in these blogs by writing about Holy Week, we were considering God´s goals during this time of difficulty in our lives.  I had identified three goals God often has for people walking through times of trial.

​TO GIVE US VICTORY IN THE SPIRITUAL BATTLE by motivating us to put on the armor of God and to pray. (blog for 4/1)
TO PURIFY OUR FAITH that the genuineness of our faith will glorify Him. (blog for 4/2)
TO SIGNAL US TO REEVALUATE OUR PRIORITIES and thereby make us successful in His work. (blog for 4/3)
There are four more, so I will tell you about these through the rest of the week.

Goal # 4 TO TEST OUR WORK

• For believers, all our work will be ultimately tested at the Judgment Seat of Christ.  (I know you remember that I preached the passage below on March 1!)

1 Corinthians 3:12-15 NKJV   12 Now if anyone builds on this foundation with 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 which he has built on it endures, he will receive a reward. 15 If anyone’s work is burned, he will suffer loss; but he himself will be saved, yet so as through fire.

• However, when we arrive at the Judgment Seat, it will be too late to change our works.
• Adversity provides a “pre-test” to show us what will stand while there is still time to change it. 

Matthew 7:24-27 NKJV   24 “Therefore whoever hears these sayings of Mine, and does them, I will liken him to a wise man who built his house on the rock: 25 and the rain descended, the floods came, and the winds blew and beat on that house; and it did not fall, for it was founded on the rock. 26 “But everyone who hears these sayings of Mine, and does not do them, will be like a foolish man who built his house on the sand: 27 and the rain descended, the floods came, and the winds blew and beat on that house; and it fell. And great was its fall.”

One of the benefits of hard times is that it shows us that many things in this world are built on sand. 

I already told you that I never was an athletic wonder!  Now there was a day that I was slim and had a bit more athletic appearance than I do now, but even then I was never first pick on any ball team.

However, in Junior High, I ran track for one year.  Then I switched to debate because I found out I would rather run my mouth than my legs.  But that one year of track taught me something. 

It taught me that you do not win races at the track meet.  You win races in practice and with the warm up.  At the meet you just claim the victory for which you have paid the price previously.  I learned how important warm-up exercises are.  Stretching exercises were often painful, but they were absolutely essential to preparing the body for the race ahead.  No good warm-up; no good race.

Folks, life is a warm-up.  It is a warm-up for eternity.  It lasts for seconds compared to a lifetime, a minute compared to a century.

If I said to you, just do what I tell you for 15 seconds and the rest of your life will be glorious beyond description, you would do it. 

God essentially says that if we

• Trust Christ
• Allow the things God sends our way: good times, troubled times, to mold us into the likeness of Christ by
  • leading us to put on our spiritual armor and power
  • purifying our faith
  • keeping right priorities
  • building an eternal work with our life

There is a glorious tomorrow out there that is going to last for all eternity.

​How’s your warm-up going?