Divisons

1 Cor. 3:16-17

Do you not know that you are God's temple and that God's Spirit dwells in you?

If anyone destroys God's temple, God will destroy him. For God's temple is holy, and you are that temple.

Divisions within the body are destructive and sinful. Specifically, the Corinthians were fighting over who had had a major impact upon their lives especially in their salvation experience. Paul was appalled at this attitude, and consequently, he had to address them as children giving them the milk of the Word instead of the meat. They were missing the main point, that is that neither he who plants nor he who waters is anything, but only God who gives the growth. He who plants and he who waters are one, and each will receive his wages according to his labor. For we are God's fellow workers. You are God's field, God's building. 

Paul admonished them about how they were building upon their foundation regardless of who had laid the foundation. The building materials were gold, silver, precious stones, wood, hay, straw. Each one's work will become manifest, for the Day will disclose it, because it will be revealed by fire, and the fire will test what sort of work each one has done. If the work that anyone has built on the foundation survives, he will receive a reward. If anyone's work is burned up, he will suffer loss, though he himself will be saved, but only as through fire. Yikes! Suffer loss! The key issue is for them and for us is faithfulness. How faithful are we to the task that God has given us? What are our motives in the work we do? Is human pride a factor? We need not fool ourselves thinking all will be forgotten. Certainly we won't lose our salvation, but who wants to suffer loss in heaven? Who wants to have nothing to throw at Jesus' feet?

Finally, Paul spoke to them about God's temple. Had they forgotten that they were the temple of God that was indwelled by His Spirit? If anyone destroys God's temple, God will destroy him. For God's temple is holy, and you are that temple. Let no one deceive himself. Wake up! Listen! Examine your lives! The wisdom of the world is worthless in God's eyes. This divisiveness is worldly and foolish. So let no one boast in men. For all things are yours, whether Paul or Apollos or Cephas or the world or life or death or the present or the future--all are yours, and you are Christ's, and Christ is God's.

Father,

Fill my life with a love for Jesus. Make this love be my motive in all that I do. Sweep away anything that is tainted by sinful motives and methods. I want to be totally Yours used as You will.

In Jesus name,

Amen