1 Cor. 3:13 The work of each will become manifest; for the day will declare it, because it is revealed by fire, and the fire itself will prove each one's work, of what sort it is. (14) If anyone's work which he has built upon the foundation remains, he will receive a reward; (15) If anyone's work is consumed, he will suffer loss, but he himself will be saved, yet so as through fire. Rev 20:6 Blessed and holy is he who has part in the first resurrection; over these the second death has no authority, but they will be priests of God and of Christ and will reign with Him for a thousand years
We should not follow the sugar-coated teachings common among today's Christians which tell us that once we believed in the Lord Jesus we shall not have any problems. No doubt, the Lord's salvation is eternal, complete, and perfect. Once we have been saved, we are saved eternally. Regarding eternal salvation we shall not have any problems. Nevertheless, in God's economy there is an insertion in His eternal and perfect salvation, and this insertion is the thousand year period of the coming kingdom as a reward to the faithful believers. In His wisdom God has inserted this dispensational period of a thousand years as an incentive to encourage His children to enjoy Christ faithfully. He wants us faithfully to enjoy His rich preparation for us in Christ. Because our Father knows that His children may be "naughty" and not faithfully enjoy Christ, He has made part of His full salvation an incentive and a reward. The reward of the millennial kingdom in the coming age should be an incentive to encourage us, warn us, and remind us to keep ourselves in the enjoyment of Christ today and to behave ourselves in this enjoyment. Otherwise, we shall be disciplined. This does not mean that we shall perish, that we shall be lost. Since we have been saved eternally, we shall never perish. Nevertheless, some of the Father's children will need to suffer discipline during the coming age. Those children who suffer the Father's discipline in the coming age will not cease to be His children. They will, of course, remain the Father's children, but they will be children in need of discipline. This matter of God's dispensational discipline of His children is clearly taught in the New Testament. (c) 2007 Living Stream Ministry.
Bible verses are taken from the Recovery Version of the Bible and Words of Ministry from Witness Lee, Life-study of Luke, pp. 286-287. Both are published by Living Stream Ministry, Anaheim, CA. Please visit us at www.emanna.com. Send comments to: [email protected].
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