When the moment comes that God has decided upon, the Lord Jesus is going to come again. We do not know when it will be, but it may be any time—even today. Jesus tells us to watch for His coming (Matthew 25:13). Suddenly there will be a shout, which we shall hear, and the voice of the archangel and the trump of God. Then those who have been believers and have died, will be raised from the dead, and will have beautiful strong bodies like the Lord Jesus. Believers who are still alive will be changed so that they will be like Jesus too (1 John 3:2; Philippians 3:20-21), and they will be caught up together with those who have been raised from the dead to meet the Lord in the air. (Read 1 Thessalonians 4:13-17; 1 Corinthians 15:51-52.)
It would be foolish to try to do something that God says will not be done, would'nt it? Yet some Christians are working very hard, hoping to bring in the millenium by converting the whole world. Do you know what the millenium is? It is that wonderful time described in the Bible, when Christ will reign here, and all then living in the world will be under His rule. Yet in spite of all the good work Christians may do, they cannot bring everyone to Christ.
Our study today is going to be of five verses in 1 Corinthians 3. They are verses about rewards, and in this passage God tells us just what we need to know We will study the verses one by one to learn just what they mean.
We know that we shall not receive our rewards now, but at some future time, for that was in our last lesson. But just when will this time of rewarding be? The Bible gives us the answer to this question.
There is a great difference between salvation and rewards, and it is just there that some Christian people get mixed. You boys and girls can understand from this lesson what it takes some people many years to learn. There are two great differences between salvation and rewards. The first is that salvation is free, and rewards are earned; the second that salvation is obtained now and that rewards are for the future. You cannot do anything to deserve salvation.
