Gemstones of Heaven: How to Build Kingdom Impact on the Foundation of Christ
When my children were younger and in grade school, there was always one question I would ask them when I was encouraging them to think about their choices.
“Do you want jewels in your crown?”
This question was the starting point for a teachable conversation, as I wanted them to consider their actions and the effects that they ultimately would have in the Kingdom of Heaven. (When I get to heaven, I won’t be in a meager house in the suburbs; I will be on a hilltop in a mansion! And how do I know that? Because God promises that how I live my life on earth will reap great rewards when I see Him face to face!)
The world in which we live now is temporal, and where we go is eternal. The slight difference between the two is only a mere few seconds, which is why we need to ensure that everything we do on Earth counts.
Conditions of Our Kingdom Reward
Throughout the New Testament, we learn how Christ’s Church should live according to the standard of heaven. The writer of 1 Corinthians, the Apostle Paul, addresses how we should build upon our foundation in Jesus so that our reward will be great when we get to heaven.
“And I, brethren, could not speak to you as spiritual people but as to carnal, as to babes in Christ. I fed you with milk and not with solid food; for until now you were not able to receive it, and even now you are still not able; for you are still carnal. For where there are envy, strife, and division among you, are you not carnal and behaving like mere men?”
-1 Corinthians 3:1-3, NKJV
Paul is writing to the city of Corinth, which was known to be a bustling city with commotion happening everywhere. (This place reminds me of the DMV!) Even though the first-century church was growing and thriving, it chose not to break away from its harmful ways, still thinking with a temporal and fleshy mindset.
Does this not sound like the DMV?!
Even today, this kind of lifestyle is more common than we think. Yet, the results are still the same. Friend, we must be mindful of how we think when it comes to the work we are doing for God.
So, what behaviors does Paul warn us to be mindful of?
3 Behaviors That Prevent Us From Spiritual Maturity
Envy
Envy is harvested from the roots of jealousy. But where does jealousy come from? It originates from the comparison standard we hold against others.
Women do this all the time! We observe another sister’s shoes and wonder how we can accumulate them for our collections. We compare our family life to that of another while pridefully counting the ways we are or aren’t doing a better job. And sometimes we even wonder how another woman came to connect with a particular type of partner, further comparing his actions of adoration to the lack in our own lives.
The only comparison we should be making is that of comparing ourselves with who Jesus is and correct our courses accordingly!
Strife
In our earthly perspectives, we often tend to side with being right or better, which usually leads to unnecessary bickering and arguing.
When my children were young, and one held the special toy the others would want, it almost always led to strife in my home. This resulted in Mama (me!) stopping whatever I was doing to act as the mediator.
Sadly, many adults in the church act the same way! Paul points out that when we behave this way, we act like those who don’t have Christ dwelling in our hearts.
Division
Division in the church is not uncommon. We see it in leadership, our congregations, and within our daily walks as Christians.
We create silos of categories around who is more important, who should or shouldn’t lead, and whether or not a particular denomination is better than another. Paul says that when we operate in this manner, we cause division in the Body of Christ.
Even Paul, the rock on which the church was built, considered himself no better than his fellow brother or sister. We must remember that we are all sinners in need of a Savior, and to think any other way is detrimental to our spiritual growth.
What is Your Foundation Built On?
“According to the grace of God which was given to me, as a wise master builder I have laid the foundation, and another builds on it. But let each one take heed how he builds on it. For no other foundation can anyone lay than that which is laid, which is Jesus Christ. Now if anyone builds on this foundation with gold, silver, precious stones, wood, hay, 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, which 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 3:10-15, NKJV
When we accept the foundation of Jesus Christ—who he is, his death, and resurrection—we are then able to start to build.
As we begin to build, we have a choice: We can build with precious materials or things that will not last. However, our foundation is not just about our building materials but also about our actions.
Our works for the kingdom will one day be tried by fire, determining the kind of reward we will receive. We must not be so focused on this earthly life that we forget we are just passing through. Our eternal home is in heaven, and everything we do here will have a great impact on all eternity.
Our Building Materials
Our actions can produce kingdom results or earthly ones of the flesh.
When you build with the right materials, on Judgment Day, your work won’t disintegrate in the fire. When precious jewels are placed into the fire, they become brighter. They will be able to withstand heat and pressure and will be a reflection of your spiritual life.
When you are spiritually mature and creating precious gemstones, not only will the faith-producing works stand firm, but you will also be steadfast and immovable, no matter the circumstance.
Spiritual Maturity
How do you build precious stones in your life? It all comes down to how spiritually mature you are in your walk with Christ. When we surrender to the Lord, He produces kingdom growth in us by way of two processes: a mechanism and a method of spiritual maturity.
God’s Mechanism
God provided a means for us to learn what it looks like to be spiritually mature, and He did so through His example of the life of Jesus.
The consistent example he gives us is in his obedience to the Father.
“Though He was a Son, yet He learned obedience by the things which He suffered.”
-Hebrews 5:8, NKJV
Christ learned to be obedient through the sufferings he experienced, and we are called to do the same. As we embrace hard seasons and circumstances, we learn to lean on the Father and trust in the paths He has placed before us.
“But solid food belongs to those who are of full age, that is, those who by reason of use have their sense exercised to discern both good and evil.”
-Hebrews 4:14, NKJV
As you journey to maturity, you will begin to discern what is of God and what isn’t, ultimately exercising that through the mechanism of obedience.
God’s Method
Hupakouó is the Greek word for obedience. It means to listen to or pay attention to.
When you experience situations where you don't understand what is going on around you, listen and pay attention to God. Often, we lean our ears to the voices of other people, social media, and even the internal struggles we feel as we listen to the lies in our heads. We must always listen to the voice of God before anything else.
So, how do we know what God's voice sounds like? We read His holy word. As we become acclimated to the scriptures, they become planted in the roots of our hearts and eventually, with practice, will be the clearest voice we hear in the hardest things we face.
We grow into mature beings by understanding the mechanism of how God matures us and by surrendering to His method as we learn to pay attention to His voice and not the world’s.
But be aware that you can build bad things on the foundation Jesus provides. You can take his perfect foundation and build something not pleasing to God. However, God, in His goodness, will not shun us from heaven, but He will allow us to suffer a loss. If we choose to build with discord, fornication, and murdering others with our tongues, our works will burn away in the fire, leaving us with nothing to show for our works on earth.
I don’t know about you, but when I stand before Jesus, I want him to be so proud of me that when my works go in the fire, they produce glorious, brilliant gemstones that only reflect my surrendered worship of Christ.
If you are obedient through your suffering and listen to the word of God, you will become spiritually mature and able to build precious stones on the perfect foundation of Jesus.
Sisters, let us not be like the Corinthian church. But instead, may we have hearts of worship, hands of surrender, and ears that know the voice of God.