He himself will be saved, but as through fire.

 

He himself will be saved, but as through fire.

 

1 Corinthians 3:13-15 "If anyone's work built on the foundation survives, he will receive a reward; but if anyone's work is burned up, he will suffer loss (zemiothesetai); yet he himself will be saved, but as through fire."

Gemeothesetai (ζημιωθήσεται) means to be harmed, to suffer loss, or to be wounded. If the ministry that a believer has worked hard for is burned up like wood, grass, or straw, they will suffer many wounds.

In order for a believer to receive salvation, they must be baptized. Although baptism is administered with water as a formality, Satan’s temptation comes after baptism. It is those who hear the Word who are tempted. If those who hear the Word do not reach the death and resurrection of Jesus, they will all fall away.

When Jesus was baptized, a voice from God was heard saying, “This is my beloved Son,” and the Holy Spirit descended like a dove, and that Holy Spirit led Jesus to Satan to be tempted. The reason Jesus had to be tempted by Satan is that Satan is the one who controls all those in the world who possess a flesh. This is because Jesus also possessed a flesh.

These temptations of Satan were threefold, with the core being the tests of legalism, prosperity theology, and Gnosticism. The Kingdom of God comes to those who pass these trials. Likewise, for a believer to enter into Christ, they must receive water baptism and undergo the temptations of Satan. After receiving and passing these temptations of Satan, the baptism of the Holy Spirit comes.

Legalism refers to those who believe they must keep the law even while hearing the gospel; prosperity theology refers to those who are interested in the world rather than the Kingdom of God; and Gnosticism (mysticism) is becoming one who puts oneself forward rather than denying oneself.

If one who hears the Gospel passes such a test, they receive the baptism of the Holy Spirit, and the Logos comes into the heart of the saint, bringing the Kingdom of God. The truth of the Gospel is to bring the Kingdom of God to the hearing saint. The Kingdom of God is Jesus Christ. If you enter into Jesus Christ, the Kingdom of God comes.

We can consider three things regarding the kingdom: being its people, its land, and its power. To become its people, one must become one who believes in dying and being resurrected in union with Jesus Christ. Then, one can receive the baptism of the Holy Spirit.

And a temple descending from heaven is established within the heart of the saint; unlike the old temple, this becomes a new temple. This temple corresponds to the earth. And when Jesus Christ enters and dwells in that temple through the power of the Holy Spirit, that becomes the power of the Kingdom of God for that saint. Therefore, entering into Christ is precisely how the Kingdom of God is established. This is how the Kingdom of God becomes within the heart.

However, if a believer hears the Gospel but remains immersed in the world, they will collapse in temptation, and the one who preaches the Gospel will feel as if their heart is on fire. They will feel agony as if the preacher is about to burn to death. How difficult it is to establish a person of the world as a citizen of the Kingdom of God!

In a church community, believers may be rewarded for evangelizing and leading many people to the church, but if the truth is not properly taught, they ultimately become those who are called but not chosen. If those who hear the gospel do not remain in the truth, they end up like straws that are spiritually burned up.

Regarding the reason why many are called but few are chosen, if we look at the parable in the Gospel of Matthew where the king held a wedding feast for his son, it is that he did not wear the wedding garment. Consequently, he is driven out of the royal palace; the wedding garment is clothing oneself in Christ. The garment of Christ signifies the death on the cross and the resurrection.

The ultimate purpose of being united with Jesus’ death on the cross and resurrection is to establish the Kingdom of God within the hearts of the saints. Therefore, this Kingdom of God is expressed in various ways.

First, the Kingdom of God within the heart is precisely Heaven. In Matthew 3:2, it is stated, "Repent, for the Kingdom of Heaven (*he basileia ton ouranon*) is near," so a distinction must be made between Heaven and the Kingdom of God. The Hebrew phrase *he basileia ton ouranon* is translated as "Kingdom of Heaven," but it refers to the Kingdom of God within the heart. It is the Kingdom of God where the Father, Jesus Christ, and the saints become one through the Holy Spirit.

Second, a new temple is built within the spirit. Jesus likened His body to a temple. In John 2:19, it says, "Jesus answered, 'Destroy this temple, and in three days I will raise it up again.'" This temple is the old temple, a temple that must die.

Third, Jesus returns to the new temple and enters to dwell therein. For believers who believe that they died on the cross with Jesus Christ and resurrected with Him, the Second Coming of Jesus Christ means that Jesus has entered into their hearts through the power of the Holy Spirit. Therefore, Jesus becomes the Lord of the believers. Of course, for believers who do not believe this (other people), the Second Coming of Christ has not been fulfilled.

Fourth, the building of the temple and Jesus' entry into it signify the restoration of the image of God for the saints. Colossians 1:15 states, "He is the image of the invisible God, the firstborn of all creation."

Fifth, the temple within the spirit is the lost Eden. Eden symbolizes the Kingdom of God within the spirit and serves as a metaphorical and symbolic explanation of the angel's spirit that sinned in the Kingdom of God. The standing of the new temple is the restoration of Eden.

Sixth, Eden is the Millennium Kingdom. The Millennium Kingdom means that the saints become eternal citizens of Heaven. The Millennium Kingdom is another name for Heaven. When a saint becomes a citizen of Heaven, he is in the Millennium Kingdom. The Millennium Kingdom, or Heaven, is equated with the Kingdom of God.

Seventh, a saint is one in whom a temple has been built within the heart; the meaning of a saint is a holy people and a royal priesthood. A saint becomes a holy priest who offers a living spiritual sacrifice to God.

Eighth, the saints are the beings known as the 144,000. In Revelation 7:4, it says, "I heard the number of those who were sealed—144,000 from every tribe of Israel." The 144,000 is not a number of people, but simply a number. The 144,000 signifies the tabernacle and the army that leads it. Sealing means counting the number of those going out to war. The number of the temple is expressed as 144,000.