Lightbearing lightbearers

Jesus is the True Light, that lighteth every man cometh into this world. We must believe in the light, that we may be the children of light. For we were sometimes darkness, but now are we light in the Lord: walk as children of light. For the night is far spent, the day is at hand: let us therefore cast off the works of darkness, and let us put on the armour of light. Let your light so shine before men, blameless and harmless, the sons of God, without rebuke, in the midst of a crooked and perverse nation that they may see your good works, among whom ye shine as lights in the world, that they glorify your Father which is in heaven. For if the ministration of death, written and engraven in stones, was glorious, so that the children of Israel could not stedfastly behold the face of Moses for the glory of his countenance; which glory was to be done away: How shall not the ministration of the spirit through you be rather glorious? Eph 5:8; Matt 5:14,16; Romans 13:12; Phil 2:15; 2 Cor 3:7-8; John 12:35-36; 11:8-10

God says in 1 Cor. 3: 9 For we are labourers together with God: ye are God's husbandry, ye are God's building. We are God's. His building. His vineyard. This verse speaks of each and every believer individually and God's ownership of them and His laboring with the labors to ensure the vineyard continues to be fruitful, His building remain stable. 10 According to the grace of God which is given unto me, as a wise masterbuilder, I have laid the foundation, and another buildeth thereon. But let every man take heed how he buildeth thereupon. Our foundation is laid, Jesus Christ. This is confirmed in verse 11 "For other foundation can no man lay than that is laid, which is Jesus Christ." What makes up the rest of the believer is based upon the doctrine that a "master builder" like Paul or another used on them and or their acceptance of the building material used in constructing them. So if we have a ministry, (are a builder by the Grace of God like Paul) whose duty is the perfecting of the saints, for the work of the ministry, for the edifying of the body of Christ: Till we all come in the unity of the faith, and of the knowledge of the Son of God, unto a perfect man, unto the measure of the stature of the fulness of Christ: We need take heed how we buildeth thereupon. In other words we need to be sure what we are teaching or showing is truth and of God. If we take part in the building of a house, a convert and use shady material, false doctrine it will not hold up. Will it? Same applies to the work of the ministry, for the edifying of the body of Christ. False doctrine will only destroy those who allow themselves to be built with it. Let's classify the doctrinal building material. 12 Now if any man build upon this foundation gold, silver, precious stones, wood, hay, stubble; The Foundation is Jesus Christ. That does not change. We as converts are the building material. What type of building material we are will depend on our acceptance of the New Covenant, the writing, or the putting of His will, His Commandments, His Love on our hearts and minds. This is the Gospel, the establishing of His Kingdom, His Spirit within us. For it is He that worketh in us both to will and do His good pleasure. Not us but Christ. The building material that a professing Christian is depends on their acceptance of the Gospel. They will be as either gold, silver, precious stones, wood, hay, or stubble. 13 Every man's work shall be made manifest: for the day shall declare it, because it shall be revealed by fire; and the fire shall try every man's work of what sort it is. Upon the Judgment Day every man's work, the converts, those under their ministry shall be manifested. A professing Christian is what they believe and do. If they are Gold, silver or precious stones they will be refined or cleansed. If they are wood, hay, or stubble they will be burned up, because that is what happens to it when fire is introduced to it. There will be weeping and gnashing of teeth. 14 If any man's work abide which he hath built thereupon, he shall receive a reward. 15 If any man's work shall be burned, he shall suffer loss: but he himself shall be saved; yet so as by fire. Some might take the latter part of verse fifth-teen to say that even though the minister was a heretic in spreading false doctrine and because of their ministry people were lead astray and were burned up on the Judgement Day that they themselves are saved. That is not what the verse is saying at all. Otherwise the admonition in verse ten to take heed would be for naught. Usually what ends up happening when building is various tradesmen come to do the various aspects of building, Brick layers, Carpenters, Roofers...etc; etc. So is it with the making of a Christian. "And he gave some, apostles; and some prophets; and some evangelists, some pastors and teachers. So just as if a tradesman might not be very apt at his trade and use faulty material or poor craftsmanship so is it with ministers with false doctrine or the leading by poor example as to how a Christian is to act. Through God if we are and have used the Gold, the Silver, and or the Precious Stones, at some point in the edification of any convert or ourselves; we did our part with God. But it is up to the building, the convert weather or not they keep it within themselves. If they have not, and they have let another builder build and they use wood, hay and stubble and this is what they are made of. They will not hold up on the Last Day and they will be destroyed by God's cleansing fire. But because we had the privilege to know them and lovingly share the precious gems that our Lord has placed in our capable hands for the edifying, the building of those would be of the the house hold of God, the body of Christ, We will suffer loss because we love them for God is Love and as He is so are we. We love them so much They are as a part of us, but they are destroyed, so sad we will be. But we will be saved. Because we did our part through God and shared His precious treasures found in His Word. 16 Know ye not that ye are the temple of God, and that the Spirit of God dwelleth in you? 17 If any man defile the temple of God, him shall God destroy; for the temple of God is holy, which temple ye are. We need to take heed as verse ten admonishes. Because if we use inadequate material or lead by poor example and cause a child of God to be defiled by it, we ourselves are defiled by the use of the inadequate material; the spreading of heresy. So we will be destroyed also. This is what verse sixteen and seventeen unfold.