Your Life in light of the Day (1 Cor. 3:10-15)

1 Corinthians 3:10-15

The Day is a real day of judgment. The Bema Seat judgment of Christ is not the same as the Great White throne judgment where unbelievers are given their deserved sentences but a judgment for believers concerning their works. (see also: Rom. 14:10 and 2 Cor. 5:10) On this day will be large plumes of smoke from so called 'good works' being burned. However we won't have the vantage of seeing other's works going up in judgment flames because the smoke from our own works fires will be blocking our view. Read these words and let them sink in deeply as you meditate upon them. "each one's work will become manifest, for the Day will disclose it, because it will be revealed by fire, and the fire will test what sort of work each one has done."
Our heart is so wickedly deceitful but on this day the truth will come out. Does this at all motivate me? Do I live in light of this fact? Does it drive me at all? No, I guess it doesn't otherwise my secret sins would be much less palatable.
So what are the affects of this coming judgment upon our lives?
Security:  Other scripture are very clear, there is now no condemnation for those who are in Christ. Grace is given. Even though painful fires are coming He will wipe away every tear. My ministry in Christ is out of the reach of men and even my own feelings about it. I am hidden in Christ and that is enough.
Sincerity: These thoughts drive us to works that advance the Gospel. How many conversations do I have about Christ? Am I just mailing it in when I come to church for worship? We must resolve along with Paul to know nothing except Jesus Christ and Him crucified.
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Brass Plaques and Crosses 1 Cor. 3:5-4:21

Plaques are like plagues, if one won't kill you the other one will.

Wouldn't it be great to be freed from one of the great boat anchors that impedes our smooth sailing? We can become so full of ourselves and our indispensibility that we start collecting our own trading cards! "Where's my plaque of recognition because I'm important to God?" Paul reminds us in 1 Cor. 3:5-8 that most important lesson of all for Christians and especially leaders: God does not need us in the slightest but only chooses us by His good pleasure to work "through" us and not "by" us.
Here is the rub: our grandiose recognition verses the Cross. No one enjoys driving spikes into our wants and needs but that is exactly where God wants us. Crosses are for dying and taking yours up is going to be painful and costly. Selfishness need not apply for this ministry. So lets finally drive this spike in and get over ourselves. God doesn't need us or any superstars, not Paul or the polished Apollos, to complete His goals.
I was struggling with this post and then I received an email from a dear brother and church planter in Christ from Bangladesh, Mortuza Biswas. In his broken English he described it better than I have ever heard or read:

i’ll keep encourage the people, to tell others, about love of God! so, one day might my county will be safe, or even thou, our country will be save by Jesus. that is i dreaming. i know that, i am a little bug, and i am biting (eating) the wooden furniture. and one day, it will broke down. what i am saying that, traditional faith will broke down, and Christian faith will raise up.  that’s i am thinking. God can do anything, over a night, but He gave me an opportunity to join his work.