If anyone’s work remains, which he has built upon it, he will receive a reward. If anyone’s work is burned up, he will suffer loss; but he himself will be saved, indeed thus as through fire (1 Corinthians 3:14–15).
The Bema Seat, the place of judgment for our works, is not something a grace believer should fear. For through it, all that could be used against us to accuse us before God will be burned up, and all that remains will be what is pure and worthy of reward. This will be a day of great rejoicing, not of sorrow, for all that is unrighteous will be gone from us forever.
With this in mind, let us build upon the foundation of Christ in a proper manner—not through self-effort or by seeking our own righteousness, whether before God or men, but by living a life out from faith. This is not a life lived by law, for law is not out from faith. Rather, it is the life of a son, taking the time to train the senses to discern between what is proper and what is wrong, so that our works are accomplished in righteousness.
This begins with knowing the revealed desirous will of God for the grace believer. Along with this, we must grow in our understanding of the faith—the basis for the grace believer’s hope. Therefore, let us be diligent to add to our faith virtue, to our virtue knowledge, to our knowledge self-control, to our self-control patience, to our patience godliness, to our godliness brotherly kindness, and to our brotherly kindness love. In doing so, we will not be barren or unfruitful in the full experiential knowledge of our Lord. As a result, our works will be of good quality.