If salvation is secure, why should Christians still work?
Christians work because salvation being secure does not permit laziness. They are to labor to further God's work among humanity and to gain reward. Their motivation must be God's glory, not ego, since God examines why they act; rightly motivated service is gold, silver, and precious stones, while self-enhancing works are wood, hay, and stubble.
Les explains that even though salvation is secure, believers are not to sit down and get lazy. Instead, they are to work to further God's work among the human race and to gain reward. He connects this to I Corinthians 3:15, where a person's work may be burned, and says the gold, silver, and precious stones represent things done with right motivation—when the whole purpose is for God to receive the glory, not for oneself. By contrast, activities that enhance the ego will probably end up as wood, hay, and stubble. God looks at the motivation, so believers must ask why they do what they do and whether it is to please God and bring Him glory. Les also illustrates the Christian life as paddling a canoe up a roaring river: it is never easy and is a constant battle against Satan and the designs of the world, but God has promised that we can do it.