If a believer's works are burned, the believer suffers loss of reward, not loss of salvation, and remains saved.
The fire at the judgment seat of Christ tests every believer's work. Burned works were wood, hay, and stubble—done with wrong motives. The believer loses the reward those works could have earned, but 1 Corinthians 3:15 says 'he himself shall be saved; yet so as by fire.' Les Feldick stresses the loss is of reward, never of salvation.
1 Corinthians 3:15 — This verse directly answers the question by stating that a man whose work is burned suffers loss but is himself saved.
In 1 Corinthians 3, the apostle Paul describes believers building on the foundation of Jesus Christ with various materials: gold, silver, precious stones, wood, hay, and stubble. Verse 13 says every man's work will 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. If the work remains, the believer receives a reward. If the work is burned, the believer suffers loss, yet he himself shall be saved—yet so as by fire. Scripture therefore shows that burned works affect reward, not salvation.
Les teaches that when a believer's works are burned up, it means those works were like wood, hay, and stubble rather than gold, silver, and precious stones. They may have been done with much activity, but the motive was wrong—often to impress other people or to prove oneself better than someone else. At the Bema Seat, Christ's fiery eyes test every believer's work, not his sins. If the work is burned, the believer suffers loss of reward, not loss of salvation. He is saved and will be in glory, but will have nothing to show for works that had no lasting value. Les also urges believers not to become lazy because salvation is secure, but to keep serving and working for God's glory, because rewards are piling up in heaven.
Les explains that works done for the wrong motives—to impress other people, to prove oneself better than someone else, or to enhance the ego—are wood, hay, and stubble. He gives the example of a woman who planned to bake 25 pies for a denominational meeting, but realized she was doing it to prove she could do more than the preacher's wife. He says such works will be burned, while even 15–20 minutes alone in prayer can be gold, silver, and precious stones if done with the right motive.
Yes. Les repeatedly stresses that the loss is not loss of salvation but loss of reward. He points to 1 Corinthians 3:15, where it says 'he himself shall be saved.' There will be many Christians who meet the Lord with nothing that stood for anything—like a wall with nothing but old sticks—but they are still saved and will be in glory.
Les says we are not to sit down and get lazy just because our salvation is secure. We are to work to further God's work and to gain reward. Everything done for God's glory is like sending treasure ahead; it will be waiting for us when we get to heaven, and we will be able to cash in on these rewards.
Wrong Motives Make Works Wood, Hay, and Stubble
Les uses the story of a woman baking pies to show that works done to prove oneself better than someone else are wood, hay, and stubble, while quiet prayer done for God is gold, silver, and precious stones.
Burned Works Mean Loss of Reward, Not Salvation
Les directly teaches that a believer whose works are burned suffers loss of reward, not loss of salvation, and that he himself shall be saved.
Salvation Versus Works
Les distinguishes between salvation and works: works are in the area of Christian service and reward, so burned works mean the believer does not get a reward but is still saved.
Every Believer's Work Tested by Fire
Les says no believer escapes the fiery eyes of the Lord at the judgment seat, and those who only fiddled around with wood, hay, and stubble get nothing.
Right Motives Make Gold, Silver, and Precious Stones
Les defines gold, silver, and precious stones as works that are rightly motivated, done for God's glory, whereas ego-enhancing efforts end up as wood, hay, and stubble.
Keep Working for Rewards
Les encourages believers to keep serving and doing everything for God's glory because rewards are piling up in heaven and will be cashed in when we arrive.
Bema Seat Examines Works, Not Sin
Les clarifies that at the Bema Seat believers do not come before Him with sin; they come to see whether they won reward, and every believer's work is put under the spotlight of Christ's fiery eyes.
Believers Examined for Their Works
Les says every believer's day-to-day practices will be made manifest in an intense spotlight—the penetrating fiery eyes of the Lord Jesus—and will be examined for works, not sin.
1 Corinthians 3:12: Now if any man build upon this foundation gold, silver, precious stones, wood, hay, stubble;
This verse names the two categories of building materials that will be tested by fire.
1 Corinthians 3:13: 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.
This verse explains that every believer's work will be tested by fire to reveal what kind it is.
1 Corinthians 3:14: If any man's work abide which he hath built thereupon, he shall receive a reward.
This verse states that work which survives the fire results in a reward.
1 Corinthians 3:15: If any man's work shall be burned, he shall suffer loss: but he himself shall be saved; yet so as by fire.
This verse is the direct answer: burned works cause loss of reward, but the believer is still saved.
Yes. Les teaches that the loss is loss of reward, not loss of salvation. First Corinthians 3:15 says 'he himself shall be saved; yet so as by fire.' The believer is still saved and will be in glory, but has no reward for those works.
Wood, hay, and stubble represent works done with wrong motives—things done to impress other people or to enhance the ego—rather than for God's glory. Les says such works will not survive the fire of Christ's judgment.
The believer loses reward. They do not receive a reward for those works, but they do not lose their salvation or their place in heaven.
Les explains that gold, silver, and precious stones are works that are rightly motivated, done for God to receive the glory, not for personal recognition. Even quiet prayer, with no one aware of it, can be gold, silver, and precious stones.
Watch the Teaching: What Happens to Believers at the Bema Seat?