Every believer's work is tested by Christ's fiery judgment: gold, silver, and precious stone works survive for reward, while wood, hay, and stubble are burned, but the believer himself is still saved.
In 1 Corinthians 3, Paul explains that the day will declare each person's work because it will be revealed by fire, and the fire will test what sort it is. If the work abides, the believer receives a reward; if it is burned, he suffers loss but is saved 'yet so as by fire.' Les Feldick emphasizes that this judgment is not about sin or salvation but about what reward a believer has won.
1 Corinthians 3:13-15 — This passage directly states that every man's work will be revealed by fire and either receives a reward or is burned while the person is saved.
2 Corinthians 5:10 — This verse identifies the judgment seat of Christ where every believer receives according to what they have done in the body.
In 1 Corinthians 3:12-15, Scripture describes two kinds of building materials on the foundation: gold, silver, and precious stones, or wood, hay, and stubble. Verse 13 says, '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.' If the work abides, the builder 'shall receive a reward.' If the work is burned, 'he shall suffer loss: but he himself shall be saved; yet so as by fire.' In 2 Corinthians 5:10, Scripture says, 'For we must all appear before the judgment seat of Christ; that every one may receive the things done in his body, according to that he hath done, whether it be good or bad.' These verses show that the believer's works will be tested and evaluated at the judgment seat of Christ, with reward or loss of reward as the outcome — but not the loss of salvation.
Les Feldick teaches that the judgment seat of Christ, or Bema Seat, is where every believer's works are brought into the spotlight of Christ's fiery eyes. It is not a judgment for sin — believers are examined for reward, not for salvation. He draws on 1 Corinthians 3 to explain that the fire of Christ's eyes will test each person's work. Wood, hay, and stubble will go up in smoke, while gold, silver, and precious stones will survive, even be enhanced. The believer whose work is burned suffers the loss of reward but is still saved. Les also suggests the reward that survives may be responsibilities given to believers in the kingdom, rather than crowns.
Les Feldick is clear that at the Bema Seat believers are not coming before the Lord with their sin, but to determine whether they have won reward. He says, 'We're not going to come before Him with our sin. We're going to come before Him, have we won reward.' In 2 Corinthians 5:10, Paul speaks of receiving 'the things done in his body,' which addresses works rather than sin.
Les uses the building materials in 1 Corinthians 3: gold, silver, and precious stones versus wood, hay, and stubble. He says when the fiery eyes of Christ are finished, 'only the three elements that won't melt in heat, only the gold, silver, and precious stone' will remain. In contrast, works that are wood, hay, and stubble will go up in a puff of smoke. Les also notes that fire not only reveals but tests with heat, and the gold, silver, and precious stones are enhanced rather than destroyed.
According to 1 Corinthians 3:15, when a man's work is burned he suffers loss, but he himself is saved. Les says this is not about salvation; it is about reward. A believer whose work is all wood, hay, and stubble never went out and 'grubbed for gold' or 'dug for the silver or the precious stones'; he simply fiddled with worthless materials. He does not lose his salvation, but he has nothing left that merits reward.
Les says the surviving gold, silver, and precious stones are the basis on which God gives reward for eternity. He thinks the reward will be responsibilities in the kingdom, and he explicitly says 'this has nothing to do with the crowns.' The believer is not working for salvation, but building carefully for what will last after the fire.
Eternal Security: Can Anything Separate Us From God? | Romans 8 Bible Study
earnest. Now, our real estate lady isn't here, otherwise I was going to put her on the spot and say, now, what is earnest money in a real estate transaction especially? It's a down payment. But a hundred dollars on a $200,000 home, that's no down payment. Somebody could skip town and forget about that hundred dollars.
The Bema Seat Is Not the White Throne Judgment
Les clarifies that the judgment day in 1 Corinthians 3 is the judgment seat of Christ, not the Great White Throne, and that every person's work will be tested by fire.
Believers Examined for Reward, Not Sin
Les teaches that at the Bema Seat believers do not come before Christ with sin, but to see whether they have won reward; the fiery eyes test every believer's work of what sort it is.
Reward or Loss, Not Salvation
Les explains that if a man's work abides he receives a reward, but if it is burned he suffers the loss of reward — not salvation.
Testing by Fiery Eyes
Les repeats the 1 Corinthians 3 passage and applies it to the Bema Seat: the fire tests whether work is wood, hay, stubble or gold, silver, precious stones.
Reward Is Future Responsibility
Les says the believer is judged not for salvation or sin but for reward; only gold, silver, and precious stones survive, and the reward appears to be responsibilities in the kingdom, not crowns.
Fire Enhances Lasting Works
Les explains that fiery eyes reveal and test works; wood, hay, and stubble vanish, while gold, silver, and precious stones are enhanced by the fire.
Every Believer's Day-to-Day Works
Les says every believer, including women and children, will have their day-to-day practices put in the intense spotlight of Christ's fiery eyes to test for works.
1 Corinthians 3:12: Now if any man build upon this foundation gold, silver, precious stones, wood, hay, stubble;
Describes the two categories of building materials on the foundation, which determine whether a believer's work survives the 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.
States that every person's work will be revealed and tested by fire.
1 Corinthians 3:14: If any man's work abide which he hath built thereupon, he shall receive a reward.
Promises a reward to the believer whose work survives the fire.
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.
Shows that the burned-up believer suffers loss but is still saved.
2 Corinthians 5:10: For we must all appear before the judgment seat of Christ; that every one may receive the things done in his body, according to that he hath done, whether it be good or bad.
Names the judgment seat of Christ where each believer receives according to deeds done in the body.
No. Scripture says if a man's work is burned, he shall suffer loss, but he himself shall be saved, yet so as by fire. Les Feldick emphasizes that the loss at the Bema Seat is loss of reward, not loss of salvation.
No. Les explicitly says this is not the White Throne judgment, but the judgment seat of Christ. At the Bema Seat, believers are examined for their works and reward, not for sin.
Their works are like wood, hay, and stubble, which burn up in a puff of smoke. Les says such believers never went out and grubbed for gold or silver, but fiddled with worthless materials. They suffer loss of reward, yet they are still saved.
Watch the Teaching: Eternal Security: Can Anything Separate Us From God? | Romans 8 Bible Study