Motivation is crucial because God evaluates not just what you do but why you do it, and only work done for His glory will endure and earn reward.
Les Feldick teaches that while salvation is by faith alone, the Christian life is about working for reward. Work done with genuine purpose to bring honor and glory to God is compared to gold, silver, and precious stones, while work motivated by ego or self-interest is wood, hay, and stubble. Ultimately, God tests every believer's work to see if it will remain and produce reward.
1 Corinthians 3:13-15 — This passage describes how every man's work will be tested by fire, distinguishing enduring gold, silver, and precious stones from wood, hay, and stubble, and showing that loss of reward does not mean loss of salvation.
The Bible teaches that salvation is by grace through faith, not of works (Ephesians 2:8-9). However, after salvation, believers are called to work for reward. In 1 Corinthians 3:11-15, the apostle Paul explains that the foundation is Jesus Christ, and each believer builds upon it with materials of various quality—gold, silver, precious stones, or wood, hay, stubble. The day will reveal each man's work, and it will be tested by fire. If the work survives, the builder receives a reward; if it burns, he suffers loss, yet he himself is saved. Thus, the motive behind the work determines its durability and reward.
Les Feldick emphasizes that motivation is central in the Christian life. He stresses that believers are saved by faith alone, but once saved, God expects them to work—not for salvation, but for reward. The purpose of this work is to enhance God's work, advance the Kingdom, and bring honor and glory to His name. Believers are like 'worker bees' serving the Sovereign God. The quality of a believer's work—whether gold, silver, precious stones or wood, hay, stubble—depends on the motive behind it. If done for God's glory and in the Spirit, it will endure and bring reward; if done in the energy of the flesh or for self-glorification, it will count for nothing. Les also teaches that the Christian life is a battle, not easy, and that striving against the world and Satan is like paddling a canoe upstream against a roaring river, but God enables believers to do it.
Les explains that work done with the genuine purpose of giving glory to God is like gold, silver, and precious stones—valuable and enduring. In contrast, work done for self-recognition or in the energy of the flesh is wood, hay, and stubble, which burns up and yields no reward. He stresses that even religious activities like baptism, visiting the sick, or giving to the poor, if done for the wrong motive, are worthless before God.
Les teaches that the anticipation of rewards is a primary motivator for the believer to live a fruitful life. These rewards are laid up in heaven and will be enjoyed for all eternity. Paul uses the analogy of Olympic athletes who train and strive to win, showing that believers should similarly strive for eternal rewards. If we work for reward, we will be at the center of activity in the coming Kingdom; if not, we may still be there but on the sidelines, lacking the excitement and reward.
Scripture describes a judgment where every believer's work will be tested by fire. Work that is gold, silver, and precious stones will remain and result in reward; wood, hay, and stubble will be burned, and though the person is saved, he loses his reward. This shows that salvation is separate from works and rewards are based on the quality of service.
Les notes that maintaining pure motivation is not easy. The Christian life is a continual battle against Satan and the world's influences, like trying to paddle a canoe upstream against a roaring river. However, God has promised believers they can do it, and the reward for faithful service is worth the struggle.
Your Body Is God's Temple — What 1 Corinthians 3 Really Means
Hello and welcome to Through the Bible with Les Feldick. An Oklahoma rancher and farmer, Les Feldick has been teaching homestyle Bible classes for 20 years in Iowa, Oklahoma, and Texas. Les Feldick's unique style of Bible teaching has made the books of the Bible come to life. When Les is teaching, it's so interesting that people say time just seems to fly by. And now, here is Les Feldick.
Motivation: Work for Reward
Les teaches that once saved, believers are to work for reward, not for salvation, and the purpose is to enhance God's work and bring Him glory.
Rewards Motivate the Believer
Les explains that the prospect of rewards, which last for eternity, should drive believers to live fruitful lives and strive like Olympic athletes.
Testing of Works: Gold or Stubble
Les shows that God's evaluation of our works determines whether they remain as gold, silver, and precious stones or burn as wood, hay, and stubble, affecting reward not salvation.
The Joy of Working for Reward
Les illustrates that those who work for reward will be at the center of activity in the Kingdom, while careless believers will be on the sidelines but without envy.
Works Without Faith Count for Nothing
Les clarifies that works done in the energy of the flesh are worthless for salvation and must be done for God's glory after salvation.
All Work for God's Glory Counts
Les teaches that everything done for God's glory is like sending ahead treasure that will be rewarded when we get to heaven.
The Difficulty of Working for Gain
Les explains that wood, hay, and stubble are easy, but enduring materials are hard to obtain, and most Christians are too lazy to strive for them.
1 Corinthians 3:12-15: Now if any man build upon this foundation gold, silver, precious stones, wood, hay, stubble; 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 any man's work abide which he hath built thereupon, he shall receive a reward. If any man's work shall be burned, he shall suffer loss: but he himself shall be saved; yet so as by fire.
This is the key passage that shows the judgment of believers' works and the role of motive in their durability.
1 Corinthians 9:24: Know ye not that they which run in a race run all, but one receiveth the prize? So run, that ye may obtain.
Paul uses athletic imagery to encourage believers to strive for rewards, highlighting the motivational aspect of Christian service.
No. Les Feldick teaches that salvation is by grace through faith plus nothing. Works play no part in obtaining salvation. However, once saved, God expects believers to work for reward in Christian service (1 Corinthians 3:13-15).
Les explains that these represent the quality and motive of a believer's work. Work done to honor God (gold, silver, precious stones) will endure and bring reward, while work done for selfish motives (wood, hay, stubble) will burn up and result in loss of reward.
No. Les assures that jealousy is part of sin and the old Adam, which will not be present in glory. Those who enter heaven without rewards will not be envious or jealous, but everything will work together beautifully.
The anticipation of future rewards, which will be enjoyed for all eternity, is a primary motivator. Les compares it to Olympic athletes who train and strive to win, and teaches that working for reward places the believer at the center of activity in the coming Kingdom.
Watch the Teaching: Your Body Is God's Temple — What 1 Corinthians 3 Really Means