The World and the Word

                                                           The Wheat and the Chaff

The writing of the Apostle Paul in I Corinthians 3:11-15 cannot be about salvation by God's grace because he writes only about a salvation by good works. God's Word has to mean exactly that which it  states. The phrase "every man" and "any man" can only refer to every human that God ever created in His image. Genesis 1:27. In addition, these verses clearly reveal that every human that obtains salvation by being washed in the blood of Christ cannot also be saved by the fire of God. All of the Old Testament burnt offering sacrifices symbolize this lesser form of salvation. God initiated this lesser form of His salvation when He commanded Noah to offer burnt offerings for the salvation of all living humans in Genesis 8:20-21. Leviticus 5:10 proves that God will forgive sins because of a burnt offering. All humans saved by grace can only be saved by being washed in the blood and water that flowed from Jesus on the cross and wholly apart from good works. Ephesians 2:8-9. The burnt offering sacrifices symbolize Christ's descent into Hell to leave all of the sins and evil of all humans not saved by grace behind there when He rose from the dead. Psalm 16:10.

Many passages in the Old Testament refer to God's lesser form of salvation by the use of His consuming fire. In Psalm 21:8-11, God directs His fiery wrath toward His enemies, not living humans that He created in His image. God's enemies are Satan and evil itself, not living humans. I John 3:8 clearly teaches that Jesus came to destroy evil itself, not living humans. Genesis 3:20 and Luke 20:38 clearly teach that all living humans will be forever alive to God.

Psalm 22:26-28 constitutes a prophecy about God's lesser form of salvation. Every human who ever lived will eventually return to the faith that God put into them when He created them and will live to worship God forever. Romans 12:3; Luke 17:21. This prophecy will be fulfilled as recorded in Revelation 5:11-14. Jesus taught that the meek will inherit the earth. Matthew 5:5. God will create the people who will inhabit His recreated earth to be meek because He will have used His consuming fire to burn up their sinful, excessive pride in order to raise their good lives from the regions of the dead to a new life on His recreated earth. I Corinthians 3:11-15; Revelation 20:5. God will cast only the evil, separated dead into the lake of fire. Revelation 20:15.

Psalm 33:13-15 informs that God observes every human He has ever created. He has put His good image into every one of their hearts. He judges all human works, good and bad. Many humans have given themselves over to practice evil and rebellion against God. But even the worst of them have done some good works at some time in their lives which proves that they still have a small image of God within them. Even if the worst of them had only at one time given a cup of cold water to another human, then God will resurrect even that tiny image of Himself that did that good work for him to recreate to live on His recreated earth. Matthew 10:42; Revelation 21:1-5; Revelation 22:11-12.