Who may ascend?

  Who may ascend?

The apostle Paul writes,

"For no one can lay any foundation other than the one already laid, which is Jesus Christ.  

  If any man builds on this foundation using gold, silver, costly stones, wood, hay or straw,  his work will be shown for what it is, because the Day will bring it to light. It will be revealed with fire, and the fire will test the quality of each man's work.  

If what he has built survives, he will receive his reward.  

If it is burned up, he will suffer loss; he himself will be saved, but only as one escaping through the flames. 1 Corinthians 3:11-15.

When I read this portion of scripture I think of the prosperity preachers. Men and women who say “give to God (quite often meaning their ministry) and he’ll give you back ten fold or a hundred fold” such talk is garbage.

The apostle Paul wrote,

“But mark this: There will be terrible times in the last days.  

People will be lovers of themselves, lovers of money, boastful, proud, abusive, disobedient to their parents, ungrateful, unholy, without love, unforgiving, slanderous, without self-control, brutal, not lovers of the good, treacherous, rash, conceited, lovers of pleasure rather than lovers of God” 2 Timothy 3:1-4.

Those rich preachers will one day stand before God and be judged by what they did in this world. If they truly believed in Christ Jesus they will be saved, but as Paul said, 

“he himself will be saved, but only as one escaping through the flames.” 

While being rich in not a sin. If we put more of an emphasis on our wealth than on God is a problem. 

Further more if someone is are knowingly taking money from others in God’s name with the intentions of making our self rich, especially if those people are poor, this is morally wrong and I believe God will punish them.

The Psalmist writes,

"Who may ascend the hill of the LORD? 

Who may stand in his holy place? 

He who has clean hands and a pure heart, 

who does not lift up his soul to an idol or swear by what is false. 

He will receive blessing from the LORD 

and vindication from God his Saviour. 

Such is the generation of those who seek him, 

who seek your face, O God of Jacob."

                                                            Psalm 24:3-6.

Please think about it.