Dear America: Chapter 3 (vs. 9-17)

Your leaders in America and I are God's helpers. You are His field. No, let me give you a different occupational example.

You are God's building, and I am the master builder. God has shown me enough grace to trust me with building your foundation. But I will be long in soon, and someone else will build on my foundation.

But I warn whomever I hand the tools to; build on no other foundation than the one I have laid, because I have built a foundation of Jesus Christ. The cement under the "building" of the believers is made of Jesus Christ alone so that it cannot fall.

One day, you will be judged for how you built the church of God (I am not referring to a building but to the works done for the furtherance of the Gospel). Some will have built on my foundation rightly. On top of the foundation of Christ, they will continue to add layer upon layer of gospel truths, and it will be like gold put in fire. It will pass the test.

But some will have built on my foundation poorly. While they will build on the foundation of Christ, they will add "their own fancies and inventions" (Matthew Henry). They will preach Christ, but they will add things not found in Scripture. Many of your own pastors have done this in an attempt to make your lives easier, or to justify the decisions you make. This will be like hay put in fire. It will fail the test. If you have built on the foundation poorly, you will most definitely be judged severely. However, the figurative fire which will destroy the works you did on earth will not destroy you. You will be still be saved, though in shame. You will not hear "Well done." What a disappointment to trade pleasure in such a short time on Earth for a disappointing entrance into eternity.

Do you not know that the temple of God is your local body of believers? God used to reside in the Most Holy Place - a temple built by hands. But now - when you meet together as believers - that is where He dwells. Therefore, if anyone starts up outrageous arguments (like I have previously mentioned, arguing over whether or not you follow Stanley or me) it is just like someone years ago polluting the Most Holy Place. And for those more serious arguments that split bodies of believers, it is like someone destroying the Most Holy Place.

Can you imagine what would have happened to an Israelite had they thrown garbage into the temple, let alone destroyed it? All of Israel would have banded together and killed that man. So why do you take it so lightly when someone pollutes your body of believers? Why are you not offended when someone talks trash about God's new Most Holy Place? Why are your spirits not crushed when local bodies of believers (or "churches") are divided?

Dear Americans, you are collectively the holy temple of God. How dare you take that so lightly!