Fire isn’t just for Hell. There will be a fire in Heaven. The height of its flame will be higher than we thought possible. The fuel for this fire is surprising to most Christians. It will be our works, not the actual tasks, but the motives behind them. I Corinthians 3:13 NKJV states the burning this way, “Each one’s work will become clear; for the Day will declare it, because it will be revealed by fire; and the fire will test each one’s work, of what sort it is.” There will be a revealing of the true intentions of our deeds. Why did we do certain things? Who were we trying to impress? Man, or God?
Part of the Christian’s eternal reward is an evaluation of our actions for Him. Were they really for Him or an attempt to look good in the eyes of our peers and friends? The ultimate test for us regarding our actions is fire—a visible, revealing truth concerning the motive for each of our deeds. Just like the purifying of precious metals—silver or gold—the smelling pot reveals impurities. After the removal of the contaminants, the real, pure metal is brilliant. The fire in heaven removes – burns – all the contaminates of man’s actions. The spotless remains are the rewards that Jesus will bless.
This evaluation will take place at the Judgment Seat of Christ in Heaven (II Corinthians 5:10). It is there that each person will receive their “just” rewards. Those that have been tried by fire.
How big will your fire be? The size of a match, a campfire, or a bonfire. Maybe it would be good for each believer to do some self-inspection of our lives and contemplate our motives for some of our actions. Are they to look good to friends, co-workers, etc? Hopefully, we do right because that is what God wants us to do, all the time. Even when it may hurt us. It’s the eternal picture that we must keep in mind. We certainly do not want to see a bonfire in Heaven, burning up our deeds.