es in First Corinthians: "For other foundation can no
man lay than that which is laid, which is Jesus Christ. But if any man
buildeth on the foundation gold, silver, costly stones, wood, hay,
stubble; each man's work shall be made manifest: for the day shall
declare it, because it is revealed in fire: and the fire itself shall
prove each man's work, of what sort it is. If any man's work shall
abide, which he built thereon, 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 through fire."

We see clearly from this that we may be saved, but all our works
burned up. I may have a wretched, miserable voyage through life, with
no victory, and no reward at the end; saved, yet so as by fire, or as
Job puts it, "with the skin of my teeth." I believe that a great many
men will barely get to heaven as Lot got out of Sodom, burned out,
nothing left, works and everything else destroyed.

It is like this: when a man enters the army, he is a member of the
army the moment he enlists; he is just as much a member as a man who
has been in the army ten or twenty years. But enlisting is one thing,
and participating in a battle another. Young converts are like those
just enlisted.

It is folly for any man to attempt to fight in his own strength. The
world, the flesh and the devil are too much for any man. But if we are
linked to Christ by faith, and He is formed in us the hope of glory,
then we shall get the victory over every enemy. It is believers who
are the overcomers. "Thanks be unto God, which always causeth us to
triumph in Christ." Through Him we shall be more than conquerors.

I wouldn't think of talking to unconverted men about overcoming the
world, for it is utterly impossible. They might as well try to cut
down the American forest with their penknives. But a good many
Christian people make this mistake: they think the battle is already
fought and won. They have an idea that all they have to do is to put
the oars down in the bottom of the boat, and the current will drift
them into the ocean of God's eternal love. But we have to cross the
current. We have to learn how to watch and fight, and how to overcome.
The battle is only just commenced. The Christian life is a conflict
and a warfare, and the quicker we find it out the better. There is not
a blessing in this world that God has not linked Himself to. All the
great and higher blessings God associates w