The news out of Taiwan is sad and painful. Tragic loss of life always is. The damage caused by the earthquake is significant. Several buildings collapsed, dozens of people are dead, and hundreds are missing.
But one of the 11 buildings that collapsed caught the attention of investigators immediately. Why? It practically disintegrated after the earthquake. Evidence shows that structural columns and walls were filled with plastic pieces, foam, oil cans, and other inappropriate building materials!
And now, the developer is under arrest.
Lin Minghui was arrested Monday night on “suspicion of criminal business misconduct resulting in fatalities.” And this isn’t the first time he has been questioned. During the Sichuan Province earthquake that killed 70,000 in China in 2008, Lin’s practices were questioned in school buildings that collapsed.
Whether or not Lin Minghui will be held accountable for illegal practices is unknown. But we will each be judged eternally by how we build spiritually. And how we build in this life matters to God!
In fact, in 1 Corinthians 3, Paul discusses the Christian life in terms of a building project. There is only one foundation, Christ (1 Corinthians 3:11); we should take great care in how we understand, teach, and live in Christ (3:12); when the quality of the work is revealed, the materials we used will become evident (3:13); and those who used faulty products will face condemnation (3:13-15).
Those who recognize Jesus as the true foundation will not use any other foundation. They will teach and preach Christ using the words of life found in scripture. Like the others, their building materials will be revealed in days of great trials. But unlike the others, they will receive a reward because their work remains.
Work that is built on anything other than Christ will crumble; it is just foam, tin cans, and plastic. What will the work of your life be built on, and how will it look when it is revealed by the refiner’s fire? Build a better life today on Christ, and your work will stand the test of time.
