1 Corinthians 15:58

1 Corinthians 15:58 (ESV)

[58] Therefore, my beloved brothers, be steadfast, immovable, always abounding in the work of the Lord, knowing that in the Lord your labor is not in vain.

I have been reflecting on 1 Corinthians 15:50-58 this week. Some refer to it as the resurrection chapter. I challenges believers to reexamine their own beliefs and actions in light of Jesus’ resurrection. The sting of death is gone. Death cannot hold us. There will be a day when we will be raised. There will be a day when, whether we are dead or alive, we will be changed. These perishable bodies will be transformed into imperishable, heavenly stuff that is no longer subject to the curse. But how should that truth change us? How should we live differently because of it?

In light of the resurrection, verse 58 uses two words and a phrase to explain how we should live. Notice that it does not say we should live recklessly. It does not say that this earth does not matter. It says first that we, as believers in Jesus Christ, should be steadfast. It is a word that indicates someone seated firmly in a chair. One source says it like this, “not given to fluctuation or ‘moving off course.’”[1] As believers the truth and imminence of the resurrection should keep us focused on eternity. The question that drives us should not be whether we have completed our “Bucket List,” but whether we have been true to God’s calling on our lives. Have we lived “with eternity’s values in view?”[2]

The second word used to describe how the resurrection should affect us is immovable. It means to be unmoved or firmly persistent. Fear too often drives us. With anxiety we lose our ability to think clearly and make good decisions. The result is the we are open to all sorts of flaky beliefs and ideas. It is in the peace that comes with an assurance of the resurrection that we are able to discern well and listen to the leading of the Spirit. The Corinthians, in their grief, had moved away from a sound understanding of the resurrection. This chapter calls them back to truth, faith, and peace.

With a final phrase believers are called to be, “always abounding in the work of the Lord.” The resurrection does not lead believers to hide away and hope for Jesus to come back. The resurrection leads us to serve. It calls us to super-abound in the work of the Lord. Why? Because with the resurrection comes reward. “Your labor is not in vain.” Setting aside our own will in order to serve others is the heart of God. Stepping into dangerous or vulnerable situations in order to serve or protect others is what resurrection minded people are willing to do. Giving up my peace and prosperity for the sake of those less fortunate honors our Creator. It will not be forgotten.

If, in this life only we have hope, then we might as well party, chase after our Bucket List, and get everything out of life we can, because this is all there is. If, on the other hand, the resurrection is certain because we serve a risen Lord, then let us serve. Let us super-abound in the work of the Lord. Here and now is not all there is. Praise God!

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[1] Copyright © 1987, 2011 by Helps Ministries, Inc.

[2] From a chorus penned by Alfred B. Smith, who was born on this day (March 27) in 1916.