“Therefore, my dear brothers, stand firm. Let nothing move you. Always give yourselves fully to the work of the Lord, because you know that your labor in the Lord is not in vain.” — 1 Corinthians 15:58 (NIV84)

What a wonderful exhortation from Paul to us today. Here at the end of his chapter on the certainty of the resurrection, he exhorted us to believe and live as we ought. Because we can be certain of our salvation and our resurrection, Paul told us to stand firm in what we believe in and know, and not be moved by false teachings or anything else that might pull us away from the faith. After we are properly focused on the truths of God’s Word for our lives, Paul said we should properly live those truths out in our lives. He told us to give our lives fully to the work of the Lord. He reminded us that we have a job to do. You see, we are members of the body of Christ working for the kingdom of God. We are to live in this world as visitors who know that our permanent residence is in the kingdom of heaven.

So, how are we doing when in comes to this exhortation and our lives? Are we standing firm in the truths of God’s Word, or are we giving in to the pressures of the deceptive philosophies of this world? Are we giving our all to the work of the kingdom of God, or is working on this earth more than a day can handle? There are spiritual truths we have to battle with and answer for ourselves if we are going to take Paul’s words as they are meant for us. As you contemplate on this verse today, remember one thing: laboring for this life will end up a vain work, but doing the work of the Lord is never done in vain.

Let’s stay focused on the kingdom of God and get working for it!

Peace!

Pastor Tom

www.firmlyrooted.church