Your Labour Is Not in Vain

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

1 Corinthians 15:58

In 1 Corinthians 15, we have seen that there is hope in Jesus. Because He died for our sins and rose from death, He is able to free us from the guilt and shame of our past sins and to give us strength for our present calling.

We have also seen that there is hope for us. Because Jesus rose, He is able to save us. He will bring all who believe and continue in the gospel into a glorious resurrection life.

But a faith that is for this life only cannot deliver the world God has promised. Only the risen Lord Jesus can do that. That is why we have hope for the future. Christ will give us new bodies, adapted for everlasting life in a glorious new world.

Now, at the end of this marvellous chapter, Paul comes back to how this hope of the resurrection helps us today. What practical difference will the promise of the resurrection make to the choices, the priorities, and the pursuits of our lives now?

That is the question. And the answer is found in the last verse of this chapter: “Therefore, my beloved brothers, be steadfast, immovable, always abounding in the work of the Lord, knowing that in the Lord your labour is not in vain” (15:58).

How does the promise of a glorious resurrection life help you to be steadfast in your faith? How does it help you give yourself fully to the work God has called you to?