"Therefore, my beloved brethren, be ye stedfast, unmoveable, always abounding in the work of the Lord, forasmuch as ye know that your labour is not in vain in the Lord."--1 Corinthians 15:58
The word “therefore” draws our minds back to all that Paul has said in these verses. He is telling us that the hope we possess is a motivator to spiritual action for God’s glory. Being saved, sure and secure does not mean that we can just sit back and rest in what we have to wait on the rapture or death.
Being saved means we are to get to work for the glory of God! Knowing the truth about God and salvation is a powerful motivator for service. You see, belief always affects behavior! Believing the right things about Jesus and about the future will cause us to get busy for His glory.
Hope Causes Us to Be Stable – The word “steadfast” means “to be seated; settled and firmly situated”. It reminds us that we are to be rooted and grounded in what we believe and hold true. We are to be “seated firmly” in our personal convictions.
The bottom line is this: if we have no hope, we might waver in our faith and wander off after the things of the world. If this life doesn’t matter and there are no eternal ramifications for our actions, then it becomes easier to stray away. When our hope is real, it causes us to be stable in our faith and walk. (Ill. Why do you believe what you believe?)
Hope Counsels Us to Be Stubborn – The word “unmovable” means “not moved from a place; firmly persistent; motionless.” There are many times when stubbornness is not appropriate, but in the Lord’s work, a good dose of bullheadedness is perfectly in order! We must allow nothing to move us from our determination to serve the Lord!
Hope Challenges Us to Be Strong – “Abounding” has the idea of “exceeding a fixed amount; overflowing; exceeding”. When we consider what we have and who we are by grace; we will be motivated to go all out for the Lord.
Our Hope Gives Us Confidence – Paul tells us that “we know” that our work for Jesus matters. There is no sacrifice, no struggle, no self-denial, no valley, no work goes unnoticed and none will fail to pay eternal benefits.
So, keep praying, keep serving, and keep living for Jesus. What you do for Him in His name is “not in vain”. That is, it is not a “waste of time”. It is not an “exercise in futility”. He sees it all, as we see in Proverbs 15:3. He knows it all.
Revelation 22:12 tells us One day, He will reward it all. He is watching, and if we are doing all we do for Him and His glory, we can be sure that He sees it all. That should give us the confidence to continue serving Him regardless of what life brings our way.
Are you walking in the power of hope; doing all you can to serve the Lord Who saved you? Are you resting in the promise of your hope knowing that one day Jesus will bless you for the things you are doing for Him? There are times when it seems that no one notices and no one cares.
There are times when you may feel unappreciated and that you are carrying out a thankless task. In those times walk in confidence because the Lord is watching and when He comes, He will reward you.
The bible says in Matthew 25:23, “His LORD said unto him, Well done, good and faithful servant; thou hast been faithful over a few things, I will make thee ruler over many things: enter thou into the joy of thy LORD”.
I don’t know about you, but that is what I want to hear!
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