.... immovable, always abounding in the work of the Lord, knowing that your labor in the Lord, is not in vain in the Lord (1 Corinthians 15:58). This exhortation from Paul concludes a very long chapter in which he is talking mostly about the resurrection of the believer. He discusses what sort of body we will be raised with. It is a spiritual body, but nevertheless a body. It will be a glorious body, a body with power, a body without the weakness of our earthly body (verses 43, 44). In our resurrection body we will eat and drink as Jesus did in His resurrected body (Luke 22:30; 24:42). In His resurrected body Jesus was able to pass through walls and suddenly appear to the disciples (John 20:26). Now Jesus is the “first fruits of them that slept” (verse 20), first fruits indicating the fruit that follows (that's us) is of the same kind. “Slept” of course refers to death. In other words we will be able to do in our resurrected bodies what Jesus did in His.
Paul quotes Isaiah 25:8 which speaks about death being swallowed up in victory (verse 54), and which goes on to tell that on that day God will wipe away all tears. The “therefore” of this morning's verse then connects Paul's exhortation to all this. In essence he is saying “in light of the truth and the glory of all this let us be steadfast etc., etc.” Saying that our labour in the Lord is not in vain, has the implication, that Paul talks about elsewhere, that there are rewards, or the loss thereof, for the believer (1 Corinthians 3:11-15). Note that is is labour “in the Lord” that is not in vain. In the last mentioned passage Paul compares our labour as building on the sure foundation of our salvation. We can build with “gold, silver, precious stones, wood, hay or straw” (verse 12). Wood looks solid enough, but will be consumed in the fire with which our labour will be tested (verse 13).
Lastly I want to look at this word “knowing.” It's an important word, because we can casually know something, or we can know something in the very fibre of our being. The Scripture says that “the people who know their God shall be strong, and carry out great exploits” (Daniel 11:32). But it is surly only those with this deeper sense of knowing for which this is true. And knowing that our labour is not in vain is directly connected to knowing our God in this way. For if we truly know Him, as much as it is possible in this life, then there will be a certainty in our spirit about it, and it will truly motive us to labour “in the Lord.” And what that means it that our labour is all about seeking first His Kingdom, and His righteousness.
Father, Your Word tells us that eye has not seen, nor ear heard what You have prepared for those who love You. Some of that is in there here and now Lord, but it comes supremely in the hereafter. And You tell us these things Lord so that we will keep the long view in mind. We are but a vapour Lord, here today, and gone tomorrow. And as one writer put it, only what's done for Christ will last!Thank You for reminding us again of the long view this morning Lord, the view of eternity. And please give us Grace to keep on keeping on, in Jesus Name Amen
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