Word of Salvation – Vol. 14 No.29 – July 1968
Be Steadfast
Sermon by Rev. J. J. Van Wageningen, B.D. on 1Corinthians 15:58
SCRIPTURE READINGS – Old Testament: Psalm 16
– New Testament: 1Cor.15:50-58
PSALTER HYMNAL: 365:1,2,3; 420:6,4; 341; 23 (tune 22); 467
To many people this world seems to be a hopeless affair; …life seems to be a hopeless affair. There is always trouble in the world; there are always threats, quarrels and wars. What suffering! What misery! And death goes round and reaps, permanently, a rich harvest. According to many, human life is a short, painful interlude in between nothing. Science may succeed in making life more comfortable; it cannot take away all troubles, all evils, all anxieties and sorrows. On the contrary. And though science may succeed in postponing the moment of death, it means only a brief respite, for it is not able to conquer death. And even if science were able to conquer bodily death, what then? It would only mean a continuation of misery. All sorts of philosophical and religious beliefs may try to help man with theories about the value of life, the significance of death, the comfort of annihilation, the probability or the certainty of an eternal future, but where is the firm ground on which we can stand? What is the solid foundation of our life, that cannot be shaken, not even by death?
It is no wonder that many people live at random; that they try to get out of life as much as possible: money, pleasure, earthly possessions. “Let us eat and drink and be merry, for tomorrow death may come.” Others work hard to build their future, and the future of their children. They just live and work, and death is the end. Do not worry about it.
Not one of us is able to conquer death.
That is true.
But Jesus Christ, our Lord has done it.
And God gives us the victory through Him! Thanks be to God!
This is the glorious reality the apostle Paul has dealt with in this 15th chapter of 1Corinthians. The resurrection of our blessed Lord is a fact established beyond the possibility of doubt. And He has risen “as the first-fruits”; this means a universal harvest will surely follow: all those who belong to Christ.
There were some in the congregation at Corinth, who were in doubt about the bodily resurrection of the believers. And for this reason the apostle shows that the resurrection of our Lord is a certain guarantee, a sure pledge of our blessed resurrection. God gives us the victory through Him. This victory is not something given to us in a remote future; no, God GIVES it, God is giving it now. “We are more than conquerors through Him who loved us.” (Romans 8:37).
This is not just some theory or other; no, this is a glorious reality, which has its consequences for our life, our whole Christian life. At the end of the chapter the apostle concludes his lengthy argument on the resurrection with a very practical exhortation:
“Therefore, my beloved brethren, be steadfast, immovable, always abounding in the work of the Lord, knowing that in the Lord your labour is not in vain.”
We listen to this exhortation concerning our daily Christian life, as men who know our risen Lord; as men who ourselves have been raised with Him; as men who will be raised by Him on the last day.
We are exhorted:
1. to be steadfast, immovable;
2. to abound in the work of the Lord;
3. knowing that our labour is not in vain in the Lord.
In other words:
1. our Christian life, a life of steadfastness;
2. our Christian life, a life full of the work of the Lord;
3. our Christian life, a life with sense and purpose.
1. Therefore, my beloved brethren, be steadfast, stand firm, immovable.
In order to stand firm you need solid ground under your feet. Where can we find this? Apart from God and His Word, apart from Jesus Christ and His work there is no solid ground. Then life in this world is just like walking on quicksands. It is totally impossible to stand firm; you lose your foothold; the ground gives way beneath your feet; you sink.
Man is then just like a disabled ship in a rough sea; the rudder and the compass are broken down; it is tossed about, a prey of the storm. What confusion! What uncertainty! And on the other hand, what false certainties based on misleading pre- suppositions.
There is an undermining activity in the world and in the church to take away all solid foundations. And what can withstand it? Not our goodwill, not our morals, not our traditions, not our endurance. The apostle Paul preaches here in this chapter the resurrection of Jesus Christ from the dead, the victory of our Lord and Saviour; HIS resurrection, HIS victory as the ground of OUR resurrection, OUR victory; as the ground of our life, our steadfastness. The steadfastness of our being in Him, of our faithful trust in Him, of our faithful obedience to Him.
Jesus Christ has come to save us out of the quicksands of falsehood and deceit, of sin and death and doom, to place us on firm ground, on a solid foundation; the foundation of an everlasting righteousness, which He obtained for all those who believe; the firm ground of divine love and faithfulness; the ground of genuine eternal life, which is the life of communion with God. Our life… a life with God. He is for us… He is with us.
Be steadfast, immovable, stand firm on this ground! How is this possible? How are we able to stand firm on this ground? By faith, only by faith! There is no other way. All other things let you down. The most excellent human behaviour means only quicksands. The most wonderful ideas and experiences mean only quicksands.
That sounds hard – and it IS hard for us, sinners. But it is true, because God reveals it to us in Christ Jesus our Lord. In Him He shows us the way, the way of faith; the narrow road between the abysses; the firm road across the quicksands; the holy way, where the redeemed shall walk. They shall not err therein, because they stick to the Word and the promises of God, because they follow the risen Christ, their living Lord.
And this is the exhortation of the apostle: Stand firm there; let nobody, let nothing push you off. Be immovable. Do not live by your own feelings, thoughts, opinions, or by those of other men, but listen to what God says. Stick to the Lord Jesus Christ, your living Lord, who gained the victory. God gives us the victory through Him. Trust in Him. Follow Him, obey Him, keep His words, never forsake Him.
Live by faith, only by faith; for the point is not to live a decent life in the sight of men, but to be preserved, soul and body, without blame at the coming of our Lord Jesus Christ. This is possible only by faith, for by faith we shall conquer the world; by faith we shall be able to live here and now the real Christian life; that is, life with Christ, the risen Lord, the Rock of ages. By faith we shall inherit eternal life in the world to come. Be steadfast, be immovable, standing on this Rock!
2. We have to abound in the work of the Lord.
Christian life is a life full of activity; a life full of work.
If you know the Lord Jesus as your living Saviour and you stick to Him by true faith, you share in an abundance of grace. However, an abundance of grace means an abundance of work. “Abounding in the work of the Lord.”
What is meant by THE WORK OF THE LORD?
Generally speaking, it is all that the Lord wants us to do. This concerns our daily life, our work, the conversation with our fellowmen. It means that we live and work as real Christians in accordance with the will of God, to the glory of His Name.
In a more special sense, the work of the Lord is what we call the work in His Kingdom. We must not totally separate these two, surely not. If, for example, a Christian mother teaches her child to pray and to serve the Lord; if a Christian shows in his work and his talk that he belongs to Christ, giving witness to Him, then they seek the Kingdom of God.
On the other hand, the Lord wants us to co-operate deliberately for the up-building of His church and the furtherance of His Kingdom; to spread the good news of the gospel, to proclaim the Name of the Lord Jesus Christ as the only Name under heaven by which we must be saved. Everybody has a task in this respect too. Have you ever asked yourself: What can I do? Have you made yourself available as a humble servant of the Lord?
The apostle speaks of an abundance of work. ABOUND in the work of the Lord. Lazy workers, who want to do only a bare minimum, as little as possible, are not pleasing to the Lord. (Not to speak about those who do not do anything at all). The Lord gives us a task which is in accordance with our ability, with the gifts we have received. And we have to do our utmost, that we may do what God wants us to do. Laziness is always wrong, but especially in circumstances when everybody is expected to do his utmost. Imagine somebody who is fighting a big fire at a snail’s pace! Or who is pumping to keep a sinking ship afloat with leisurely ease!
Well, a Christian who is lazy in the work of the Lord cuts a figure that is even worse. For here the honour of God and the salvation of his fellowmen are at stake; eternal and holy interests of infinite value.
Are we always aware of the importance and necessity of the work of the Lord? It is no mere pastime; no, the apostle says; ALWAYS abounding in the work of the Lord! ALWAYS. Not by fits and starts, but with a continuous zeal, because it is the work of the LORD, our living Lord. He wants to use us, not only office- bearers, but every one of us.
Ask yourself: What am I doing for the Lord, for my Saviour? Am I abounding in His work?
3. We may know that our labour is not in vain in the Lord.
What a gladdening knowledge! What riches!
Imagine you are a carpenter or a bricklayer, building a house. It is nearly finished; you have made a fine job of it. And then one morning you come to the place and look… it has been destroyed, it is a ruin. If this should happen, not once, but time and again, you will be totally discouraged, your work is senseless.
This is a very important question: Does my life, my work, make sense? Is there a purpose? Is there any result? Not just for a short time, but something abiding, something lasting? If you think that death is the end, then life becomes indeed a senseless, a hopeless affair. Then there is no lasting purpose, no lasting result. Many people think so. Others put a big question-mark here. God’s Word says that without Christ it is indeed hopeless; no hope, for the end is eternal death, eternal suffering of the pain of hell.
As believers in Jesus Christ we know however, that our labour is not in vain in the Lord.
Be steadfast! Be immovable! Believe that Jesus Christ our living Lord has conquered death. God gives us the victory through Him.
This means struggling, hard work. Labour means hard work. Often will your faith be tried. There are temptations from with-out and from within; but hold fast the profession of your faith without wavering. Whosoever would move you from the hope of the Gospel, oppose him. Whosoever would turn you aside from the right path, or discourage you in running your heavenly race, do not regard him, but run on with patience, looking to Jesus, the Pioneer and Perfecter of your faith.
The Lord is not unrighteous, that He will forget your works and labours of love. Look at the glory that awaits you. And live by faith every day and every hour, this short time here on earth. Abound in the work of the Lord, with joy, for we have a sure hope, a glorious future; we are more than conquerors through Him who loved us.
Thanks be to God!
Amen.