The Christian life is filled with trials of various kinds (James 1:2). It is filled with suffering and hardship. It is filled with uncertainty and anxiety. Job rightly says, “Man who is born of woman is few of days and full of trouble” (14:1). We do not know what tomorrow may bring. We do not know what that next phone call or doctor’s appointment may bring. What will the diagnosis be? What will tomorrow’s meeting or conversation hold? Joy or sadness, despair or delight? We don’t even know how many tomorrows we will have; our physical life in this world is fleeting. We are like grass that withers and fades—here today and gone tomorrow. Although the inner self is being renewed day by day, the outer self is wasting away (2 Cor. 4:16). Creation itself groans and longs to be set free from its bondage to corruption (Rom. 8:21).

Given this reality, where does one find certainty and hope? Where does one look for peace and joy in the midst of life in this “present evil age” (Gal. 1:4)? Where can we plant our feet? Paul’s first letter to the Corinthians guides us.

Paul’s Hope and the Empty Tomb

The Apostle Paul knew well such trials and hardships of life. He knew slander and injustice. He knew uncertainty and fear. He knew both physical and spiritual trials. Yet he also knew peace, joy, and hope. And Paul’s hope is to be our hope. Paul’s hope is the hope of the believer. The hope of the risen and reigning Lord of glory, the Lord Jesus Christ. As did Paul, so also we set our feet on the firm foundation of gospel truth—the truth of the empty tomb and the risen Savior.

Paul’s letters to the Corinthians reveal the heart of a man burdened by life in this fallen world, yet rejoicing in the sure hope and life of Jesus Christ. He summarizes this mentality when he writes, “We are … sorrowful, yet always rejoicing; as poor, yet making many rich; as having nothing, yet possessing everything” (2 Cor. 6:10). According to the world, we may be poor and have nothing; yet in Christ we possess every spiritual blessing in the heavenly places (Eph. 1:3). By faith, we possess Christ himself who reigns from the right hand of the Father (Col. 3:1–4). Simply put, these epistles reveal a man who walked “by faith and not by sight” (2 Cor. 5:7); who knew that “this light momentary affliction is preparing for us an eternal weight of glory” (2 Cor. 4:17); and who pressed on in service of the Lord looking “not to the things that are seen but to the things that are unseen” (2 Cor. 4:18). Paul did not find his identity and purpose in the passing things of this world, but in his union with the resurrected Christ (1 Cor. 1:30). For Paul, the resurrected Christ changed everything!

In 1 Corinthians 15, Paul revels in the resurrection of the Lord Jesus Christ. In this chapter, he expounds both the reality and the theology of the resurrection. As Paul states, “And if Christ has not been raised, then our preaching is in vain and your faith is in vain … And if Christ has not been raised, your faith is futile and you are still in your sins” (vv. 14, 17). But Paul also declares the reality that Christ “was buried, [and] that he was raised on the third day in accordance with the Scriptures” (v. 4). As the angel said to the women on that first Easter Sunday, “He is not here, for he has risen, as he said” (Matt. 28:6).

Moreover, Paul unpacks the rich theology of the resurrection. Christ was raised, so Paul states, as the “firstfruits of those who have fallen asleep” (1 Cor. 15:20). His resurrection is the guarantee of our resurrection! His resurrection is the first installment of the great resurrection harvest at the last day (1 Cor. 15:23). As believers, we have been raised with Christ spiritually (Rom. 6:5–11), and we look forward to the day when we will be raised bodily and will see our Savior face to face (1 Cor. 15:35–49; 1 John 3:1–3).

Persevering in the Power of the Spirit

Furthermore, by means of Christ’s resurrection, the new creation has exploded into this present evil age (2 Cor. 5:17). The age of the Spirit has come in Christ (Acts 2:33)! The age of righteousness, peace, and joy has come in Christ (Rom. 14:17). Brothers and sisters, it is this truth of the resurrection that rejoices our heart and strengthens us to press on in faith—that strengthens us to persevere in the power of the Spirit (see Col 1:29). Paul closes the majestic chapter of 1 Corinthians 15 with the following words:

Therefore, my beloved brothers, be steadfast, immovable, always abounding in the work of the Lord, knowing that in the Lord your labor is not in vain. (v. 58)

There are three items to note in this verse.

First, note the transition term, “therefore.” We must read this conclusion in light of what Paul has just declared in chapter 15; in light of Christ’s victory over sin and death— “O death where is your victory, O death where is your sting” (v. 55)—we are called to do something. Christ has conquered sin and death and has given us his Spirit (Col. 1:13; Heb. 2:14–15; Acts 1:4–5; 2:33). Brothers and sisters, this truth must, and in fact most certainly will, impact our lives and our ministries.

Second, in light of Christ’s resurrection, we are not to be moved from our hope in the gospel. We are to be “steadfast” and “immovable.” In other words, we are to let nothing move us from Christ (see Col. 1:23). While some in the Corinthian church were denying the resurrection, Paul calls the Corinthians—and us—to take our stand on the resurrection. We stand on the gospel of Christ’s life, death, and resurrection—and we must stand firm as good soldiers for Christ (2 Tim. 2:3). Just as the world was seeking to move the Corinthians from the sure truth of the gospel, so the world today seeks to move us from the sure foundation of the gospel with its lies and deceptions. It is all too easy to give up, give in, and simply go with the flow of the world’s thinking (Eph. 4:14; Col. 2:8). But dear Christian, do not be moved. The name of the Lord is a strong tower. Christ is our strength, rock, and fortress. He is our shield and stronghold.

Third, we are to be “always abounding in the work of the Lord.” We are to be overflowing in our service to Christ. Serving the Lord is not a part-time responsibility; it is a full-time job. As my grandfather would often tell me, “there is no day off in the Lord’s army.” We are to serve him and to live for his glory all the days of our lives. “So, whether you eat or drink, or whatever you do, do all to the glory of God” (1 Cor. 10:31). Or as Peter puts it, “As each has received a gift, use it to serve one another, as good stewards of God’s varied grace: whoever speaks, as one who speaks oracles of God; whoever serves, as one who serves by the strength that God supplies—in order that in everything God may be glorified through Jesus Christ” (1 Pet. 4:10–11).

Thus, not only are we to be steadfast, not only are we not to be moved from the foundational truth of the gospel of Christ, but we are to press forward on the old paths of the gospel. We are to be “always abounding” in the work of the Lord!

Now what exactly is “the work of the Lord” in which we are to be always abounding? What or whose works of the Lord does Paul have in view? He doesn’t explicitly tell us. I would suggest, however, that the “brothers” of 1 Corinthians 15:58 is the same “brothers” of verses 1 and 50. It is those who heard Paul’s preaching (vv. 1–2). In these verses, Paul is addressing the whole congregation. Thus, the “work of the Lord” is the believer’s work in service of the Lord. It is the work of each child of God—God’s adopted sons and daughters—in service of Christ, whether seen or unseen, whether acknowledged or hidden.

Not in Vain

Serving the Lord each moment of our lives? This sounds exhausting. Often we struggle simply to make it through another day. But Paul closes 1 Corinthians 15:58 with a wonderful word of assurance: “knowing that in the Lord your labor is not in vain.” What a truth! Regardless of the outcome or the results, our labor for Christ is not in vain. For those united to Christ and empowered by the Spirit, our service for the gospel is never empty. The Lord is always at work, in and through the humble labors of his children. It is a wonder of wonders that the Lord would use our feeble efforts. Even the smallest work for the Lord is not empty, but is pleasing in his eyes and used for his glory.

The faithful prayer of a grandmother, the simple faith of a five-year-old boy or girl, the Bible reading of a tired, single mom, the leading in family worship of a busy father pulled in a hundred directions, or the humble, faithful testimony of the young professional—all are pleasing to our Lord. Our believing is not in vain (1 Cor. 15:2) and our labor for the Lord is not in vain (1 Cor. 15:58). Brothers and sisters, may we always abound in the work of the Lord knowing that we belong to the risen and conquering King! And may our eyes be always fixed on our resurrected King—the founder and perfecter of our faith, the one who rose in victory and power, the one who loved us and gave himself for us, the one in whom there is forgiveness and life, the one who does all things well—the Lord Jesus Christ!  

The author is pastor of Redeemer OPC in Dayton, Ohio. New Horizons, April 2022.