Scripture:
Vs 1 Now I would remind you, brothers, of the gospel I preached to you, which you received … hold fast to the word I preached to you—unless you believed in vain.
Vs 3 For I delivered to you as of first importance what I also received: that Christ died for our sins in accordance with the Scriptures, 4 that he was buried, that he was raised on the third day in accordance with the Scriptures,
Vs 14 … if Christ has not been raised, then our preaching is in vain and your faith is in vain.
Vs 20 But in fact Christ has been raised from the dead …
Vs 58 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.
Observation:
This is an incredibly thorough discussion of the Resurrection of Jesus and our Resurrection with Him.
This is “the gospel I preached to you”, as Paul says.
Jesus died, was buried, and rose. And it was all according to Scripture.
People, however, are doubting the resurrection.
Paul has a strong rebuke, “Wake up from your drunken stupor!”
If Jesus hasn’t resurrected, then we haven’t resurrected, and we are still dead in our sins.
He says if Jesus hasn’t risen from the dead, then everything is in “vain”.
Preaching … belief … faith … even our work … all is in “vain” if Jesus isn’t raised.
Paul repeats “vain” over and over from beginning to end of this chapter.
But Jesus IS raised, “therefore”, we can be “abounding in the work of the Lord”. “knowing” our labor is NOT in “vain”.
Application:
“Is it worth it?”… “Does anything I’m doing even matter?”
I have a fair amount of these kind of conversations.
I will even occasionally have these kinds of thoughts, myself.
“Is it worth it?” … Should I even bother?
It’s easy to begin thinking any of the good things I/we do don’t really make any difference.
“It’s all in vain!”
But this thinking is using a value, or worth, not based on the “gospel”.
When I ask the question, “Is it worth it?” … or “Is what I’m doing in vain?”,
I’m really making the point that I am expecting something in return.
“Is it worth it?” is really another way of asking, “What’s in it for me?”
This is upside down thinking from the gospel.
The world says, “I will labor now for what I will get in return.”
The gospel says, “Because of what Christ has already done, I will labor now!”
My preaching, my belief, my faith, and, yes, even my labor, is NOT in vain!
Nothing done for the sake of Christ is in vain because Christ has been raised from the dead.
Jesus is alive, and because of that I am, too!
So, “therefore”, I will “abound in the work of the Lord”!
Prayer:
Thank you , God, for your Truth
Thank you that you dies an rose that I can have life everlasting
Thank you for giving eternal worth to any labor done today
Encourage and remind and empower Holy Spirit
In Jesus name
Amen