Bible League: Living His Word Therefore, my beloved brethren, be steadfast, immovable, always abounding in the work of the Lord, knowing that your labor is not in vain in the Lord.At the end of Chapter 15 of I Corinthians, the Apostle Paul proclaimed to the church at Corinth the glory of their final destiny. He proclaimed to them that the "corruptible must put on incorruption" and the "mortal must put on immortality." He proclaimed to them that when this happens "Death is swallowed up in victory." And all of this is because we have the ultimate "victory through our Lord Jesus Christ" (I Corinthians 15:53-57). Given the glory of our ultimate victory through Christ, Paul exhorted the church in our verse for today to do three things: First of all, they should remain steadfast and immovable. It was part of Paul's practice in all the churches to warn them that "all who desire to live godly in Christ Jesus will suffer persecution" (II Timothy 3:12), and that "after my departure savage wolves will come in among you, not sparing the flock" (Acts 20:29). Despite all of this, the church should stand fast in the faith. Second, the church should always abound in the work of the Lord. The persecution and the savage wolves will be sent by Satan for the very purpose of stopping this work. Nevertheless, the church should stay steadfast and immovable and abound in every work. That is, they should not just do some work, they should do an overabundance of work. The church should do all they can to advance and enhance the Kingdom of God. Finally, the church should know that their labor will not be in vain. Despite the persecution and the savage wolves, the work of the church will go forth and be successful. Jesus' prophecy that the church will be His witness "to the ends of the earth" will come true (Acts 1:8). Further, if the church will remain steadfast and immovable and abound in the work of the Lord, they will reap Jesus' promise of "a hundredfold now in this time" and His promise of "everlasting life" (Mark 10:30). There may be persecutions and savage wolves that have pushed you to the point of giving up your work. Remain steadfast and immovable, for that work is not done in vain. Bible in a Year Old Testament ReadingRuth Ruth 1 -- Naomi and Ruth NIV NLT ESV NAS GWT KJV ASV ERV DRB Ruth 2 -- Ruth Gleans in the Field of Boaz NIV NLT ESV NAS GWT KJV ASV ERV DRB Ruth 3 -- Naomi's Instruction to Ruth; Boaz Accepts Ruth NIV NLT ESV NAS GWT KJV ASV ERV DRB Ruth 4 -- Boaz Marries Ruth and Begins the Line of David NIV NLT ESV NAS GWT KJV ASV ERV DRB New Testament Reading Luke 11:29-54 Luke 11 -- Instruction about Prayer; Casting out Demons; the Sign of Jonah; Woes upon Pharisees NIV NLT ESV NAS GWT KJV ASV ERV DRB Reading Plan Courtesy of Christian Classics Etherial Library. Tyndale Life Application Daily Devotion The wise don't make a show of their knowledge,but fools broadcast their foolishness. Insight Wise people have a quiet confidence. Unstable people (fools) feel the need to prove themselves, but wise people don't have to prove anything. They know they are capable, so they can get on with their work. Challenge Beware of showing off. If you are modest, people may not notice you at first, but they will respect you later. Morning and Evening by Spurgeon Luke 23:31 If they do these things in a green tree, what shall be done in the dry?Among other interpretations of this suggestive question, the following is full of teaching: "If the innocent substitute for sinners, suffer thus, what will be done when the sinner himself--the dry tree--shall fall into the hands of an angry God?" When God saw Jesus in the sinner's place, he did not spare him; and when he finds the unregenerate without Christ, he will not spare them. O sinner, Jesus was led away by his enemies: so shall you be dragged away by fiends to the place appointed for you. Jesus was deserted of God; and if he, who was only imputedly a sinner, was deserted, how much more shall you be? "Eloi, Eloi, lama sabachthani?" what an awful shriek! But what shall be your cry when you shall say, "O God! O God! why hast thou forsaken me?" and the answer shall come back, "Because ye have set at nought all my counsel, and would none of my reproof: I also will laugh at your calamity; I will mock when your fear cometh." If God spared not his own Son, how much less will he spare you! What whips of burning wire will be yours when conscience shall smite you with all its terrors. Ye richest, ye merriest, ye most self-righteous sinners--who would stand in your place when God shall say, "Awake, O sword, against the man that rejected me; smite him, and let him feel the smart forever"? Jesus was spit upon: sinner, what shame will be yours! We cannot sum up in one word all the mass of sorrows which met upon the head of Jesus who died for us; therefore it is impossible for us to tell you what streams, what oceans of grief must roll over your spirit if you die as you now are. You may die so, you may die now. By the agonies of Christ, by his wounds and by his blood, do not bring upon yourselves the wrath to come! Trust in the Son of God, and you shall never die. Daily Light on the Daily Path 1 Corinthians 1:5 that in everything you were enriched in Him, in all speech and all knowledge,Romans 5:6 For while we were still helpless, at the right time Christ died for the ungodly. Romans 8:32 He who did not spare His own Son, but delivered Him over for us all, how will He not also with Him freely give us all things? Colossians 2:9,10 For in Him all the fullness of Deity dwells in bodily form, • and in Him you have been made complete, and He is the head over all rule and authority; John 15:4,5 "Abide in Me, and I in you. As the branch cannot bear fruit of itself unless it abides in the vine, so neither can you unless you abide in Me. • "I am the vine, you are the branches; he who abides in Me and I in him, he bears much fruit, for apart from Me you can do nothing. Romans 7:18 For I know that nothing good dwells in me, that is, in my flesh; for the willing is present in me, but the doing of the good is not. Ephesians 4:7 But to each one of us grace was given according to the measure of Christ's gift. John 15:7 "If you abide in Me, and My words abide in you, ask whatever you wish, and it will be done for you. Colossians 3:16 Let the word of Christ richly dwell within you, with all wisdom teaching and admonishing one another with psalms and hymns and spiritual songs, singing with thankfulness in your hearts to God. New American Standard Bible Copyright © 1960, 1962, 1963, 1968, 1971, 1972, 1973, 1975, 1977, 1995 by The Lockman Foundation, La Habra, Calif. All rights reserved. For Permission to Quote Information visit http://www.lockman.org. |
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