For whatever reason, 1 Corinthians 15:58 is one of the most memorable verses in Scripture. It says, “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.” A few practical applications from this verse jump off of the page.
Don’t Give In! We cannot be steadfast or immovable if we persist in sin. Temptations will come (cf. Luke 17:1)! As long as we live in the flesh, we will sometimes feel temptation’s pull. Don’t give in; God always provides a way of escape. First Corinthians 10:13, “No temptation has overtaken you that is not common to man. God is faithful, and he will not let you be tempted beyond your ability, but with the temptation he will also provide the way of escape, that you may be able to endure it.” Instead of giving in, turn to the Word. Remember Jesus in the wilderness (cf. Matthew 4; Luke 4)? When the adversary tempted him, He responded each time by quoting Scripture. When we give in to temptation, we renounce God’s authority over our lives. When we resist temptation, we affirm our trust in Him. The enemy can’t handle that, so he flees. Don’t give in!
Don’t Give Up! As a young child, I often complained, “I can’t do it!” when anything was even a little bit hard. Consequently, I heard my father say many times, “Can’t never could.” He recognized that the problem was not my level of ability, but rather my willingness to persevere. You may have heard the saying, “God won’t give you more than you can handle.” The statement needs qualification. God does allow His people to suffer, sometimes incredibly. Over the course of his ministry, the apostle Paul experienced incredible suffering (see the list in 2 Corinthians 11:24–28). The same Paul suffered from an unnamed physical ailment, which he called his “thorn in the flesh.” In response to his prayers for relief, Jesus said, “My grace is sufficient for you, for my power is made perfect in weakness” (2 Cor 12:9). Paul comments afterward, “For the sake of Christ, then, I am content with weaknesses, insults, hardships, persecutions, and calamities. For when I am weak, then I am strong” (2 Cor 12:10). Dear Christian, don’t give up! There is much we can endure if we will lean upon the Lord’s grace.
Do Good Works! Romans 12:21 says, “Do not be overcome by evil, but overcome evil with good.” One tactic for overcoming sin is to occupy oneself with good works. We only have so many hours in the day. If we spend those hours in good works, we won’t have time to do evil ones. The doing of these good works will accomplish much, even if we never see the results. Yet, often, the simple response of gratitude we may receive – a smile, a thank you – will energize us and lessen the burdens we feel. It’s no wonder that Paul caps off his encouragement to be steadfast and immovable with a call to abound in the Lord’s work!
So, dear reader, “be steadfast, immovable, always abounding in the work of the Lord.” Don’t give in! Don’t give up! Do good works!
Clay Leonard
