Stand Firm in Christ's Victory

Do you have a life verse?

There have been times in my life when a particular Bible verse ministered to me more than others.

When our four children were young and the two boys were under 2 years old, we could have adopted 1 Corinthians 15:51: “We will not all sleep, but we will all be changed.”

And when I was a youth pastor, the theme verse for our Junior High meetings seemed to be Acts 19:32: “The assembly was in confusion: Some were shouting one thing, some another. Most of the people did not even know why they were there.”

My actual life verse tells us that even in times of uncertainty, ungodly agendas, and wars, we have a responsibility to live as overcomers with the promise that God is at work in us and through us. In 1 Corinthians 15:58, the Apostle Paul wrote, “Therefore, my dear brothers and sisters, stand firm. Let nothing move you. Always give yourselves fully to the work of the Lord, because you know that your labor in the Lord is not in vain.”

As we know, one of the rules of interpretation is context… Every text has a context. This means we must read a verse in light of the chapter and book in which it is contained. Otherwise, we can misinterpret the meaning of the verse.

For example, the 1 Cor 15:51 verse that I mentioned above is not about babies in a nursery getting their diaper changed. In context, Paul is talking about our transition from earth (the visible, physical, earthly) to the eternal realm (invisible to us, heavenly, spiritual). Paul is making the point that our transition from earth to heaven involves a transition from a physical body to a spiritual body. The word sleep in this passage stands for death. So, the comment Paul makes about not sleeping but being changed is actually a reference to Jesus’ second coming when those who are still alive on earth will not die, but rather will be changed directly from physical to spiritual.  Or, as my son put it when he was three years old, “Some people die. Some just wait for the horn.”

Not only do we look at context, but when we see the word ‘therefore’ we must ask what it is ‘there for.’

So, when Paul tells us we are to “therefore stand firm, let nothing move us, and always give ourselves fully to the work of the Lord,” we want to look at what he just said as well as the whole context in order to understand the verse. When we take these things into account, a few things become crystal clear.

First, we have a responsibility to put our faith into action. We are to stand firm. We are to let nothing move us from Christ as our foundation. And we are to give ourselves fully to the work the Lord has given us to do. Throughout the chapter, Paul makes it clear that our ability to do these things is because of what Jesus has already accomplished.  In the verses just prior to this statement, he summarizes that Jesus has conquered sin and death and has given us victory. And that victory is to be appropriated in our lives by faith (see verses 10-11, 14, 30-34 for examples of how Paul put it into practice).

Second, we can be assured that our work with the Lord is not empty or useless. Jesus has not only won the victory over sin and death, but He has also given us that victory so that we can have life in Him.  As we labor in the Lord, we know He is at work in us and through us!  We can be assured that we are living and working in victory because of Jesus. 

Dear Saints, are you standing firm in Christ’s victory? Are you giving yourself fully to the work of the Lord? Be assured, it is not in vain.