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.
Theodor Fontane said, “A good aphorism is the wisdom of a whole book in a single sentence.” He may have been thinking of this one verse by Paul to the church in Corinth that seems to encapsulate all the wisdom he included in the entire book of 1st Corinthians. They had not remained steadfast or immovable after Paul planted the church and went to Ephesus. They immediately became divided, following men instead of Jesus. They then fell into false teaching that excused immorality and there were lawsuits in the church. They had abandoned the labor that Paul modeled for them and they looked for all the world like unbelievers. Hence this verse that exhorted them to be everything they were not. It obviously went unheeded and Paul needed to write a second letter with much the same exhortations.
Preachers are advised that when they are sick of saying the same thing over and over, the congregation may be hearing it for the first time. That may be an exaggeration but we all are slow to learn, especially if the topic does not interest us. Perhaps it is time to be interested in the deep things of God. We need to be steadfast in prayer and Bible reading, immovable in our doctrinal stance, and abounding in the work of the Lord. If we believe that, we know that our labor will not be in vain but in the Lord’s will.
Dear Lord, thank you for the commands you give us that keep us in your will. Help us to be faithful and obedient to that will. In Jesus’ name. Amen.
Pastor Brad Boyer
Cape Community Church