βTherefore, my beloved brethren, be ye stedfast, unmoveable, always abounding in the work of the Lord, forasmuch as ye know that your labor is not in vain in the Lordβ (I Cor. 15:58).
We should note carefully that the Apostle Paul here addresses only his brethren in Christ, those who have truly been born again β born into the family of God.
Furthermore, he sent this appeal to Christians everywhere: to βall that in every place call upon the name of Jesus Christ our Lordβ (I Cor. 1:2). He knew that there is a tendency among all believers to be tempted to abandon the work of the Lord through discouragement or carelessness, so he pleads with us to be βstedfastβ and βunmoveable,β reminding us that our labor is βnot in vain in the Lord.β
How we need this exhortation! We do not soon abandon our businesses or homes. We toil on in spite of difficulties and obstacles, and when the outlook is darkest we often work the hardest. Sometimes our bodies suffer for it, but we do not immediately give up.
And how much more urgent is the work of the Lord! Souls are perishing all about us for whom Christ died. It is our plain duty to pray for them and tell them of His love. It is our responsibility to toil and sacrifice that they may hear and believe the good news. What shall we say when some day we stand before our Savior if we have been satisfied merely to know Him ourselves? And what will He say?
Let us then be up and doing, βalways abounding in the work of the Lord.β Life is too short to fritter away the precious moments God has given us to proclaim His saving grace. Let us tell them, then, by lip and by life, by our testimony and by our behavior, that βChrist Jesus came into the world to save sinnersβ and that βwe have redemption through His blood, the forgiveness of sins according to the riches of His graceβ (Eph. 1:7). source
