Friday, May 11, 2007
1 Corinthians 15:57-58 But thanks be to God, who gives us the victory through our Lord Jesus Christ. 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.
JESUS' EASTER VICTORY CHANGES US DIRECTIONALLY
"Therefore" is one of those English words that sets the stage for that which is said or written after it by referencing to that which was said or written before it. It can be used to describe a "cause and effect" scenario.
At the end of 1 Corinthians 15, the Apostle Paul writes with regard to Jesus' Easter victory. Having already cited how Jesus' Easter victory gives us everything we could ever desire (freedom from the eternal consequences of sin and the guarantee of eternal life in perfect bodies), the Apostle Paul tells us how this affects the way we live our lives. He says, "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."
In the Easter victory of Jesus we have something that changes our lives for eternity. In the Easter victory of Jesus we also have something that changes the direction of our lives while we are here in this world.
Without Jesus and His Easter victory, we would have no hope of eternal life. In that case, this earth would be as good as it gets. In that case, we might as well go along with the rest of world by simply filling our days with "eating, drinking and merry-making", waiting to die.
However, in Jesus we will be delivered from this sinful world. More importantly, in Jesus we will be delivered from the eternal punishment of hell that would surely wait for us after this world. Because of this, we see this life as something different. We see this life as the place to do the work of the Lord. We see this place as the battleground for souls. Because we know the way of salvation, we want to work hard to spread the Easter victory message to others so they know the way to salvation also.
