Hope of a Resurrection

1 Corinthians 15:38

Therefore, my dear brothers, be steadfast, immovable, always excelling in the Lord’s work, knowing that your labor in the Lord is not in vain.

Paul gave this instruction to the Corinthians after some had come to falsely believe there was no resurrection from the dead for Christians. Paul explained in verses 13 and 14 that if there was no resurrection for us, then Christ has not been raised from the dead, and we have no forgiveness of sins.  Without His resurrection, our preaching and faith are in vain. They serve no purpose without the hope of His resurrection. Christ was raised from the dead on earth and now lives with the Father in heaven.  Because of His resurrection, we have hope in this life and in the next.

The truth of the matter is that we do have hope today because Christ died and rose again, and we will one day rise again from the ashes of our dead bodies to a new glorified body. That physical resurrection, however, will not happen until Christ comes again. In the meantime, we are to be steadfast, immovable, always excelling in the Lord’s work and knowing that our labor in Him is not in vain. We have that blessed promise of new life.

We also have hope for this earthly life in Christ Jesus. When we lay down the dead, unproductive places in our lives and submit to Him, He can raise us to live a new, vibrant, flourishing life here on earth. He can resurrect something from our deadness that reveals His glory as a picture of the life in Him to come.  We are not without hope because he died and rose again. His miracle can create a miracle in us.

Where do you feel dead? Surrender that place to Christ. Where do you need to feel alive again? Give it to Him. You cannot create life on your own, but by faith, God can resurrect you from the ashes of your old self. Be steadfast, immovable, always excelling in the Lord’s work, knowing that your labor in the Lord is not in vain. You have a resurrection coming!

Have a blessed day!