01.08. Our Obligaton And Opportunity
Chapter 8 - Our Obligation And Opportunity
"Therefore, my beloved brethren, be ye steadfast, immovable, always abounding in the work of the Lord, forasmuch as ye know that your labour is not in vain in the Lord" (1 Corinthians 15:58). The Holy Spirit is always practical in His teaching, but that is not to say that this magnificent chapter comes to a "tame conclusion" as some would have it. It is the very opposite indeed, since the conclusion links up so vitally the daily experiences of life "with the glory that shall be revealed in us" (Romans 8:18).
"Therefore, my beloved brethren." Here is a discriminating word. "Brethren" does not mean brethren after the flesh, but after the Spirit. Brethren in Christ are in mind. The opening address of the epistle would settle that if there were nothing more. "Unto the Church of God which is at Corinth," are the words (1 Corinthians 1:2). And that there may be no mistake in classifying them it is added, "even to them that are sanctified in Christ Jesus, called saints." But blessed be God, the saints are not limited to Corinth, but all are included "that in every place call upon the name of Jesus Christ our Lord, both theirs and ours."
"Be ye steadfast." This refers to our own inner purpose to adhere to "the faith which was once for all delivered to the saints" (Jude 1:3), especially the faith of the resurrection. "Unmovable" speaks of that which others may try to do to us. In other words, we ourselves are neither to turn away from the faith, nor permit others to turn us away. How responsible therefore are we for the counsel and the teaching to which we voluntarily lend an ear!
"Always abounding in the work of the Lord." Here is the guarantee and evidence of our steadfastness, and also the strongest offset to them who would lead us astray. "The work of the Lord" is that which He works in us, and which we bring to pass in His strength. As Kling says, "it is the work Christ Himself undertook in obedience to the Father’s commission, and which He has commanded His followers to carry forward." There are two utterances of His that tell us what it is. The first is Luke 19:10 : "The Son of man is come to seek and to save that which was lost." And the second, John 20:21 : "As the Father hath sent Me, even so send I you." "Abounding." In other words, why limit our reward by limiting our service? Why not be "over and above" in what we are privileged to do? "Always." Through all time, in every season, and in every way. And why? "Forasmuch as ye know that your labour is not in vain in the Lord." Not in vain, not useless, not unprofitable, because there is such a thing as the resurrection of the dead, a resurrection which means reward to them that are in Christ if they have been found faithful in Him. That subject of reward! None seems so little understood. As A. J. Gordon once said: "If the Romanist has exalted merit to the utter exclusion of grace, the Protestant is in danger of exalting grace to the utter exclusion of merit." Of course merit has nothing to do with our pardon and acceptance, as the same author goes on to say. As sinners standing before the mercy-seat "there is no difference for all have sinned and come short of the glory of God"; and therefore all must be saved on the same terms, "being justified freely by his grace through the redemption that is in Christ Jesus." But as saints standing before the judgment-seat, there is a difference, since believers are to be judged, "that every one may receive the things done in his body, according to that he hath done, whether it be good or bad" (2 Corinthians 5:10).
Rewards have a very important place in the scheme of redemption. In order to magnify the grace of God all men must be reduced to the same level of unworthiness, but there is no necessity to fix them there forever. Did not our Lord promise His faithful ones that they should be " recompensed at the resurrection of the just"?
Hence these two "looks" enjoined in Scripture, with the quotation of which we bring this exposition to a close:
"Look unto me and be ye saved, all the ends of the earth" (Isaiah 45:22).
"Look to yourselves,-that ye receive a full reward" (2 John 1:8).
{1} "The Two-Fold Life," p. 238.