Grace Notes 2025-01-15
“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.” – 1 Corinthians 15:58
The above verse is the culmination of chapter 15 in the Apostle Paul’s letter to the church in Corinth. The chapter has been all about the resurrection of Christ our Lord. Paul speaks about Jesus’ death according to the Scriptures, His burial, and Christ’s resurrection on the third day in accordance with the Scriptures. By His death and resurrection, a great victory has been won. This is the victory over sin, death, and the tyranny of the devil. And this is a victory our Lord won for us, as He Himself was not in bondage to these enemies.
It is in light of this great victory that the Apostle encourages baptized believers. We are to be steadfast. This implies consistent practicing of the faith that does not rely on feelings and emotions. For example, we pray daily and consistently whether we feel like it or not. We certainly welcome moments of exhilaration and the sensing of God’s closeness, but we don’t rely on the same to keep us going. Instead, we rely on His promise to be with us always to the end of the age.
We are to be immovable. Sometimes flexibility, spontaneity, and novelty are good things. But not when it comes to the truth of God’s Word, the commission our Lord has entrusted to us, and our duty to love God and our neighbor. What we believe, teach, and confess is to be as solid as a rock.
Finally, we are always [to be] abounding in the work of the Lord. No other labor or enterprise is as fruitful and rewarding! Do we believe this? Nothing short of the eternal kingdom is at stake!
Assuredly, this urging is not accomplished on our won steam. God works in and through us by His Holy Spirit. Alive in Christ, we simply need to desist from resisting it.
Since You Asked…
What is the Significance of The Baptism of Our Lord? John the Baptist came proclaiming a baptism of repentance for the forgiveness of sins. Since Jesus was sinless he had no need to be forgiven. The human race, however, is sinful. And our need for forgiveness is great indeed. In explaining why he should be baptized by John, Jesus said, it is fitting for us to fulfill all righteousness. In other words, Jesus came to stand with us and accomplish on our behalf all that God requires of us, including repentance and the forgiveness of sins! At his baptism there was a revealing (an epiphany) of the Holy Trinity. And at his baptism, Jesus took our humanity which he assumed in the Incarnation and lowered it in the cleansing water of Baptism. His public ministry would commence with this public rite.