So, my dear brothers and sisters, stand strong. Don’t let anything change you. Always give yourselves fully to the work of the Lord. You know that your work in the Lord is never wasted.

In Paul’s days, the Greek verb “korinthiazo”—acting like a Corinthian—denoted a wild lifestyle of lasciviousness and corruption. Among the many pagan sanctuaries in Corinth, the Temple of Aphrodite was the most prominent. There, 1,000 prostitutes offered their free services to those who came to worship the goddess.

It is no wonder that the young church of Corinth struggled to ban pagan, immoral influences from among its ranks; and it is no wonder that Paul dedicated large parts of his letters to the Corinthians to words of warning and admonition.

Additionally, the church of Corinth was threatened by heretical views concerning the bodily resurrection. According to the Greek philosophers, the flesh meant nothing. As a result, some Corinthians denied the resurrection of Christ, causing doubt and confusion among the other believers.

In our time, the church faces similar challenges. Lawlessness and unbelief still threaten to disturb the faith of many believers. Maybe your faith is shaken by the myriad voices out there that cast doubt on or even deny the very basics of biblical Christianity. Or maybe, you lament the corrupted spiritual climate your children are growing up in. If so, I encourage you to listen to Paul.

In 1 Corinthians chapter 15, the apostle goes into great length (58 verses!) to explain the significance of Christ’s death and resurrection. If these weren’t true, our faith would be void. But they are true! There is no doubt about that. That conviction prompts Paul to an outburst of thanksgiving in verse 57: “God gave us the victory through our Lord Jesus Christ!”

“So, my dear brothers and sisters,” Paul then writes, building on the previous verse, “Stand strong.” Seen from the perspective of Christ’s victory over sin and death, all earthly doubts become powerless. In Him, our living Savior, we can stand strong. At the same time, our efforts to be witnesses of Christ gain tremendous value: “You know that your work in the Lord is never wasted.”

Christ lives! Has that glorious truth already become your firm ground to stand on?

By Anton de Vreugd, Bible League International staff, the Netherlands