The New Testament says, "Therefore, my beloved brethren, be ye steadfast, unmoveable, always abounding in the work of the Lord, forasmuch as ye know that your labor is not in vain in the Lord" 1 Cor. 15:58). Paul had given rational grounds for faith and hope in Christ, the risen Lord and Savior, and now calls upon these saints to be firm and unshakeable. They now had an understanding as to why they should be steadfast in all that the gospel demanded. This word "steadfast" is here used in a metaphorical sense of those who are fixed in purpose. Again, the same apostle wrote, "If ye continue in the faith grounded and settled, and be not moved away from the hope of the gospel . . . ." (Col. 1:23). The word "settled" translates the same word rendered steadfast" in 1 Cor. 15:58.

The expressed admonition by Paul, writing as the Spirit of God moved him, makes man know his need for firmness. It would seem unthinkable that a condemned sinner coming to know the saving power of God, turning in faith and repentance and being baptized into Christ for the remission of- sins, would then have great difficulty to be firm for the Lord. Yet, this is the very problem experienced -by so many would-be Christians today. Some will not leave alcohol alone; some continue to lie; others continue to steal; and continue in adultery. While the word of God forbids one to do these-things, and condemns the sinner in doing them, many so-called Christians are found engaged in them. The word of God also forbids a Christian to "forsake the assembling" of himself with the saints (Heb. 10:25), but many have no steadfastness in this matter. They can miss assembly after assembly and think there is impunity in such behavior. "Steadfast"? They do not know its meaning.

The same passage says; "Always abounding in the work of the Lord." This plural participle "abounding" is present active, meaning the Christian must keep on abounding. This means steadfastness in one's action. Faithfulness to God is not something that we turn on and off at will and everything turns out okay. Do you read and study your Bible? .Are you trying to do the work of the Lord faithfully? Or, are you doing it in an "on again, off again" fashion? Be firm in doing the work authorized in the word of God.

Truth Magazine XXII: 32, p. 520
August 17, 1978