The Lord’s Work – Part 49
Vain labour
1 Corinthians 15:58 Therefore, my beloved brethren, be ye stedfast, unmoveable, always abounding in the work of the Lord, forasmuch as ye know that your labour is not in vain in the Lord.
What is vain labour? Labor in the flesh is vain labour. True labour must be in the Lord. If you do the work of the Lord, in the Lord, it is not in vain.
Isaiah 49:4 Then I said, I have laboured in vain, I have spent my strength for nought, and in vain: yet surely my judgment is with the LORD, and my work with my God.
Labour that is done with men, with men’s hands, is in vain. But work that is done with the Lord, as fellow labourers together with him, is not in vain.
Isaiah 65:21-23 And they shall build houses, and inhabit them; and they shall plant vineyards, and eat the fruit of them. 22 They shall not build, and another inhabit; they shall not plant, and another eat: for as the days of a tree are the days of my people, and mine elect shall long enjoy the work of their hands. 23 They shall not labour in vain, nor bring forth for trouble; for they are the seed of the blessed of the LORD, and their offspring with them.
Vain labour is building something that can be stolen, or rot, or rust or be unfruitful.
In the resurrection, a son of God does not labour in vain. A true Israelite does not work in vain. The people of the Lord, working with spiritual hands, is not in vain.
The Lord made creation with His hands (Acts 7:49-50), yet without hands … only with His word (Psalm 33:6). Likewise, the work of our hands, is the word of our mouths. With your word, this is how you work, create, build together with God.
Back to:
1 Corinthians 15:58 Therefore, my beloved brethren, be ye stedfast, unmoveable, always abounding in the work of the Lord, forasmuch as ye know that your labour is not in vain in the Lord.
This whole chapter is about the resurrection: How Christ was raised, and how we will be raised too. How we will be made incorruptible with new bodies (spiritual flesh), instead of carnal bodies (natural flesh). This verse really just seems completely out of place. But its not out of place. Its right there for a reason. Therefore – according to these things – abound in the work of the Lord.
What is the connection? The resurrection is the work of the Lord. A true good work is one that is eternal.
A good work is not in vain, because it is not done to corruptible men, but to the incorruptible children of God.
Now, if true labour in the Lord is preaching the gospel, saving souls, and growing the church in wisdom, then vain labor is the opposite of that. (Not doing no work, but doing work, which does not PROFIT.)
Vain labour is the preaching of a gospel which DOES NOT save. Preaching a perverted gospel, preaching doctrines which overthrow the faith of some, or (like Paul often did) preaching to a church which is then polluted from the pure gospel. This is labour which is not rewarded, because there is no fruit. But labor in the Lord, in His body, is not in vain. This is why Paul says to the church at Galatia:
Galatians 4:11 I am afraid of you, lest I have bestowed upon you labour in vain.
1 Thessalonians 3:5 For this cause, when I could no longer forbear, I sent to know your faith, lest by some means the tempter have tempted you, and our labour be in vain.
The sowing of true faith is not in vain. But if it be polluted, so that it is not true faith (salvation by grace), but it is mixed with works (guilt by the law), labour is in vain. Not because anyone can lose their salvation… but because God’s people are His work. And if any work is not “in the Lord”, if the work is not DONE “in the Lord”, then it is not His work.
How do we make sure that we do not labour in vain?
Philippians 2:16 Holding forth the word of life; that I may rejoice in the day of Christ, that I have not run in vain, neither laboured in vain.
If we keep the doctrine of eternal life pure, and labour in the pure doctrine, our labour cannot be in vain. Its all about the word of God.
1 Corinthians 15:10 But by the grace of God I am what I am: and his grace which was bestowed upon me was not in vain; but I laboured more abundantly than they all: yet not I, but the grace of God which was with me.
True labour is done through preaching in the grace of God. Yet not what I do. Not the works of my hands!!! The grace of God is really what does the true labour. All we have to do is just give it.
Judged in the body
2 Corinthians 5:10 For we must all appear before the judgment seat of Christ; that every one may receive the things done in his body, according to that he hath done, whether it be good or bad.
We are all each going to receive the things done “in his body”.
Done – past tense. These things we will receive are done. They are the results. The fruits. The end of the works.
What things are done in the body? What things have been done in your body? Good things? Or Evil things?
Maybe you’d say both good and evil. Maybe you’d say only evil, and no good (I would). Maybe you would say mostly good and only a little evil. BUT definitely there were some evil things done in your flesh, right? Adultery, hatred, strife, sedition, debate, deceit, fighting, envy, fornication, etc. … The Bible calls these “the works of the flesh.”
If we are to receive the things (the works) done in our body (the flesh), we are in trouble. Big trouble!!
And since I know that no amount of good works are going to take away the evil ones… I’m in big trouble!
I do not want to receive the things done in my body (this body of flesh).
But what if the interpretation of this is very different for a Christian?
2 Corinthians 5:10 … that every one may receive the things done in his body, …
What if, as a Christian, you will receive the things you have done… in His body?! In the body of Christ?
Ephesians 5:30 For we are members of his body, of his flesh, and of his bones.
1 Corinthians 12:18 But now hath God set the members every one of them in the body, as it hath pleased him.
What body is this? The body of Christ. We are members of that body. We will receive every one of us, Real Christians, of what is done in THAT body.
Our inheritance is IN THAT body.
Ephesians 1:11 In whom also we have obtained an inheritance, being predestinated according to the purpose of him who worketh all things after the counsel of his own will:
We have not earned anything good or eternal with our outward bodies. We have not been born unto eternal inheritance in our outward bodies. But we have been born unto an eternal inheritance in HIS body.
Our outward man, our body, is no different than the body of a lost man, is it? It is sinful, wicked.
But, for Real Christians, our outward man has been cut off, mortified, and crucified. It is dead.
Colossians 2:11 In whom also ye are circumcised with the circumcision made without hands, in putting off the body of the sins of the flesh by the circumcision of Christ:
If I were, at my judgment, to receive the things done in my body, it would be BAD things. (“Harsh judgment”)
Colossians 3:9-10 Lie not one to another, seeing that ye have put off the old man with his deeds; 10 And have put on the new man, which is renewed in knowledge after the image of him that created him:
How can I be punished for what my flesh does? My flesh is put off. Dead and removed away from me. Its deeds (works) have been removed from me.
I have put on the new man, the body of Christ.
Romans 8:13 For if ye live after the flesh, ye shall die: but if ye through the Spirit do mortify the deeds of the body, ye shall live.
If the Lord removed my sins, and all my deeds (works) when he saved me, circumcised me, is He then going to put me back in my old man for the judgment, and reward me evil for my works?? Once I have put off the body of sin, do I then have to put it back on?
Yes, and no.
Job 19:26 And though after my skin worms destroy this body, yet in my flesh shall I see God:
The resurrection is a resurrection of flesh. You will see God, and be judged by him in the flesh. But for a Real Christian, it is not the flesh that we have now, but the flesh of a new spiritual body.
I will put my flesh back on, but not until it has been made INCORRUPTIBLE.
1 Corinthians 15:51-54 Behold, I shew you a mystery; We shall not all sleep, but we shall all be changed, 52 In a moment, in the twinkling of an eye, at the last trump: for the trumpet shall sound, and the dead shall be raised incorruptible, and we shall be changed. 53 For this corruptible must put on incorruption, and this mortal must put on immortality. 54 So when this corruptible shall have put on incorruption, and this mortal shall have put on immortality, then shall be brought to pass the saying that is written, Death is swallowed up in victory.
1 Corinthians 15:42-44 So also is the resurrection of the dead. It is sown in corruption; it is raised in incorruption: 43 It is sown in dishonour; it is raised in glory: it is sown in weakness; it is raised in power: 44 It is sown a natural body; it is raised a spiritual body. There is a natural body, and there is a spiritual body.
That is the body I want to receive the things done in. The one that is raised in POWER. The one that is INCORRUPTIBLE. The one that…
Revelation 7:16 They shall hunger no more, neither thirst any more; neither shall the sun light on them, nor any heat.
I believe that I will be judged in THAT body… my incorruptible, spiritual, new body.
If you are okay with being judged in THIS body, you must be thinking that you can please God with your body.
Romans 8:8-10 So then they that are in the flesh cannot please God. 9 But ye are not in the flesh, but in the Spirit, if so be that the Spirit of God dwell in you. Now if any man have not the Spirit of Christ, he is none of his. 10 And if Christ be in you, the body is dead because of sin; but the Spirit is life because of righteousness.
Only the Spirit can please God.
My body is dead because of sin. Sin is in my body. Sin is doing things in my body. Sin is working in my body.
Romans 7:13 … But sin, that it might appear sin, working death in me by that which is good; that sin by the commandment might become exceeding sinful.
So if I receive the things done in my body, what will I receive? Death. Because sin works death in my body. Death is what is “done” in my body.
My flesh has sin working in it. So how would anyone who is judged according to what things are done in the body of flesh, escape death? Why would any Christian want to receive the things done in his body of flesh? I would receive nothing good.
In me, that is, in my flesh, dwelleth no good thing. I don’t want the things done in my body. And nothing I can do with my body will be rewarded good things because, “they that are in the flesh cannot please God”.
Oh wretched man that I am.
But, I am not in the flesh, but in the Spirit. I am not in my body, I am in the body of Christ. So why should I be judged according to what was done in my fleshly body?
At my judgment, I can argue, why should I receive the things done in my earthly body? I wasn’t even there! Why should I be held accountable for that? That would be crazy! I have an alibi. God himself is my witness, that I was not present in the flesh when those things were done in my body. Why should I be held accountable for what I didn’t even do? Sin did it! I wasn’t even there! I was in the Spirit. I was in heaven.
But ye are not in the flesh, but in the Spirit… Why should a living son of God receive the things done in a dead body?? His earthly body is dead because of sin!! After having been made free from it, why should he now receive anything from it?
I can’t stop sinning any more than I can stop breathing. As long as I have thoughts in my head I will sin.
May 11 2022
The Lord’s Work – Part 49
Downloadable Word document:
The Lord’s Work – Part 49
The Lord’s Work – Part 49
Vain labour
1 Corinthians 15:58 Therefore, my beloved brethren, be ye stedfast, unmoveable, always abounding in the work of the Lord, forasmuch as ye know that your labour is not in vain in the Lord.
What is vain labour? Labor in the flesh is vain labour. True labour must be in the Lord. If you do the work of the Lord, in the Lord, it is not in vain.
Isaiah 49:4 Then I said, I have laboured in vain, I have spent my strength for nought, and in vain: yet surely my judgment is with the LORD, and my work with my God.
Labour that is done with men, with men’s hands, is in vain. But work that is done with the Lord, as fellow labourers together with him, is not in vain.
Isaiah 65:21-23 And they shall build houses, and inhabit them; and they shall plant vineyards, and eat the fruit of them. 22 They shall not build, and another inhabit; they shall not plant, and another eat: for as the days of a tree are the days of my people, and mine elect shall long enjoy the work of their hands. 23 They shall not labour in vain, nor bring forth for trouble; for they are the seed of the blessed of the LORD, and their offspring with them.
Vain labour is building something that can be stolen, or rot, or rust or be unfruitful.
In the resurrection, a son of God does not labour in vain. A true Israelite does not work in vain. The people of the Lord, working with spiritual hands, is not in vain.
The Lord made creation with His hands (Acts 7:49-50), yet without hands … only with His word (Psalm 33:6). Likewise, the work of our hands, is the word of our mouths. With your word, this is how you work, create, build together with God.
Back to:
1 Corinthians 15:58 Therefore, my beloved brethren, be ye stedfast, unmoveable, always abounding in the work of the Lord, forasmuch as ye know that your labour is not in vain in the Lord.
This whole chapter is about the resurrection: How Christ was raised, and how we will be raised too. How we will be made incorruptible with new bodies (spiritual flesh), instead of carnal bodies (natural flesh). This verse really just seems completely out of place. But its not out of place. Its right there for a reason. Therefore – according to these things – abound in the work of the Lord.
What is the connection? The resurrection is the work of the Lord. A true good work is one that is eternal.
A good work is not in vain, because it is not done to corruptible men, but to the incorruptible children of God.
Now, if true labour in the Lord is preaching the gospel, saving souls, and growing the church in wisdom, then vain labor is the opposite of that. (Not doing no work, but doing work, which does not PROFIT.)
Vain labour is the preaching of a gospel which DOES NOT save. Preaching a perverted gospel, preaching doctrines which overthrow the faith of some, or (like Paul often did) preaching to a church which is then polluted from the pure gospel. This is labour which is not rewarded, because there is no fruit. But labor in the Lord, in His body, is not in vain. This is why Paul says to the church at Galatia:
Galatians 4:11 I am afraid of you, lest I have bestowed upon you labour in vain.
1 Thessalonians 3:5 For this cause, when I could no longer forbear, I sent to know your faith, lest by some means the tempter have tempted you, and our labour be in vain.
The sowing of true faith is not in vain. But if it be polluted, so that it is not true faith (salvation by grace), but it is mixed with works (guilt by the law), labour is in vain. Not because anyone can lose their salvation… but because God’s people are His work. And if any work is not “in the Lord”, if the work is not DONE “in the Lord”, then it is not His work.
How do we make sure that we do not labour in vain?
Philippians 2:16 Holding forth the word of life; that I may rejoice in the day of Christ, that I have not run in vain, neither laboured in vain.
If we keep the doctrine of eternal life pure, and labour in the pure doctrine, our labour cannot be in vain. Its all about the word of God.
1 Corinthians 15:10 But by the grace of God I am what I am: and his grace which was bestowed upon me was not in vain; but I laboured more abundantly than they all: yet not I, but the grace of God which was with me.
True labour is done through preaching in the grace of God. Yet not what I do. Not the works of my hands!!! The grace of God is really what does the true labour. All we have to do is just give it.
Judged in the body
2 Corinthians 5:10 For we must all appear before the judgment seat of Christ; that every one may receive the things done in his body, according to that he hath done, whether it be good or bad.
We are all each going to receive the things done “in his body”.
Done – past tense. These things we will receive are done. They are the results. The fruits. The end of the works.
What things are done in the body? What things have been done in your body? Good things? Or Evil things?
Maybe you’d say both good and evil. Maybe you’d say only evil, and no good (I would). Maybe you would say mostly good and only a little evil. BUT definitely there were some evil things done in your flesh, right? Adultery, hatred, strife, sedition, debate, deceit, fighting, envy, fornication, etc. … The Bible calls these “the works of the flesh.”
If we are to receive the things (the works) done in our body (the flesh), we are in trouble. Big trouble!!
And since I know that no amount of good works are going to take away the evil ones… I’m in big trouble!
I do not want to receive the things done in my body (this body of flesh).
But what if the interpretation of this is very different for a Christian?
2 Corinthians 5:10 … that every one may receive the things done in his body, …
What if, as a Christian, you will receive the things you have done… in His body?! In the body of Christ?
Ephesians 5:30 For we are members of his body, of his flesh, and of his bones.
1 Corinthians 12:18 But now hath God set the members every one of them in the body, as it hath pleased him.
What body is this? The body of Christ. We are members of that body. We will receive every one of us, Real Christians, of what is done in THAT body.
Our inheritance is IN THAT body.
Ephesians 1:11 In whom also we have obtained an inheritance, being predestinated according to the purpose of him who worketh all things after the counsel of his own will:
We have not earned anything good or eternal with our outward bodies. We have not been born unto eternal inheritance in our outward bodies. But we have been born unto an eternal inheritance in HIS body.
Our outward man, our body, is no different than the body of a lost man, is it? It is sinful, wicked.
But, for Real Christians, our outward man has been cut off, mortified, and crucified. It is dead.
Colossians 2:11 In whom also ye are circumcised with the circumcision made without hands, in putting off the body of the sins of the flesh by the circumcision of Christ:
If I were, at my judgment, to receive the things done in my body, it would be BAD things. (“Harsh judgment”)
Colossians 3:9-10 Lie not one to another, seeing that ye have put off the old man with his deeds; 10 And have put on the new man, which is renewed in knowledge after the image of him that created him:
How can I be punished for what my flesh does? My flesh is put off. Dead and removed away from me. Its deeds (works) have been removed from me.
I have put on the new man, the body of Christ.
Romans 8:13 For if ye live after the flesh, ye shall die: but if ye through the Spirit do mortify the deeds of the body, ye shall live.
If the Lord removed my sins, and all my deeds (works) when he saved me, circumcised me, is He then going to put me back in my old man for the judgment, and reward me evil for my works?? Once I have put off the body of sin, do I then have to put it back on?
Yes, and no.
Job 19:26 And though after my skin worms destroy this body, yet in my flesh shall I see God:
The resurrection is a resurrection of flesh. You will see God, and be judged by him in the flesh. But for a Real Christian, it is not the flesh that we have now, but the flesh of a new spiritual body.
I will put my flesh back on, but not until it has been made INCORRUPTIBLE.
1 Corinthians 15:51-54 Behold, I shew you a mystery; We shall not all sleep, but we shall all be changed, 52 In a moment, in the twinkling of an eye, at the last trump: for the trumpet shall sound, and the dead shall be raised incorruptible, and we shall be changed. 53 For this corruptible must put on incorruption, and this mortal must put on immortality. 54 So when this corruptible shall have put on incorruption, and this mortal shall have put on immortality, then shall be brought to pass the saying that is written, Death is swallowed up in victory.
1 Corinthians 15:42-44 So also is the resurrection of the dead. It is sown in corruption; it is raised in incorruption: 43 It is sown in dishonour; it is raised in glory: it is sown in weakness; it is raised in power: 44 It is sown a natural body; it is raised a spiritual body. There is a natural body, and there is a spiritual body.
That is the body I want to receive the things done in. The one that is raised in POWER. The one that is INCORRUPTIBLE. The one that…
Revelation 7:16 They shall hunger no more, neither thirst any more; neither shall the sun light on them, nor any heat.
I believe that I will be judged in THAT body… my incorruptible, spiritual, new body.
If you are okay with being judged in THIS body, you must be thinking that you can please God with your body.
Romans 8:8-10 So then they that are in the flesh cannot please God. 9 But ye are not in the flesh, but in the Spirit, if so be that the Spirit of God dwell in you. Now if any man have not the Spirit of Christ, he is none of his. 10 And if Christ be in you, the body is dead because of sin; but the Spirit is life because of righteousness.
Only the Spirit can please God.
My body is dead because of sin. Sin is in my body. Sin is doing things in my body. Sin is working in my body.
Romans 7:13 … But sin, that it might appear sin, working death in me by that which is good; that sin by the commandment might become exceeding sinful.
So if I receive the things done in my body, what will I receive? Death. Because sin works death in my body. Death is what is “done” in my body.
My flesh has sin working in it. So how would anyone who is judged according to what things are done in the body of flesh, escape death? Why would any Christian want to receive the things done in his body of flesh? I would receive nothing good.
In me, that is, in my flesh, dwelleth no good thing. I don’t want the things done in my body. And nothing I can do with my body will be rewarded good things because, “they that are in the flesh cannot please God”.
Oh wretched man that I am.
But, I am not in the flesh, but in the Spirit. I am not in my body, I am in the body of Christ. So why should I be judged according to what was done in my fleshly body?
At my judgment, I can argue, why should I receive the things done in my earthly body? I wasn’t even there! Why should I be held accountable for that? That would be crazy! I have an alibi. God himself is my witness, that I was not present in the flesh when those things were done in my body. Why should I be held accountable for what I didn’t even do? Sin did it! I wasn’t even there! I was in the Spirit. I was in heaven.
But ye are not in the flesh, but in the Spirit… Why should a living son of God receive the things done in a dead body?? His earthly body is dead because of sin!! After having been made free from it, why should he now receive anything from it?
I can’t stop sinning any more than I can stop breathing. As long as I have thoughts in my head I will sin.
By Pastor • Christian Doctrine, Good Works, The Judgment • 0