Stand Firm abounding in the Work of the Lord

Therefore, my beloved brethren, be steadfast, immovable, always abounding in the work of the Lord, knowing that your toil is not in vain in the Lord.  1 Corinthians 15:58 (NASB)

Here are some key words for standing firm in the faith: unmovable - unchangeable - solid - firm - anchored - sure - settled - confident in the truth - not turned aside by others - doing the work of the Lord.  This should be our attitude as we walk out our life in Christ.

Biblical commentaries are an excellent tool in order to take a deeper look at the passage, in helping us to understand how we can best apply the principles and teaching that comes forth from the scripture.

Steadfast:

"Be steadfast".  Adam Clark said this about the word "steadfast" used in this verse: "Be settled";  confide in the truth of the doctrine of the resurrection, and everything that pertains to it,  as confidently as a man sits down on a seat that he knows to be solid, firm, safe, and on which he has often sat.

Always abounding in the work of the Lord.  "The work of the Lord is obedience to His holy Word; every believer in Christ is a workman of God.  He that works not to bring glory to God and good to man is not acknowledge as a servant of Christ;  And if he is not a servant then he is not a son. And if not a son, then not an heir."  He must not only work, but abound in that work, ever exceeding his former self; and this not for a time, but always beginning, continuing, and ending  every act of life to God's glory and the good of his fellows."  (Adam Clark 1762-1832 - Commentary 1982 Bethany House Publishers)

Stand Firm in the Faith on: The Resurrection:

Though others had been raised from the dead before Christ, He was the first to rise from the grave with a body that was no longer subject to death:

"knowing that Christ, having been raised from the dead, is never to die again; death no longer is master over Him."   Romans 6:9

"and the living One; and I was dead, and behold, I am alive forevermore, and I have the keys of death and of Hades."   Rev. 1:18

Jesus predicted his own resurrection on the third day:

Matthew 16:21  From the time Jesus began to show His disciples that He must go to Jerusalem, and suffer many things from the elders and chief priests and scribes, and be killed, and be raised up on the third day."  (also see: Matt. 17:23, 20:19)

Christ taught the truth of Resurrection:

Matthew 22:31,32  But regarding the resurrection of the dead, have you not read what was spoken to you by God: 'I AM THE GOD OF ABRAHAM, AND THE GOD OF ISAAC, AND THE GOD OF JACOB'? He is not the God of the dead but of the living.

John 2:19-22   Jesus answered them, "Destroy this temple, and in three days I will raise it up."  The Jews then said,  "It took forty-six years to build this temple, and will You raise it up in three days?"  But He was speaking of the temple of His body.  So when He was raised from the dead, His disciples remembered that He said this; and they believed the Scripture and the word which Jesus had spoken.

The Apostle Paul called Him the First born from the dead:

He is also head of the body, the church; and He is the beginning, the firstborn from the dead, so that He Himself will come to have first place in everything.  Col. 1:18

The  resurrection of Christ was the first of many to come:

But each in his own order: Christ the first fruits, after that those who are Christ's at His coming, then comes the end, when He hands over the kingdom to the God and Father, when He has abolished all rule and all authority and power.  1 Cor. 15:58  (NASB)

We can stand firm on the truths found in Scripture. The doctrine of the resurrection is a motivator and our hope in Christ and in our work and serving the Lord.  These truths are unchangeable, firm, and anchored and settled.  With our faith strengthened by these great truths you can as 1 Cor. 15:58 says: be steadfast, immovable, always abounding in the work of the Lord, knowing that your toil is not in vain in the Lord.  Stand Firm in the Faith.

Encourage and comfort one another

1 Thess. 3:6-8

"But now that Timothy has come to us from you, and has brought us good news of your faith and love, and that you always think kindly of us, longing to see us just as we also long to see you, for this reason, brethren, in all our distress and affliction we were comforted about you through your faith; for now we really live if you stand firm in the Lord."

For a biblical Christian believer of Jesus Christ, standing firm and holding firmly to the scriptures, holding to the sound doctrine of the faith, sharing the gospel to people in your life and to strangers, and yet you find over time, many of them either reject what good news you've given them, or they have aligned themselves with heretical teachings or teachers.  How discouraging and heartbreaking this can be.  If this sounds familiar read 1 Thess. 3:6-8, where Paul had become discouraged to continue preaching in his distress. When churches had been unfaithful and given in to sin and yielded to false teachers, the Apostle Paul was distressed by it, and had become depressed, like what happened in the Corinthian church  (2 Cor. 7:5,6)

"For even when we came into Macedonia our flesh had no rest, but we were afflicted on every side: conflicts without, fears within. But God, who comforts the depressed, comforted us by the coming of Titus;"

The good news to Paul came by way of Timothy about the Thessalonians, the true saving faith of them, encouragement was given that strengthen Paul, that they were standing firm in their faith.  They were standing firm on the Apostles teachings. Paul was encouraged by their love and remembrance of him, and it strengthened him to continue in the labor of the Lord.

The Thessalonians steadfastness consisted of 3 important points: (These things worked to Paul's encouragement:

1. There faith continued steadfast in the gospel, they stood firm in their faith.

2. Their charity, they loved and helped each other, lived in peace.

3. They were affectionately attached to the Apostle Paul, and had good memories of him and desired to see him.

All these things worked to encourage the Apostle Paul in his work that he did not view his labor as being in vain.  1 Thess. 3:8 ...for now we really live"

"Your steadfastness in the faith gives me new life and comfort; I now feel that I live to some purpose, as my labor in the Lord is not in vain."

To proclaim the gospel and to defend sound teaching is no easy task. Paul's method was to begin by commending what was praiseworthy in the believers, and then to correct what was amiss.  A good pattern to all who admonish others.