"Now I would remind you, brothers, of the gospel I preached to you, which you received, in which you stand, and by which you are being saved, if you hold fast to the word I preached to you—unless you believed in vain."
Moving on from the subject of spiritual gifts, the focus of the book shifts to the gospel. The gospel is surprisingly simple—simple enough that a child can believe and be an example of saving faith for adults. But the gospel is also unbelievably complex—complex enough that adults who study it their whole lives never fully plumb the depths.
We typically think of the gospel as something that should be shared with unbelievers for evangelistic purposes. While this is certainly a proper use of the gospel, the value of the gospel continues well past evangelism. In this chapter, Paul is reminding the Corinthian believers of the gospel that was already preached to them. It can be argued that he does this so that they will clearly share the gospel with others. However, even this first verse seems to indicate that there is value to the gospel for the Christian beyond what he can share with others. The gospel is that truth “in which you stand.”
The gospel is my firm belief, my creed. It is my source of strength, my confidence in uncertainty. It is my life, my hope for the future. It is my motivation for loving, my example of extreme sacrifice. It is the only way to God. I need to be reminded of the gospel’s importance. And remembering its importance, I need to be reminded of what the gospel is.
Not only is the gospel that in which we trust. It is that which has, is, and will transform us—"by which you are being saved." Here, the focus is on the present continuing results of the gospel in our lives. Positionally, we are the same, but practically, there is definite growth.
Both our growth and our confidence is based on the reality of God's work in us and our holding fast to that truth.
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