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. ~ 1 Corinthians 15:1-2
Paul said that he wanted to remind his readers, the Corinthian brothers, about the gospel that he had preached to them. He said that they had received the good news, that they were standing in that faith, and by grace they were being saved, if they would hold fast to that good news that he had preached to them.
In other words, they had not arrived; they were still being saved. It was not all said and done; they had an obligation to hold fast to the word that Paul had preached to them.
Imagine a man caught in a storm at sea, clinging to a lifebuoy thrown to him from a rescue ship. He is being pulled from the water, but he is not yet on the ship. The waves are still crashing, the wind is still howling, and the danger is not yet behind him. His only hope is to keep holding on to that lifebuoy until he is brought safely aboard.
That’s the picture Paul paints in 1 Corinthians 15:1–2. The gospel is the lifebuoy. We have received it, we are standing in it, and we are being saved by it—but only if we hold fast. Not because our grip earns our salvation, but because letting go would reveal that we never truly trusted the One who saves.
This is not about living in fear or uncertainty. It’s about perseverance in faith. Hebrews 3:14 echoes this truth: “For we have come to share in Christ, if indeed we hold our original confidence firm to the end.” And Jesus Himself said, “The one who endures to the end will be saved” (Matthew 24:13).
So today, let us examine our hearts. Are we holding fast to the gospel in word and in deeds? Are we trusting in Christ alone—not just once, but daily? Salvation is not a one-time transaction; it is a lifelong transformation. And the good news is, the One who began a good work in us will bring it to completion (Philippians 1:6)—if we do not let go. Heavenly Father, thank You for the gift of Your Son Jesus. Help me to live daily for You, and when I fall short, correct me and bring me back in alignment with Your Word. In Jesus’ Name I pray, amen.