To
Live Is For Jesus Christ, But to Die Is Gain
[Philippians
chapter 1, verses 18-30]
When
we concluded last week's study of the first half of Philippians
chapter one, the apostle Paul wrote to the church at Philippi
expressing his concern about various congregations competing with
each other instead of being united while spreading the Gospel of
Christ. Some preached and taught with complete devotion to Jesus,
while others preached and taught for selfish or corrupt reasoning as
well as what amounted to vanity or pride. Evidently some were
founding and administrating the churches and ministering to their
members out of a desire to serve Jesus Christ, while others were
doing so because they saw founding and administrating their churches
as being what we would today call being a vocation or a career
choice. Being in the ministry is a calling, but more than that –
ministry is a passion to serve the One who performed the ultimate
service for all of us by dying on the cross for our sins, only to
rise from the dead on the morning of the third day! Under no
circumstances should going into the ministry be considered to be a
professional career move, as this amounts to being a pastor and
leader of churches for all the wrong reasons (such as an easy
paycheck). As we begin today's study, the apostle Paul takes up where
he left off, setting a good example for us all by being thankful and
grateful no matter who was leading any given church at that time. So
let's get underway beginning at the second half of verse 18.
“Yes,
and I will continue to rejoice, for I know that through your prayers
and the help given by the Spirit of Jesus Christ, what has happened
to me will turn out for my deliverance. I eagerly expect and hope
that I will in no way be ashamed, but will have sufficient courage so
that now as always Christ will be exalted in my body, whether by life
or by death. For to me, to live is Christ but to die is gain. If I am
to go on living in the body, this will mean fruitful labor for me.
Yet what will I choose? I do not know! I am torn between the two: I
desire to depart and be with Christ, which is better by far; but it
is more necessary for you that I remain in the body. Convinced of
this, I know that I will remain, and I will continue with all of you
for your progress and joy in the faith, so that through my being with
you again your joy in Christ Jesus will overflow on account of me.”
(Phil. 1, verses 18-26, NIV)
You
will no doubt recall from last week's study that Paul was “in
chains” for Christ, and his comment that “all the palace guard”
had become keenly aware that Paul was a man who lived his life as a
living testimony to Christ. This is the equivalent to what we would
term today to be leadership by example. Back in Paul's day and time
living conditions were very primitive by today's standards, and there
was no internet or any other form of long distance communication
except for what we would call snail mail. These letters would be
carried by couriers who likely worked for ultra-low wages by modern
standards (on second thought, wages today are just as bad, if not
worse). “Through
your prayers and the help given by the Spirit of Jesus Christ”,
Paul wrote, “what
has happened to me will turn out for my deliverance.”
It is a proven fact, based on my own experiences plus that of
countless other believers, that God can and does take bad persons,
places and situations and turn them into good for all those who love
the Lord and have an intense desire to serve Him. Remember that
serving halfheartedly, or serving out of feelings of obligation, does
not measure up to God's standards. One of the best quotes from the
Bible in this regard – and a personal favorite of mine – comes
from the book of Revelation chapter three, verses 15-16, which says
“I
know your deeds, that you are neither cold nor hot. I wish you were
either one or the other! So, because you are lukewarm – neither hot
nor cold – I am about to spit you out of my mouth.”
“For
to me, to live is Christ but to die is gain. If I am to go on living
in the body, this will mean fruitful labor for me.”
These two sentences hearken back to one of the teachings of Christ
Jesus. He said, “He who loves his life will lose it, but those who
sacrifice their lives for my sake will find it.” It's all about
priorities, everyone! Does anyone love their earthly life, their
possessions, and themselves more than anything else? Then that person
will not see the kingdom of God or spend eternity with Him! People
such as these are too attached to their homes, cars, boats,
airplanes, big screen TV's and especially their investments, and they
will lose everything when their lives are over. You can't take
anything with you when you die, nor have I ever seen a funeral
procession in traffic with a rented truck following behind it. Do not
store up treasures on earth, Jesus said, store your treasures in
heaven instead. “Wherever
your treasures are”,
he said, “there
your heart will be as well.” (Matt. 6: 21)
Make Christ your treasure, recognizing that life is really short, so
you will have the fruit of your labor and your heart in the right
place.
“I
desire to depart and be with Christ, which is better by far; but it
is more necessary for you that I remain in the body. Convinced of
this, I know that I will remain, and I will continue with all of you
for your progress and joy in the faith...”
Despite being jailed for the Gospel, Paul was determined to remain on
earth and in the service of Christ Jesus. I find Paul's complete
absence of selfishness to be inspiring and most admirable. There was
no question whatsoever in Paul's mind that he would go to be with the
Lord for all eternity when his life here on earth was over. We all
need this kind of assurance, and it can only be obtained by complete
and unshakable faith in Christ. I don't mean the fist-bumping
high-fives kind of assurance that come from selfishness, pride or
vanity. That would be an emotional reaction. I'm writing about
assurance in the Spirit, which is knowing that we have lived our
lives for Christ to the very best of our abilities, and that His shed
blood on the cross makes up the rest of the difference. That would be
a Spiritual reaction devoid of human vanity, conceit or ambition.
Finally, let your joy in Christ, meaning his salvation and eternal
life, be evident to all those you come into contact with so that all
our joy in Jesus Christ would be overflowing for all to see. In other
words, be a good example through leadership by example. And now let's
finish up the first chapter of Philippians, starting at verse 27.
“Whatever
happens, conduct yourselves in a manner worthy of the Gospel of
Christ. Then, whether I come and see you or only hear about you in my
absence, I will know that you stand firm in one Spirit, contending as
one man for the faith of the Gospel without being frightened in any
way by those who oppose you. This is a sign to them that they will be
destroyed, but that you will be saved – and that by God. For it has
been granted to you on behalf of Christ not only to believe on him,
but also to suffer for him, since you are going through the same
struggles you saw I had, and now hear that I still have.” (Phil. 1,
verses 27-30, NIV)
“Stand firm in one Spirit, contending as one man
for the faith of the Gospel without being frightened in any way by
those who oppose you.” Be united in the Holy Spirit of Jesus
Christ, all for one and one for all! Let there be no disunity,
conflict or strife within any congregation, but instead be resolute
and uncompromising in your faith. Contend as one body, whether male
or female, because there will be no gender, race or ethnicity in
existence once we have entered the Kingdom of God. There is gender
and race in the flesh, but never in the Spirit. Never be frightened
by those who oppose you or who try to bully you with their point of
view, because that is the very antithesis of the Holy Spirit. If God
is for us, Paul wrote in one of our earlier studies, then who can be
against us? Also, we are not to rely on our own abilities in our acts
of selfless service to the Lord. “Lean not on your own
understanding”, the Bible admonishes. God doesn't need our help,
but it is we who need His help instead. This is the hallmark of true
devotion to Christ, and real Christians are not intimidated by those
who presume to dominate our thinking and micro-manage our lives for
us (I have seen this occur in too many of the churches I have been a
part of in the past). And we are most certainly not intimidated by
Satan, who has no power over us once we surrender our lives to
Christ. So, if you find yourself beset by circumstances and people
who work against you and who make themselves your enemies, and if
there seems to be no way out, remember that God will provide us with
sufficient strength so that when we are caught in the middle of bad
things, people and circumstances we will be strong enough to endure
all kinds of avarice and temptation. Remember that God is always with
us, and so is our guardian angel (yes, everybody has one of those
without exception). Since He is constantly with us, we believers need
to make that a 2-way street, constantly making ourselves available to
the Lord no matter what. Those who do this will lead victorious lives
with a lot more pluses than minuses, and it will show in our way of
living, and especially in how we treat other people. That, fellow
believers, is the trademark of every devoted Christian, and it's
always an admirable goal worth attaining.
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