Living, Christ; Dying, Gain

Living, Christ; Dying, Gain

For to me, to live is Christ, and to die is gain.

Philippians 1:21

When Paul wrote the epistle to the church at Philippi, he was very personal in his communication. There is a level of intimacy there which we do not see to the same degree in some of the other of his works. As he endured his imprisonment, his thoughts, quite understandably, came to consider the life which had brought him to this situation, and what was to follow. Christ had already had a powerful impact on this beloved one’s life. Paul had lived out, with every breath and experience thus far, an abandonment of the things of this world. He held fast his fervent mission for the ‘advancement’ of the gospel and declares that all his circumstances were ‘for Christ.’

In the course of his intimate declarations to his beloved Philippians, he makes a statement which might well serve both him and us as a motto of happy, holy living. “For me to me to live is Christ, and to die is gain.” We must hasten to declare that this was no casually tossed-off line. Paul had given the matter serious thought and so summarized the whole of his evaluation of his own life on earth in one brief, pithy epigram. He was in no way ashamed to declare his verdict. Nor should we be ashamed to boldly declare this, if we can do so honestly, “For to me to live is Christ, and to die is gain.” Having said that, the epigram encompasses the whole of his temporal occupation. Whether it was his devotional life, personal life, public life or any other aspect bearing upon his existence in any way, the whole of his occupation was Christ. There is no higher, no nobler, no more spiritual occupation than this: the life of Christ lived out in the believer.

How is this life being lived out in you; whether you remain in the body and persevere in the advancement of the gospel, or depart to be with Christ? We see the holiest, happiest, healthiest view of both life and death.  ‘To live,’ no matter what the circumstance is simply Christ.  In turn, the end of this life, in earthly terms is death.  Yet, this ‘last mile’ doesn’t discourage Paul either.  He states, ‘to die is gain.’  To leave a sin-ravaged body and a sin-sick world to ascend to an eternal glory and a host of friends, the Greatest of whom is Christ Himself, is all gain. Here is the best way to approach life and death. So may we today say from our hearts “For to me to live is Christ, and to die is gain.”

O Savior,

so fill all my vision

that I may live

only to Thee.

Where the Bush is Burning

Tomm Tice