To Live Is Christ

Philippians 1:21 For to me to live is CHRIST, and to die is GAIN.

I’d like to take our scripture today, and take out two words: “CHRIST” and the word “GAIN”. The text would read this way:

Philippians 1:21 For to me to live is __________, and to die is _____________.

What you put in that first blank will determine what goes in the second blank.

Solomon wrote in Ecclesiastes 7:1, “A good name is BETTER than PRECIOUS OINTMENT; and the day of DEATH than the day of ONE’S BIRTH”.

To have a good name – a good reputation – is better according to God than the most expensive perfumes. I am told that the most expensive perfume in the world – Clive Christian No. 1 Imperial Majesty – is around $12,721.89 per ounce. But a good reputation is better than that. How many people name their children Judas or Adolf? The Bible goes on to say that the day you die is better than the day you were born. Why would it say that?

Beloved, that’s not true for everyone. Going back to our fill in the blanks Scripture, most people – even professing Christians – put the wrong word in that first blank. Most people fill in the blanks like:

Philippians 1:21 For to me to live is _for myself_, and to die is _____________.

If you are living for yourself, when you die then it is certainly not gain, but loss. When you die, then it is the ultimate loss of self. When you die, if you have lived your life for YOU, then you will go to a horrid place called HELL where you can be you forever. God is not in hell. Our Lord Jesus did not live for Himself, but for the salvation of whosoever would believe in Him. As Jesus prepared to go to Jerusalem during the Last Passover, the Bible says:

Matthew 16:21-23 (LSB) From that 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. 22 And Peter took Him aside and began to rebuke Him, saying, “God forbid it, Lord! This shall never happen to You.” 23 But He turned and said to Peter, “GET THEE BEHIND ME, SATAN! You are a stumbling block to Me; for you are NOT SETTING YOUR MIND ON GOD’S INTERESTS, BUT MAN’S”

The devil wanted Jesus to put Himself in that first blank. “To live is Jesus”. The Apostle doesn’t write “To live is JESUS, to die is gain”. No! He says “To live is CHRIST, to die is gain”. Had Jesus put Himself first, then He could not have fulfilled His ministry. Peter said earlier about Jesus:

Matthew 16:16 (LSB) You are the CHRIST, the Son of the living God.

Had Jesus put Himself first, then His death would not have been gain, but loss. The proof that Jesus is the CHRIST, the Son of the Living God is that He laid down His life for us, He laid down His life as Messiah, He was, as JESUS, in that first blank. We’re told in the next chapter:

Philippians 2:6-8 (LSB) {Jesus}, although existing in the form of God, did not regard equality with God a thing to be grasped, 7 but emptied Himself, by taking the form of a slave, by being made in the likeness of men. 8 Being found in appearance as a man, HE HUMBLED HIMSELF BY BECOMING OBEDIENT TO THE POINT OF DEATH, EVEN DEATH ON A CROSS.

Jesus did not put His humanity, His will and desire in that first blank. Our Lord Jesus said,

John 10:17–18 (KJV) “Therefore doth my Father love me, because I LAY DOWN MY LIFE, that I might take it again. NO MAN TAKETH IT FROM ME, but I lay it down of Myself. I have power to lay it down, and I have power to take it again.”

Jesus did not put Himself in that first blank. Jesus laid His life down. For Jesus,

Philippians 1:21 For to me to live is _CHRIST_, and to die is __GAIN__.

When Jesus laid down His life as Christ, as Messiah, He brought gain to every sinner who will believe. Not only this, “God also highly exalted Him, and bestowed on Him the name which is above every name, so that at the name of Jesus EVERY KNEE WILL BOW” (Philippians 2:9-10). Jesus Christ is Lord of all, and Lord of the saved. Had Jesus lived for Himself, and not laid His life down as the Christ, then His death would not have been gain, but infinite loss.

As Jesus is, so are we to be. We cannot put ourselves in that first blank.

Philippians 1:21 For to me to live is _for ME_, and to die is __LOSS__.

The Apostle wrote “If you LIVE ACCORDING TO THE FLESH, you WILL DIE” (Romans 8:13). Our Lord Jesus taught us that to live for yourself is to suffer ULTIMATE LOSS. We read:

Matthew 16:24-27 (LSB) Then Jesus said to His disciples, “If anyone WISHESTO COME AFTER ME, let him DENY HIMSELF, and TAKE UP HIS CROSS and FOLLOW ME. 25 For whoever wishes to save his life will lose it; but whoever loses his life for My sake will find it. 26 For what will it profit a man if he GAINS THE WHOLE WORLD AND FORFEITS HIS SOUL? Or what will a man GIVE IN EXCHANGE FOR HIS SOUL? 27 For the Son of Man is going to come in the glory of His Father with His angels, and will then repay each one according to his deeds.

If you live this life putting yourself in that first blank, then death is a loss, not a gain.

Christians Will Experience Bondage And Hatred

Paul started out this chapter calling himself and Timothy “the SERVANTS of JESUS CHRIST”. This was where his identity was. He and Timothy lived to serve Christ, the Kingdom of God. When Paul was imprisoned for preaching the Gospel, he wrote:

Philippians 1:12-14 But I would ye should understand, brethren, that the THINGS WHICH HAPPENED UNTO ME have fallen out rather unto the furtherance of the gospel; 13 So that MY BONDS IN CHRIST are manifest in all the palace, and in all other places; 14 And many of the brethren in the Lord, waxing confident by my bonds, are much more bold to speak the word without fear.

When Paul was imprisoned, he could have put himself in that first blank. He could have said:

Philippians 1:21 For to me to live is _for ME_

The suffering of the prison would have been magnified, as there is nothing worse that suffering without good cause. But Paul knew that He was God’s own possession. Paul wrote that:

Galatians 2:20 (LSB) I have been crucified with Christ, and it is no longer I who live, but CHRIST LIVES IN ME. And the life which I now live in the flesh I live by faith in the Son of God, WHO LOVED ME AND GAVE HIMSELF UP FOR ME.

Christ lived in him, just as Christ lives in each Christian through the indwelling Spirit of God. “If anyone DOES NOT HAVE THE SPIRIT OF CHRIST, he DOES NOT BELONG TO HIM” (Romans 8:9). Paul knew that Christ lived in him. Paul imprisoned was not defeated, not discouraged, not downtrodden, not in despair.

Paul regarded his present body as an earthen vessel, something that can be broken, but something that held a treasure. Paul wrote:

2 Corinthians 4:7-11 (LSB) But WE HAVE THIS TREASURE IN EARTHEN VESSELS, so that the surpassing greatness of the power will be of God and not from ourselves; 8 in every way afflicted, BUT NOT CRUSHED; perplexed, BUT NOT DESPAIRING; 9 persecuted, BUT NOT FORSAKEN; struck down, BUT NOT DESTROYED; 10 always carrying about in the body the dying of Jesus, so that the life of Jesus also may be manifested in our body. 11 For we who live are constantly being delivered over to death for Jesus’ sake, so that the life of Jesus also may be manifested in our mortal flesh

For Paul, to live was CHRIST. He knew that he could die at any moment, but living for CHRIST, not for himself, he knew that the next chapter would be GAIN. As Paul gladly wore his chains for the glory of Christ, others were encouraged to step forward and step up to live for His glory. He said, “many of the brethren in the Lord, waxing confident by my bonds, are much more bold to speak the word without fear”. The great Evangelist Billy Graham said:

“Courage is contagious. When a brave man takes a stand, the spines of others are often stiffened”.

And author C.S. Lewis said, “Courage is not simply one of the virtues, but the form of every virtue at the testing point”. When you live for Christ, for His glory and gain, for God’s Kingdom, then evil is defeated.

Live For Christ, Not For Fame Or Praise

Philippians 1:15-18 Some indeed preach Christ even of ENVY {phthonos}AND STRIFE {eris}; and some also of good will: 16 The one preach Christ of CONTENTION, not sincerely, supposing to add affliction to my bonds: 17 But the other of LOVE, knowing that I am set for the DEFENSE OF THE GOSPEL. 18 What then? notwithstanding, every way, whether in pretense, or in truth, CHRIST IS PREACHED; and I therein do rejoice, yea, and will rejoice.

Paul was called to preach the Gospel. He wrote:

2 Timothy 1:10-11 (NKJV) … our Savior Jesus Christ, who has abolished death and brought life and immortality to light THROUGH THE GOSPEL, 11 to which I WAS APPOINTED A PREACHER, an apostle, and a teacher of the Gentiles.

Paul considered his calling to preach to be an even greater calling than that of Apostle, for he listed Apostle as second. He did the same thing in 1 Timothy 2:7, and even told the Corinthian Church “Christ SENT ME NOT TO BAPTIZE, BUT TO PREACH THE GOSPEL” (1 Corinthians 1:17). Paul loved preaching the Gospel. But here’s the thing:

Preachers can be so very human!

Paul founded the Church at Corinth during his second missionary journey. He PLANTED the Church (1 Corinthians 3:6), and he LAID THE FOUNDATION (1 Corinthians 3:10) over an 18 month period of his life (Acts 18:1-11). And yet the Corinthians compared Paul to other preachers like Apollos and found him wanting.

Many who preached at the same time Paul preached preached from good hearts. These preachers preached the Gospel, and did so “of LOVE, knowing that I am set for the DEFENSE OF THE GOSPEL”. They did not try and tear down Paul’s ministry. But there were other preachers who preached “Christ even of ENVY {phthonos}AND STRIFE {eris}”. These preachers were preaching insincerely. Behind their preaching they were trying to tear down Paul’s ministry. They desired the blessings that God had given Paul, and set about in a very human way to take those blessings from him. They were contentious, mocking of Paul’s ministry. Paul said that these preachers were “supposing to add affliction to my bonds”, to make things harder for him. They perhaps were saying things like, “Yes Paul is imprisoned – it is a judgment for God for the horrible job he is doing as an Apostle. I should have been an Apostle, not Paul”.

When W.A. Criswell resigned from First Baptist Church, Dallas Texas, a 29,000 member Church at that time, the Church called Joel C. Gregory to be his replacement in 1990. In September 1992 Gregory quit abruptly in the middle of a sermon. He claimed there were power struggles in the Church between him and Criswell, and with Criswell’s wife. Gregory’s wife left him, and he remarried. Leaving the ministry, a man once the Pastor of one of the largest Churches in the United States began a career selling cemetery plots door to door in Forth Worth, Texas. God redeemed him, and blessed him, and Gregory is today a professor of Preaching at Baylor University. But he lost his Pastorate, one that O.S. Hawkins went on to fill from 1993-1997.

We lose God’s best for our lives when we put anything but CHRIST in that first blank!

Philippians 1:21 For to me to live is CHRIST, and to die is gain.

Though others attacked Paul and his ministry, he praised God that even the attackers were preaching Christ. Paul wrote:

Philippians 1:18 What then? notwithstanding, every way, whether in pretence, or in truth, CHRIST IS PREACHED; and I therein do rejoice, yea, and WILL REJOICE.

Are You “Heaven Ready”?

Paul knew that, as a prisoner of Rome, that his days were numbered. But he was not frightened at the prospect. He wrote:

Philippians 1:22-24 But if I LIVE IN THE FLESH, this is the fruit of my labor: yet what I shall choose I wot not. 23 For I am in a strait betwixt two, having a DESIRE TO DEPART, and TO BE WITH CHRIST; which is far better: 24 Nevertheless to abide in the flesh is more needful for you.

Every year we take a couple of weeks “vacation”. In preparation my dear wife will make lists, pack bags, and do everything she can to make our trip joyful. We all do that when preparing for a trip. Beloved, one day we are all going to take a trip. For those who love Jesus, the trip will take us to where Christ is. For those who love themselves, the trip may not be where you want to be.

Paul wanted to stay on this earth as long as “to LIVE is CHRIST”, as long as the Lord wanted him to be here. But Paul was ready. His bags were packed. He wanted “TO DEPART, and TO BE WITH CHRIST; which is far better”. Paul knew a lot about Heaven. At one point in his earthly life, the Bible says that:

2 Corinthians 12:4-5 (LSB) … was caught up into Paradise and heard inexpressible words, which A MAN IS NOT PERMITTED TO SPEAK. 5 On behalf of such a man I will boast, but on my own behalf I will not boast, except in weaknesses.

Paul didn’t brag about the things he saw in Heaven. When Christ let him go to Heaven, he saw things that the Lord told him “keep it between us”. We get little glimpses of Heaven in the Bible. Adrian Rogers said:

“God showed {Paul} some sacred secrets about heaven, and God said to Paul, “Don’t you tell anyone.” There are a lot of things I don’t know about heaven. Even the Apostle John in 1 John chapter 3 and verse 2 said, “Beloved, now are we the sons of God, and it doth not yet appear what we shall be: but we know that, when he shall appear, we shall be like him; for we shall see him as he is.” (1 John 3:2) John said, “There are some things we can’t be dogmatic about. We don’t know what we’re going to be like. But,” he said, “there are some things we can be bull-dogmatic about. We’ll be like Jesus.”

Before the great preacher Dr. Robert G. Lee passed into glory, Billy Graham and Adrian Rogers went to see him. He was thought to be in a coma at the time, and was not responsive when they first got to his home. These preachers stood around his bed and sang:

My latest sun is sinking fast,
my race is nearly run;
my strongest trials now are past,
my triumph is begun.
O come, angel band,
come and around me stand;
O bear me away on your snowy wings
to my immortal home.
O bear me away on your snowy wings
to my immortal home.
I’ve almost reached my heav’nly home,
my spirit loudly sings;
your holy ones, behold, they come!
I hear the noise of wings.
O bear my longing heart to him
who bled and died for me;
whose love now covers all my sin,
and gives me victory.
O come, angel band,
come and around me stand;
O bear me away on your snowy wings
to my immortal home.
O bear me away on your snowy wings
to my immortal home.

After singing this, Dr. Lee opened his eyes, reached out, and hugged Billy Graham. Adrian Rogers wrote:

“Dr. Lee didn’t die right then; he lingered for a while. I went back to see him, and {his daughter} Hildred said to me, “Do you know what happened?” I said, “What?” “Papa told me—he’d had a vision of heaven.” I said, “Tell me about it.” “Well,” she said, “that’s what I told him: ‘Tell me about it.’” {Dr Lee} told her, “Hildred, I didn’t do it justice in my sermon—I didn’t do it justice.” And she said, “Well, tell me.” He said, “I can’t tell you. I don’t have the words to tell you.”

Word Study: Because Paul put the right thing in that first blank, he wasn’t afraid of dying. He wrote that he had “a DESIRE TO DEPART, and TO BE WITH CHRIST”. If you are living for Christ NOW, when it is time to depart this earth you will not see this as a loss, but a great gain. The word “DEPART”is the Greek analyō. This word was used by sailors when a ship left port. It was released from the dock so it could set sail – but it had a destination. The word was also used as a military term when soldiers pulled up the stakes of their tents to move on. While on this earth we fight for our Lord – not against flesh and blood, but against forces of darkness. The battle one day will be over for you, dear Christian. Don’t put your tent stakes down too deep in this earth – for this is not our home!

Too often I have preached funerals for professing Christians where they grieved as hopelessly as any lost person. The question is – WHY? The answer is quite simple.

Either that person was never born again, never a child of God by faith in Christ, or that person lived their lives with the wrong thing in the first blank.

The Bible tells us in

Colossians 3:1-4 (ESV) IF then YOU HAVE BEEN RAISED WITH CHRIST, SEEK THE THINGS THAT ARE ABOVE, where Christ is, seated at the right hand of God. 2 SET YOUR MINDS ON THINGS THAT ARE ABOVE, NOT ON THINGS THAT ARE ON EARTH. 3 For you have died, and YOUR LIFE IS HIDDEN WITH CHRIST in God. 4 When Christ who is your life appears, then you also will appear with him in glory.

What awaits the Christian is indescribable. I heard the story of a little girl who was born blind. The surgeons studied her case, and by the Grace of God were able to perform surgery on her eyes. They hoped it would be successful. When the doctors unwound the gauze from her head, this little girl opened her eyes and saw for the first time. She saw the doctors, saw her mother. She went to the window and looked out. For the first time she saw the green grass, the blue sky. She saw birds in the trees, and saw a cloud pass by, and the wincing shine of the sun. The little girl said, “Mommy, why didn’t you tell me it was so beautiful?”. Her mother said, “Honey, I tried to tell you. But you had to see for yourself.”

The Bible says:

1 Corinthians 2:9 (NKJV) Eye has not seen, nor ear heard, Nor have entered into the heart of man the things which God has prepared for those who love Him.

A glorious place waits for those who live for Christ. Beloved, let us not live for self. Let us not live for sin. Let us not live in darkness. Let us live to the glory of God, so that we too can say:

Philippians 1:21 For to me to live is Christ, and to die is gain.