Topic: “…to die is ______.”
Last week the thought was from the first part of Philippians 1:21, “To live is Christ…” the challenge was to not settle for a compartmentalized faith and to pick one area of your life—your finances, your relationships, your free time—and consciously ask, "How can I make Christ the source, substance and goal of this area?"
Paul adds to the life theme of living for Christ with “…to die is gain.” Paul declares with such confidence that to die is gain. The world says death is the ultimate loss. You lose your life, your possessions, your relationships, your future. But Paul says, "No, you have the accounting wrong. For the one whose life is Christ, death is not a liability; it is the ultimate asset. It is pure profit."
How?
- Gain is final freedom from a fallen world.
As long as we are in these bodies, we are at war. We fight against the desires of the flesh, the temptations of the world and the schemes of the devil. We live in bodies that ache, that get sick, that fail us. We live in a world that is groaning. We see it in the headlines, we see it in the hospitals, we sometimes see it in our own homes. But death, for the believer, is the final ceasefire. It is the end of the war. It is the laying down of a heavy burden. Revelation 21:4 gives us this glorious snapshot of our future: “He will wipe away every tear from their eyes; and there will no longer be any death; there will no longer be any mourning, or crying, or pain; the first things have passed away.” Imagine! No more struggling with that besetting sin. No more anxiety about the future. No more pain. No more grief. That, my friends, is gain.
- Gain is full fellowship with our glorious Lord.
This is the heart of the matter. The ultimate gain is not just freedom from something bad, but promotion to Someone Wonderful. It is going from living for Christ to being with Christ.
Paul understood this tension. In verse 23, he says, "I am hard-pressed from both directions, having the desire to depart and be with Christ, for that is very much better.”
Notice his language: "very much better." As good as it is to live for Christ on earth, to be with Him in heaven is exponentially, immeasurably, infinitely better. It is important to see that Paul is not suicidal. He doesn't have a death wish. He says, "Nevertheless to abide in the flesh is more needful for you" (v. 24). He knows that if he lives, he can continue to help the Philippians grow in their faith. His personal desire is heaven, but his pastoral duty is earth. The decision is based entirely on what will bring most glory to Christ and most good to His church. What freedom!
Connecting thought from Philippians 1:21, Paul in his prison cell, looking at the two possible outcomes:
1. The judge says, "You live." Paul says, "Wonderful! That means more time to serve Christ and glorify Him on earth. I win."
2. The judge says, "You die." Paul says, "Even better! That means I go to be with Christ in glory. I win."
See you Sunday,
Dr. Scott Kallem