Life Statement....
Philip. 1:18-26 Yes, and I will continue to rejoice, [19] 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. [20] 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. [21] For to me, to live is Christ and to die is gain. [22] If I am to go on living in the body, this will mean fruitful labour for me. Yet what shall I choose? I do not know! [23] I am torn between the two: I desire to depart and be with Christ, which is better by far; [24] but it is more necessary for you that I remain in the body. [25] 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, [26] so that through my being with you again your joy in Christ Jesus will overflow on account of me.
Every so often you come across a phrase which stays in your mind and won’t go away. To live is Christ and to die is gain, is one of them. When Paul writes these words you sense it is the hear of a man who is writing in humility, in total submission to the will of God, with complete confidence in Jesus Christ.
It is humble, because there is no sense of personal ambition in this statement, no sense that what Paul wants to accomplish are his own desires. He has got to a place in his walk with God, a place where he is so much in touch with the heartbeat of his Lord, that he desires the same things to be accomplished. He is willing to spend himself wholeheartedly and unreservedly in that cause. Paul knows that God’s big mission, the redemption of mankind, is not just a worthy cause but the cause. He understands that there is nothing more important than worshipping God and seeing other people coming to know him.
It is about submission to God’s will because in everything he does it is not Paul who must shine through, but Jesus. Every thought, action, attitude of the heart, every word, every breath should be about bringing glory to the Lord. Paul believed that people would believe in Jesus if the message was carried in the hearts and lives of believers, if others could see that the love of God shinning from them. For Paul it was important that every believer lived a life of love and grace, mirroring Jesus Christ.
And it is about complete confidence in Jesus Christ, not just for now, but for eternity. Paul is deeply aware that his time in this world is short, but that all who believe in Jesus we will be with him for eternity. This incredible thought brought him comfort and strength to face the trials of today. He longed to be in eternity sitting at the feet of God. But even here his humility shines through, because he is not just thinking of his own joy, but for the needs of others and the will of God, for so long as he has something to offer others he knows that the Lord will keep him here.
To live is Christ, to die is gain. What an incredible personal statement! Imagine a world where every believer had truly grasped and enacted this in their lives…
Every so often you come across a phrase which stays in your mind and won’t go away. To live is Christ and to die is gain, is one of them. When Paul writes these words you sense it is the hear of a man who is writing in humility, in total submission to the will of God, with complete confidence in Jesus Christ.
It is humble, because there is no sense of personal ambition in this statement, no sense that what Paul wants to accomplish are his own desires. He has got to a place in his walk with God, a place where he is so much in touch with the heartbeat of his Lord, that he desires the same things to be accomplished. He is willing to spend himself wholeheartedly and unreservedly in that cause. Paul knows that God’s big mission, the redemption of mankind, is not just a worthy cause but the cause. He understands that there is nothing more important than worshipping God and seeing other people coming to know him.
It is about submission to God’s will because in everything he does it is not Paul who must shine through, but Jesus. Every thought, action, attitude of the heart, every word, every breath should be about bringing glory to the Lord. Paul believed that people would believe in Jesus if the message was carried in the hearts and lives of believers, if others could see that the love of God shinning from them. For Paul it was important that every believer lived a life of love and grace, mirroring Jesus Christ.
And it is about complete confidence in Jesus Christ, not just for now, but for eternity. Paul is deeply aware that his time in this world is short, but that all who believe in Jesus we will be with him for eternity. This incredible thought brought him comfort and strength to face the trials of today. He longed to be in eternity sitting at the feet of God. But even here his humility shines through, because he is not just thinking of his own joy, but for the needs of others and the will of God, for so long as he has something to offer others he knows that the Lord will keep him here.
To live is Christ, to die is gain. What an incredible personal statement! Imagine a world where every believer had truly grasped and enacted this in their lives…
posted by Gordon at
7:35 am
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