To Live Is Christ

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 and to die is gain (Philippians 1:20-21).

What is missing in so many people’s lives is a clear sense of identity and purpose.  They don’t know when to say “No” and when to say “Yes,” because they don’t know who they are or why they are here.  Paul suffered from no such identity crisis.  He knew who he was because he knew whose he was.  To live is Christ.  That summed it up.  Christ was his life.  He had a relationship with God because of Christ.  He had purpose in his world because of Christ.  He had an example to follow because of Christ.  He knew how to love others because of Christ.  He had a destiny that was secure and unshakable because of Christ.

What Does it Matter?

How might you allow someone else’s sin to affect your own efforts to live as a disciple of Jesus?

It is true that some preach Christ out of envy and rivalry, but others out of good will.  The latter do so in love, knowing that I am put here for the defense of the gospel.  The former preach Christ out of selfish ambition, not sincerely, supposing that they can stir up trouble for me while I am in chains.  But what does it matter?  The important thing is that in every way, whether from false motives or true, Christ is preached.  And because of this I rejoice (Philippians 1:15-18).

           

Paul was secure in his position before God—a saved servant of Jesus Christ.  He was not concerned that he would lose importance in God’s sight as others clamored for the spotlight.  He did not fear that he would miss out on a spiritual “promotion” because he was out of the mainstream of the church’s activity.  His Lord had taught him to trust the working of the Father.  He knew that these men would either become convicted of their sinful motives and repent, or God would judge them and deal with their sin.  Whatever his reasons, he did not, in this case, condemn or mark them as heretics to be avoided by the church.  If they taught truth and people were believing and accepting truth, then the mission for which he was in chains was being carried out. Bottom line for Paul: “What does it matter?...Christ is preached.”

I Have You in My Heart

It is right for me to feel this way about all of you, since I have you in my heart; for whether I am in chains or defending and confirming the gospel, all of you share in God’s grace with me.  God can testify how I long for all of you with the affection of Christ Jesus (Philippians 1:7-9).

We can know that Saul the Pharisee did not receive training in the rabbinic school to say,  “I have you in my heart” or “I long for you with the affection of Christ Jesus.”  To the contrary, he would have been taught rabbinic logic.  He would have learned how to tackle issues of the law, not how to hug and cry with people and cause them to feel loved.

Partners

"I thank my God every time I remember you.  In all my prayers for all of you, I always pray with joy because of your partnership in the gospel from the first day until now..." (Philippians 1:4-5)

Imprisoned and in chains, Paul’s contact with others was severely limited.  The man who had made a career of being with others and influencing their lives, now saw only a few other human beings each week—his guards and the occasional visitors he would have been allowed. But Paul had his memories of Philippi.

A Man Who Had Learned to Live

(This is the first of several installments that will be taken from the book TO LIVE IS CHRIST by Tom and Sheila Jones)

God is always surprising us.  Who would have expected him to use a short letter written by a prisoner in first-century Rome to a church in a small uncelebrated city to teach millions of people the true keys to life and happiness?  But then, who expected him to teach us the power of love at the foot of a cross?

Sometime in the seventh decade of the first century AD, chains were fastened onto a middle-aged Jewish man, whose appearance probably impressed no one, as he was held prisoner by the greatest power on earth. Later, with chains in place, he penned several letters to Christian churches around the Roman Empire.  None of these letters showed any sign of despondency or discouragement, but one in particular, the letter to the church in Philippi, literally resounded with joy. 

Armed

 Finally, be strong in the Lord and in his mighty power. Put on the full armor of God so that you can take your stand against the devil's schemes. Ephesians 6:10-11

“Life is difficult.” So begins a book that has been a best-seller for the last twenty years. That simple line connected with millions of readers. Every person finds life to be such. But once you have signed on to be a disciple of Jesus, there are some unique difficulties that will come your way. Normal life is full of challenges, but the man or woman who steps out of the crowd, embraces God’s great plan and identifies himself or herself with Jesus Christ, will especially be under attack. Such a person has declared war on what Paul calls “the spiritual forces of evil in the heavenly realms.” Look in the face of a modern terrorist and you will see the same hate that fills the heart of our spiritual enemy. And so for the believer in Christ, life is a battle. If we are to win (and we certainly can win), we must pay careful attention to what this passage says.

Succeeding through Submission

            Submit to one another out of reverence for Christ. 
                                                                                   Ephesians 5:21

The heart of the New Testament is the message of the cross. The central tenet of the New Testament is that if we want to find our lives, we must lose them, and if we want to be exalted, we must humble ourselves. When we hear this, we know right away that this book is not normal and does not reflect the wisdom we receive from the world. It should not surprise us then that the Biblical message about how to succeed in relationships is going to fly in the face of conventional wisdom.