Life

There’s an oft-quoted verse in the Bible that says, “For to me to live is Christ, and to die is gain” (Phil 1:21). The first part of that verse is not really all that clear to me, so I did a sort of exercise just now.

Although the Bible says a lot about life, I’m just gonna briefly look here at the paragraph in which the above verse is situated.

Yes, and I will rejoice, ¹⁹ for I know that through your prayers and the help of the Spirit of Jesus Christ this will turn out for my deliverance, ²⁰ as it is my eager expectation and hope that I will not be at all ashamed, but that with full courage now as always Christ will be honored 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 live in the flesh, that means fruitful labor for me. Yet which I shall choose I cannot tell. ²³ I am hard pressed between the two. My desire is to depart and be with Christ, for that is far better. ²⁴ But to remain in the flesh is more necessary on your account. ²⁵ Convinced of this, I know that I will remain and continue with you all, for your progress and joy in the faith, ²⁶ so that in me you may have ample cause to glory in Christ Jesus, because of my coming to you again.

Philippians 1:18b-26

So, working backward and forward:

• To live is Christ
• To live is to honour Christ in my body
• To live is to have full courage
• To live is to have eager expectation and hope that I will not be at all ashamed
• To live is to rejoice

• To live is Christ
• To live is fruitful labour
• To live is necessary on account of other people
• To live is “for your progress and joy in the faith, so that in me you may have ample cause to glory in Christ Jesus”
• To live is to come to people

The defeatist in me appreciates the picture that Paul is painting here. There is rejoicing. There is eager expectation and hope that ultimately I will not be disappointed if my life belongs to God, because He will make sure that I will succeed in honouring Him. God will make sure that my labour in this life is fruitful. This concept is taught elsewhere in Scripture, e.g., Phil 1:6 — “And I am sure of this, that He who began a good work in you will bring it to completion at the day of Jesus Christ.” Because of this assurance, I should be able to face anything with full courage (and yet I do not; but God is working on this).

Meanwhile, the isolationist in me requires that last bullet point to be spelled out. LOL.