“For to me to live is Christ and to die is gain."
This verse is part of Paul’s explanation of why he was not concerned about losing his life for his faith in Christ. What are the implications of this verse for our lives? It means that we are living by faith in Christ. The same faith that saves us also sustains us. We need to really have faith that Christ is in every aspect of our lives. He is in our personal lives. He is in our family lives. He is in our business lives. There is nothing that goes on in our lives that Christ is not aware of and that nothing is beyond His concern for our lives. We just need to stop doubting and believing. I preach this to myself all of the time. Paul was always surrounded by those who hated him and wanted his death, but in spite of this he won many people to Christ and started many churches. If Paul had not trusted all of the concerns of His life to Christ, we would miss all of the great epistles that he wrote. Remember that whatever you face in life, Christ is in it with you. It means that we are sharing Christ with the world. We do not live in a “faith bubble” that keeps us out of touch with other people. Christ saves us and put us to work for Him in the world. We do not do this all the same way, but we should all be doing it the way that Christ would have us do it. For example, Paul was saved on the Damascus Road to minister to Gentiles. This did not mean that he was to never preach to Jews, but his work was to be primarily with the Gentiles. This is what Paul spent his life doing. What is it that Christ wants you to do for Him? By the Holy Spirit, Christ has gifted you to serve as only you can. Your life will be enriched by knowing that you are doing what Christ has saved you to do. If Christ “is your life,” it means that you are sharing Him with the world by the way you live, and by telling others about Him. It means that the life that we are living here is only a prelude to the eternity that we will live with Christ. This is why Paul could write that “to die is gain.” Paul wanted to continue to live and to serve Christ. There was a lot that he wanted to do. But he knew that if Christ was ready for him to die, he would be better off living in eternity with Him. When Paul thought about dying, he thought about heaven. The gospel that Paul preached was not what we call “pie in the sky.” But the gospel that Paul lived was lived in the light of eternal life with Christ. We need this kind of faith in Christ. Death is something that we will all face. I have faced death at least three times in my life, and I was surprised about how calm I was about it. That calmness came from Christ, not from any “spiritual bravado” on my part. “For to me live is Christ, and to die is gain” is good advice. Take it!!!! Bro. Joe
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AuthorDr. Joe Beauchamp is the author of this blog and website. Categories
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