Die or Live?


For to me to live is Christ, and to die is gain.
Philippians 1:21

The great evangelist Dwight L. Moody was once traveling by boat on one of the Great Lakes when a really bad storm developed. The other passengers on the boat cowered in fear. They even started an impromptu prayer meeting asking God to deliver them from the storm. Moody didn’t join in this prayer meeting. When asked why not, he answered with these words, “I have a sister in Chicago and one in heaven and I don’t care which I see tonight.”

Paul’s letter to the Philippians was written at the time of his imprisonment in Rome. In our text that we have taken for meditation we encounter Paul’s most intimate thoughts about life and death. In verse 23 Paul states,” I am hard-pressed from both directions having a desire to depart and be with Christ… Yet to remain on in the flesh is more necessary for your sake.” As Paul is sitting in prison we get the feeling that he’s looking back at his ministry and wondering if things could’ve been different or should he have done things differently.

For many life-and-death are conflicting processes. Joseph Epstein (an essayist, short-story writer) once said, “we do not choose to be born, we do not choose our parents, or the country of our birth. We do not, most of us, choose to die; nor do we choose the time and conditions of our death. But within the realm of choicelessness, we do choose how we live.”

Life or death awaits everyone on a daily basis. Daniel 5:23 tells us that “God holds our breath in his hands.” Ultimately, we must recognize that God is his control. Paul knew this and we find him in the text today always ready to live or to die. We too, need to be ready to live or die.

To have a right perspective on choosing how to live we need to have a purpose for our lives. In verse 20 Paul states, “Christ shall be exalted in my body whether I live or die.” This was not always a goal for Paul. Paul had been a Pharisee whose purpose was to promote Judaism and persecute the early Christians. But all of this we know changed with Paul’s trip to Damascus.

Now instead of persecuting the church, Paul would endure great persecution for the cause of Christ. Paul had been stoned, beaten, shipwrecked, and even thrown in prison for his faith. Exalting Christ is Paul’s sole purpose for living. Philippians 3:17 Paul counted all things but loss for Christ.

Our purpose is what defines who we are and the life that we live. It is in the assurance that Paul writes in verses 21 and 22, “to live is Christ and to die is gain” that we experience the joy and happiness of a Christ-filled life. In these words Paul realizes that he cannot lose. If he lives, he would enjoy salvation. If he died, he would enjoy heaven.

Paul realized Christ brings life in both our living and in our dying. Life in Christ overcomes death and promises life eternal. Paul longed to see Christ but, he also could rejoice in the prospect of more service to others.

Dear Friends, what are we living for today? For Paul, it was Christ. Everything he was, everything he did was Christ. His whole life was wrapped around Christ. Paul was clear and focused on his purpose. He knew what he was living for. He was living to exalt Christ and he was living to serve others.

This Lenten Season we need to honestly to evaluate our lives in light of this question, What are we living for? It’s easy to fall into living for good things, but not for the best. God has blessed us with our families, friends, homes, possessions, work, etc. But if we are not careful, these good things become the things we live for. The purpose of fasting and giving away certain things in this Lenten Season is to get aware of the best.

God Bless You

Location: Thiruvananthapuram, Kerala, India

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