Calvary Baptist Church

Calvary Baptist Church, Grenada, MS, USA

Holding to the truths embraced by Baptist for centuries.

Many people today have existence, but they don’t have life. There is no real joy; there is no peace; there is no happiness. Every day they do the same old thing, and life for them is just a miserable existence. Oh, they may have plenty of activity, but they do not have meaning or purpose for existence in their lives.

It was not that way for the Apostle Paul, and it doesn’t have to be that way for us either. In Philippians 1:21 Paul said, “For me to live is Christ, and to die is gain.” Paul said it doesn’t make any difference whether I live or die. If I live, that will be wonderful. If I die, that will be wonderful, too. What exactly did Paul mean when he said “For me to live is Christ”? There are five things that are revealed in the book of Philippians that were true in Paul’s life that moved him to say “For me to live is Christ.”

First, Christ is the source of our life. Paul writes, “Being confident of this very thing, that He who hath begun a good work in you will perform it unto the day of Jesus Christ” (Phil. 1:6). Again, he writes, “Being filled with the fruits of righteousness, which are by Jesus Christ…” (Phil. 1:11). It is evident that Paul has come into a personal relationship with Christ by faith, and that he has been given new life in Christ. This life finds it root in the gospel, the good news of how that Christ died, the just for the unjust, the innocent in the place of the guilty, was buried, and was raised again the third day as the evidence of God’s acceptance of Jesus’ sacrifice. Jesus Christ, the one of whom all the Scriptures speak, is the originator and completer of our salvation.

Second, Christ is the standard for our life. Who can read Philippians 2 without marveling at the humiliation and grace of our Lord Jesus Christ? No wonder the Scripture says “Let this mind be in you which was in Christ Jesus” (2:5). He who was enthroned in heaven, laid aside His glory, and came to this earth, to be born in a manager as one of us. He humbled Himself and submitted Himself to the will of His Father and into the hands of sinful men. He obediently went to the cross and bore the penalty for our sins, dying the just for the unjust that He might bring us to God. This attitude of self-sacrificing, humble, obedient service is the believer’s standard for service. Because Christ was obedient even unto death, the Father has highly exalted Him and given Him a name which is above every name, that at the name of Jesus one day every knee will bow and confess that He is Lord to the glory of the Father. Jesus will always be the believer’s standard.

Christ is the satisfaction of the believer’s life. Paul writes in Philippians 4:4

“Rejoice in the Lord always; and again I say rejoice.” Christ brought grace and peace to Paul’s life. Because Christ made peace with God for Paul through the blood of His cross, that is through His substitutionary death, Paul now can write “Be anxious for nothing, but in everything by prayer and supplication with thanksgiving, let your request be made know unto God, and the peace of God which passeth all understanding shall keep your hearts and minds through Christ Jesus. As we learn to lean on Jesus, take our cares to Him, and trust Him to meet our need and supply grace we can have peace in the middle of difficult and trying circumstances. Paul finds satisfaction in Jesus then, because his sins have been forgiven, He has been clothed in Christ’s righteousness and accepted by God. Moreover, he finds that his needs are being supplied, and his future is secure. He rejoices because “My God shall supply your need according to his riches in glory by Christ Jesus” (Phil. 4:19). Paul always remembered that it was his need that God supplied, not just his wants. Therefore, he could say “I have learned in whatever state I am, therewith to be content” (4:11b). Paul finds satisfaction in Christ because he understands that He is the great “I am”, “the Prince of the Kings of the earth,” “the Son of the living God,” the coming “King of Kings”, the one whom Solomon described as “altogether lovely”. He knew he could be content in his circumstances because of who Christ was and what He had done for Him. Christ was the satisfaction of his life.

Fourth, Paul saw Christ as the strength of the believer’s life. In Philippians 4:13 Paul declares, “I can do all things through Christ who strengtheneth me.” Our Lord Himself has declared, “Without me you can do nothing” (John 15:5b). Paul understood his need for Christ’s help everyday. He believed that God’s grace would be sufficient for him when he encountered problems. When he was weak, God was strong (2 Cor. 12:9-10). God’s great power is available to us when we are weak, so that, we can recognize that our sufficiency is in Him. This does not mean that God will always remove our problems, but if He does not, He will give us the grace we need to bear them just as He did for the Apostle Paul.

Fifth, Christ is the subject of the believer’s life. Paul counted all things loss for Christ (Phil. 3:7). Paul’s highest goal was “That I might know him and the power of his resurrection” (3:10). Paul wanted to have a close, intimate, daily fellowship with Christ and he was willing to suffer hardship and loss of worldly things, and discipline himself to have that fellowship. Paul considered this a high calling for his life. He realized that his strength for living came from Christ. His relationship with our Lord was the most important thing in his life.

If you can like Paul say that for you to live is Christ, then the second part of that verse will give you assurance and peace. Paul says “For me to live is Christ and to die is gain.” You won’t need to fear death, because you will look forward to seeing the one for whom you have lived. An old song says these words: