Philippians 1:21
"For to me to live is Christ, and to die is gain."
Probably one of the most famous verses of the New Testament. It is a hard one to make peace with. I totally understand the part - to live is Christ - Knowing Christ is what life is all about. Knowing Christ renews your life and makes it better. Easy. But this whole second part - to die is gain - that's hard to swallow.
Now for anyone who might say they agree with Paul, let me be clear what I think he's saying: I think he's saying that death, by any means, simply brings him into the presence of God which, he finds, has no downside to it. He goes on to say in the chapter that he's torn about whether to continue living. In fact, we know that he had come so close to death many times in his ministry. Death he could have avoided pretty easily. He didn't even have to shut up about Christ. All he had to do was preach elsewhere.
How many Christians that you know willingly seek out the violence that comes with preaching in places where it is forbidden? Would you? Would I? I'd much rather write a check that supports the person who does have this courage. That shows how far I have to go to get to where Paul was.
Probably one of the most famous verses of the New Testament. It is a hard one to make peace with. I totally understand the part - to live is Christ - Knowing Christ is what life is all about. Knowing Christ renews your life and makes it better. Easy. But this whole second part - to die is gain - that's hard to swallow.
Now for anyone who might say they agree with Paul, let me be clear what I think he's saying: I think he's saying that death, by any means, simply brings him into the presence of God which, he finds, has no downside to it. He goes on to say in the chapter that he's torn about whether to continue living. In fact, we know that he had come so close to death many times in his ministry. Death he could have avoided pretty easily. He didn't even have to shut up about Christ. All he had to do was preach elsewhere.
How many Christians that you know willingly seek out the violence that comes with preaching in places where it is forbidden? Would you? Would I? I'd much rather write a check that supports the person who does have this courage. That shows how far I have to go to get to where Paul was.
posted by Steven at 8:32 AM
1 Comments:
HI
I'm reflecting on this verse at the moment and I find it brilliant inspiration - learn to die and learn to live. Once you know what it worth dying for then you can live for these very principles.
Paul knew these principles better than anyone, he knew Christ.
This is worth so much more than the pop-motivational-psyche that floods the self-help departments of book stores.
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