Philippians 1:19-30 • A Joyous Perspective: To Live Is Christ

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From the moment you said yes to Jesus, you are made alive by the indwelling Holy Spirit who unites you to Christ so that “Christ in you” is a fact of your new existence. How much of your life does that truth infiltrate? In the last article in this series, we looked at how releasing expectations of acceptable outcomes can lead to joy. This is post #5 in the Philippians blog series. In this post, we will seek a joyous perspective on life as we say with Paul, “To live is Christ.”

Listen to this post as a similar podcast from the Knowing Jesus…Knowing Joy! Bible Study covering Philippians in the New Testament. (10 lessons)

Paul’s Circumstances

Deliverance or not

Paul is under house arrest in Rome, chained to a guard, as he wrote this letter to the Philippians. His expectation and hope is that he would be delivered, that is, released from prison and once again allowed to preach the gospel freely wherever the Spirit sends him. Yet, he knew that he could be executed.

for I know that through your prayers and God’s provision of the Spirit of Jesus Christ what has happened to me will turn out for my deliverance.I eagerly expect and hope that I will in no way be ashamed, but will have sufficient courage so that now as always Christ will be exalted in my body, whether by life or by death. (Philippians 1:19-20)

Paul expected and hoped that if he was executed that he would not to be ashamed by lack of courage at that time. Whether through life or death, he always wanted Christ to be exalted in his body.

Trusting Jesus for the future

We talked in the last blog about how Paul had released his expectations and placed them in the Lord’s hands. He knew the Philippians were praying for him. He also had confidence that the Spirit of Jesus was not only with him but also working on his behalf. Whatever Jesus decided for his future was good. And he hopes to bring honor to Christ whether he was released or executed.

Being with Jesus is better

Then, in the next few verses, Paul voiced his mental and emotional struggle.

For to me, to live is Christ and to die is gain. If I am to go on living in the body, this will mean fruitful labor for me. Yet what shall I choose? I do not know! I am torn between the two: I desire to depart and be with Christ, which is better by far; but it is more necessary for you that I remain in the body. (Philippians 1:21-24)

I think he is talking to himself here, preparing his own mind and spirit for whatever happens, while he is writing to the Philippians. He declares that for him, to live is Christ and to die is gain. What does it mean, “To live is Christ?”

To Live Is Christ

Jesus is his Lord

From the moment Jesus confronted Paul on the road to Damascus and he responded by faith, Jesus was Lord of his life. I mean Lord. Master. Sovereign. The most important person. The most important reason to live and work. Jesus commissioned him to go to the Gentiles and preach the gospel. Paul had already responded to that good news with a resounding “Yes!”

Paul says in Galatians chapter 1,

But when God, who set me apart from my mother’s womb and called me by his grace, was pleased to reveal his Son in me so that I might preach him among the Gentiles, (Galatians 1:15-16a)

God was pleased to reveal His Son in Paul. From the moment Paul said yes to Jesus, it was all about Christ from then on.

Preaching Christ was his mission

In Acts chapter 9, we find Paul dynamically preaching Christ from the get-go.

Saul spent several days with the disciples in Damascus. At once he began to preach in the synagogues that Jesus is the Son of God. (Acts 9:19b-20)

It was not only his message but his whole being was wrapped up in Jesus. He knew he was completely loved by the Lord.

We see in Philippians that Paul wanted to keep on living so that he could preach the gospel, establish churches, and continue discipling believers in those churches just as he was doing for the Philippians with this letter.

Serving Christ in fruitful labor was joy for him. Yet, life also holds the potential for more suffering, more struggles, and more disappointments.

Since Paul’s life focus was so totally on Christ, either life or death was fine. His location didn’t affect his purpose or the desires of his heart. He was not tied to this world by material things, only people whom he loved with Christ’s love. Look at what he said in Romans chapter 14:

If we live, we live for the Lord; and if we die, we die for the Lord. So whether we live or die, we belong to the Lord. (Romans 14:8)

It matters who you belong to. It matters who gives life to you.

Life is in Christ

Christianity is Christ! It’s not a lifestyle. It’s not rules of conduct. It’s not a society whose members are initiated by the sprinkling or covering of water. We are called first and foremost to a relationship with a Person—Jesus Christ.

Think about the striking parallel between a baby’s dependent relationship with its mother and our life of dependency on Christ. Because of its dependent life, a baby in the womb could say, “For me, to live is Mom.” In the same way, we can and should say, “For me, to live is Christ.”

To live is Christ doesn’t mean to deny the world and those good things that God has given us. The message of the church is to preach Christ. It’s not to preach that we can make the world better for them. Life is in Christ; for those not in Christ, to die is disaster.

Jesus has not promised Christians exemption from suffering and tragedy. If you are released from suffering, that’s His grace.

So continuing to remain alive and fruitful in spreading the gospel of Jesus was joy to Paul. Yet, he also could say that to die is gain. Why is that?

To Die Is Gain—What Doesn’t Happen at Death

Let’s talk about death. Are you afraid of death? Not the dying process. That can be a miserable time. But the actual moment of death. Let me give you some reassurance of the hope that we have in Christ. First, let’s cover…

What doesn’t happen at death.

At death, your soul…

Is not annihilated. It doesn’t disappear or cease to exist.
Does not just sleep or become a floating spirit.
Is not reincarnated into another life form as a second chance to improve your afterlife.

Here is the truth: You will have conscious enjoyment of the afterlife. We see that in Luke 16:19-31 and here in Philippians chapter 1.

I am torn between the two: I desire to depart and be with Christ, which is better by far; (Philippians 1:23)

Read more about what doesn’t happen at death in “What Doesn’t Happen to the Soul at Death?”

No purgatory

You don’t go to a place called purgatory until you are purified enough to get to heaven. Your entrance immediately into heaven is not guaranteed by your behavior but by your faith in Jesus Christ. The presence of the Holy Spirit in us is our guarantee of life in heaven with Jesus when we die.

To read more reasons why there is no purgatory, read “Why the Soul Does Not Go to Purgatory for Purification.”

No angel wings

You don’t become an angel. Blame this popular idea on the classic 1946 American movie It’s a Wonderful Life, in which a guardian angel named Clarence occasionally refers to events of his life (and death) as a human being on earth. Actually, it goes further back than that—to an 18^th century Swedish mystic and philosopher who taught that all angels and demons were once humans.

What is the truth? The Bible is adamantly clear in the distinction between angels and human beings. Never will you find any verse saying that good humans become angels when they get to heaven. Angels are beings that were made by God at Creation and are entirely different from humans. They are God’s special agents to carry out His plan and to minister to the followers of Christ. There is no indication that angels were formerly humans or anything else—they were created as angels.

Our greatest confirmation of this is Jesus Himself. When Jesus was raised from the dead, He did not appear to His followers as an angel. He appeared in His glorified human body. The same kind we will receive after we die. Not as an angel.

For more information about this, read the blog, “Angels, feathers, and needing comfort for grief.”

Those are things that don’t happen at death. So what does happen at death?

To Die Is Gain—What Does Happen at Death

A new phase of existence

Death begins a new phase of existence for all believers, that will be far superior to what we experience now.

1) You will be immediately at home with the Lord. You will be able to enjoy all the blessings of heaven forever. We get that from Philippians 1:23 and 2 Corinthians chapter 5.

Therefore we are always confident and know that as long as we are at home in the body we are away from the Lord. For we live by faith, not by sight. We are confident, I say, and would prefer to be away from the body and at home with the Lord. (2 Corinthians 5:6-8)

2) You fall asleep on earth and wake up in heaven. The Bible teaches no time delay in the transition.

3) Your soul leaves your earthly body; you get a heavenly dwelling fashioned for us. All Christians who die will receive an immortal body like the one Jesus has. We get that from 1 Corinthians 15:35-54; 2 Corinthians 5:8; 1 John 3:2; and this passage in Philippians.

But our citizenship is in heaven. And we eagerly await a Savior from there, the Lord Jesus Christ, who, by the power that enables him to bring everything under his control, will transform our lowly bodies so that they will be like his glorious body. (Philippians 3:20-21)

For a more complete discussion of this, read the blog, “What Happens to a Dead Christian’s Soul?”

In Jesus’ presence

Paul had complete confidence that his death would bring the unquenchable joy of being in Jesus’ actual presence. Face to face with His Savior and Lord. His salvation would be complete. He would no longer wrestle with sin. He would be perfected. There would no longer be any suffering to endure.

Now you can see why Paul could say this:

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

Serving Jesus completely means your life is focused on Him, giving you great joy, and death is the way to be with Him which completes your joy. Neither should be a drudgery or a dread. Win/win.

Read these other blogs on what the Bible says about death: “The Biblical Perspective on Death,“ “Some Frequently Asked Questions about the Dead,” and “Be Confident That Your Baby Is in Heaven.”

To Live Is Christ Means to Live AS Christ

The focus of everything we do

What about life now? When you say with Paul, “To live is Christ,” you are declaring your choice to live AS Christ.

When Paul said, “To live is Christ,” it not only meant that Christ was the focus of everything he did. He was literally referring to Christ’s presence in him. As he says in Galatians chapter 2,

I have been crucified with Christ and I no longer live, but Christ lives in me. The life I live in the body, I live by faith in the Son of God, who loved me and gave himself for me. (Galatians 2:20)

Christ in you

This life of Christ is in you, dear believer. In Colossians 1:27, Paul describes this as “Christ in you.” From the moment you said yes to Jesus, you are made alive by the indwelling Holy Spirit who unites you to Christ so that “Christ in you” is a fact of your new existence.

This begins a new adventure of learning how to live while abiding in Christ. Abiding means to make your home with Him so that He is the dominant influence in your thoughts, words, and behavior. Abiding also means to live dependently upon Him 24/7. You are to live by faith. Faith leads to dependency upon God. That is what Jesus demonstrated for us in His own life.

To live as Christ

I heard this phrase a number of years ago and it still resonates in my heart and mind,

Jesus Christ laid down his life for you…so that he could give his life to you…so that he could live his life through you. (Ian Thomas, The Saving Life of Christ)

That is to live as Christ.

You can dwell on the FACT that God’s life is now indwelling you forever. You are alive in Christ. Christ is alive in you. Now you can enjoy the life given to you by Christ Himself as your power for daily Christian living. That is to live as Christ. In this life choice, you will experience freedom and joy. The rest of Philippians will show us what that looks like.

In the next post, we will see what it looks like to live as Christ in joyful service.

Want to have joy in your life?

Let Jesus satisfy your heart with the fullness of His joy. Then, live in that joy!

All of the above information is covered in the Knowing Jesus…Knowing Joy! Bible Study covering Philippians in the New Testament.

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