Life or Death

Phil. 1:21

For to me to live is Christ and to die is gain.

Either way, life or death, Paul's life was only and always about Christ [suffering included]. For him, life was sharing the gospel with more people as well as ministering to those who had claimed the name of Jesus, and death would mean being home with the Christ that he loved so much. What a choice! The presence of Christ or persecution while ministering. So until that time that Christ called him home, he would keep ministering. It wasn't a choice for him to make. It must come from the top down. In light of His life circumstances, he must share with the Philippians an important message.

His message concerned their walk. Only let your manner of life be worthy of he gospel of  Christ... In this particular case 'walking worthy' meant standing firm in one spirit, with one mind striving side by side for the faith of the gospel. Apparently their unity was lacking. Their focus was distracted from their faith by persecution. Certainly persecution is distracting and downright scary! They were afraid of their persecutors. But Paul says to face them without fear so that their enemies would know that destruction was reserved for them. In times of stress, especially persecution, the natural response is to run and hide. But Paul encouraged them to stand fast unified with all the members of the body. The truth of the matter is; For it has been granted to you that for the sake of Christ you should not only believe in Him but also suffer for His sake, engaged in the same conflict that you saw I had and now hear that I still have. What they had seen in the life of Paul would now be their personal experience. The believers only recourse [then and now] is to stand fast and be united in faith with others undergoing the same fate, that is if they want to walk worthy. Persecution is part of our faith. This is the believer's grant, his gift. 

In order to do this they [and we] must adopt the Paul's insight, that is to live is Christ and to die is gain. Living for Christ and walking worthy means that the walk of the world has no value anymore. Their eyes are constantly and only on Christ. How convicting is this! Where are my eyes? Is my heart ready for persecution? Am I speaking out for Christ like I should be?

Father,

I know that living is Jesus and dying is being in His presence. Yet, fear still strikes my heart when I think of persecution. Strengthen me so that I can walk worthy of Christ.

In His name,

Amen