Christian Unity is Detailed to the Philippians Volume 9

Paul Declares for him Life is Christ Part 2

Philippians 1:21-22 For to me to live is Christ, and to die is gain. But if I live in the flesh, this is the fruit of my labor: yet what I shall choose I wot not. KJV

Life for the Apostle Paul was clear and singular. The man Saul, that was so zealous for Judaism and spent most of his life trying to rise in the ranks of the Jewish religion as he declared to the Galatian believers with these words, “And I advanced in Judaism beyond many of my contemporaries in my own nation, being more exceedingly zealous for the traditions of my fathers.” (Galatians 1:14) no longer existed in this world. The new man Paul was now only zealous for Jesus Christ and the message of His death on the Cross at Calvary. Paul’s life was Jesus Christ, but he was not nor should he be considered some type of supper Christian, but instead he was someone who was a normal Christian. Paul’s attitude and mindset should be that of every one of us today, but sadly it is not. I must testify that this is not the case with me right now, but I was at one time in my walk with our Lord Jesus Christ just as Paul declares himself here in Philippians 1:21. The moving away from steadfastness and zealousness for Christ and His Gospel is never our Lord Jesus Christ, but always us, because His is the same today, yesterday, and forever (Hebrews 13:8).

Paul had narrowed his life down to one goal, one purpose, and one person to live for every day. Paul saw himself as all Christians should see themselves as belonging to Jesus Christ alone. Remember that the theme of this letter to these Philippian believers is Christian unity and Paul wanted them to understand that unity in Christ could only be achieved by first seeing one’s self as being owned by Jesus Christ. This would render these Philippian believers and we believers today to one objective, to glorify Jesus Christ. The Apostle Paul’s life and actions, as well as his words are a constant rebuke to me and the careless Christian life I live today. Paul so lived for Christ, that death was eagerly anticipated by him for he had already died and was taken into the 3^rd Heaven by our Lord Jesus to see and hear the inexpressible things that took place around the Throne of God the Father (2 Corinthians 12:1-4). Paul knew that it was not he that determined what would happen to him during this time in prison, but he knew that our Lord Jesus Christ was completely in control and this removed any doubt or fear from his heart about his future.

Paul was not superhuman, but death held no more terror over him for he could see his eternal future in heaven worshipping our Lord Jesus Christ and he wrote with these words to the Corinthian believers his very confidence in that reality, “For we know that if our earthly house, this tent, is destroyed, we have a building from God, a house not made with hands, eternal in the heavens. For in this we groan, earnestly desiring to be clothed with our habitation which is from heaven, if indeed, having been clothed, we shall not be found naked. For we who are in this tent groan, being burdened, not because we want to be unclothed, but further clothed, that mortality may be swallowed up by life. Now He who has prepared us for this very thing is God, who also has given us the Spirit as a guarantee. So we are always confident, knowing that while we are at home in the body we are absent from the Lord. For we walk by faith, not by sight. We are confident, yes, well pleased rather to be absent from the body and to be present with the Lord.” (2 Corinthians 5:1-8). However, Paul knew that he would not be executed by the Roman Emperor Nero until he had finished the worked our Lord Jesus Christ had given him to do, therefore, he also knew that the fruit of his laboring for the Gospel was these very Philippian believers he was writing this letter to. To live in the flesh for Paul meant seeing other men, women, boys, and girls hear the Gospel of Christ and be eternally saved by the moving of God the Holy Spirit, yet at the same time he longed to be with our Lord Jesus Christ and be separated from the strife from other people, struggles in his flesh, and the strategies of Satan against him.

“The glory of Christ ought to be the end of our life, the grace of Christ the principle of our life, and the word of Christ the rule of it. The Christian life is derived from Christ, and directed to Him. He is the principle, rule, and end of it. All those to whom to live is Christ to them to die will be gain: it is great gain, a present gain, everlasting gain. Death is a great loss to a carnal worldly man; for he loses all his comforts and all his hopes: but to a good Christian it is gain, for it is the end of all his weakness and misery and the perfection of his comforts and accomplishment of his hopes; it delivers him from all the evils of life, and brings him to the possession of the chief good.” Matthew Henry

“A mere willingness to die, or even a desire to die, is no certain evidence of preparation for death. If this willingness or desire is caused by mere intensity of suffering; if it is produced by disgust at the world or by disappointment; if it arises from some view of fancied Elysian fields beyond the grave, it constitutes no evidence whatever of a preparation for death. I have seen not a few persons who were not professed Christians on a bed of death, and not a few willing to die, nay, not a few who wished to depart. But in the vast majority of instances it was because they were sick of life, or because their pain made them sigh for relief, or because they were so wretched that they did not care what happened - and this they and their friends construed into an evidence that they were prepared to die! In most instances this is a miserable delusion; in no case is a mere willingness to die an evidence of preparation for death.” Albert Barnes

If you do not know the Lord Jesus Christ and His amazing healing power, pray this from your heart to the Lord Jesus Christ (you speaking directly to Him), Dear Lord Jesus, I confess to You that I am a sinner and I need Your forgiveness. I believe You shed Your Blood and died for my sins. I believe that You rose from the dead proving that You alone are God. I repent of my sins. I want to turn from my sins. I ask You Dear Lord Jesus to come into my heart and take control of my life. I want You to be my Lord, Savior, and my God. Amen...


Sincerely in Christ,


Clifford D. Tate, Sr.

Author of “Silent Assassins of the Soul - Are you Broken by Pornography and Masturbation? You can be Restored by the Lord Jesus Christ and brought into Deliverance, Freedom, and Victory! A Guide for Men and Women in the Enemy’s Crosshairs” e-book available now @ Amazon Kindle, @ Apple I Bookstore for IPod, Barnes and Noble for Nook, Reader Store for Sony Reade, Kobo, Copia, Gardners, Baker and Taylor, and eBookPie…