Phil

Phil. 1:12-30

3/25/2007

“Christ Will be Honored”

Paul was an apostle. We are not. He was in prison. We are not. Can we possibly find in his words anything relevant to us?

But consider the words he uses in this passage: “confident”, “bold”, “fear” (v. 14); “envy”, “rivalry”, “good will”; (v. 15); “love” (v. 16); “pretense” “truth”, “rejoice” (v. 18); “deliverance” (v. 19); “expectation”, “hope”, “shame”, “courage”, “honor”, “body”, “life”, “death” (v. 20); “live”, “die” (v. 21); “flesh”, “fruitful labor”, “choose” (v. 22); “desire” (v. 23); “glory” (v. 26); “manner of life”, “worthy”; (v. 27); “opponents”, “destruction”, “salvation” (v. 28); “believe”, “suffer” (v. 29); “conflict” (v. 30). Covered in this short passage is the gamut of human experiences. They are things that we are all concerned about: confidence, good will, pretense, truth, joy, expectation, hope, shame, courage, honor, life, death, fruitful labor, glory, worthiness, etc. They are things that we face in life: fear, envy, rivalry, shame, life, death, choice, desire, opponents, destruction, suffering, conflict, etc.

Paul lived and died millennia ago in a far away place. But, as a simple survey of his vocabulary shows, he and we are bound by the same universals of human existence. This is true although the particulars of our experiences may be different--such as where and when and in what culture we live, what kind of clothes we wear and transportation we use, etc.

And what about Paul? When he wrote about his situation and his thoughts about it, did he think his words were relevant to the Philippians (and to all Christians)? If he did, why did he think that they should care about his situation and his perspective on it (and why should we)? Simply because they were his fellow human beings? Simply because they knew one another as friends? No. Something more profound and compelling than the universal human experiences bound them together. Something deeper than friendship united them. Take a look at v. 29: “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….”

Here we see Paul’s conviction that he and all Christians share the same lot: all those who believe in Jesus Christ are also called to suffer for Christ’s sake. It does not make any difference whether one were an Apostles like Paul or just a new convert. It does not make any difference whether one were in prison like Paul or in high society. Paul goes on to say in v. 30 that the Philippians were experiencing the same conflict which they saw in Paul.

But can that also mean that the Philippians were going through some unique problem that identified them more closely with Paul and his conflicts? V. 29 can be interpreted that way: that it was granted specifically to the Philippians at that particular time to suffer like Paul in the same conflict. But what aspect of Paul’s suffering could be in view? We can reasonably assume that the Philippians (at least the majority of them) were not in prison as Paul was when they received his letter. Then, what is the nature of “the same conflict”? Paul hints at it when he urges the Philippians to strive together for the faith of the gospel and not to be frightened by their opponents in anything (vv. 27, 28). The conflict that Paul and the Philippians shared, whether they were in prison or not, was concerned with defending and contending for the gospel against opposition. Was this a unique conflict that only Paul and the Philippians faced? No, this is a Christian universal that all Christians share as long as they live in this world.

Is this not true in your life? Are you not surrounded by those who oppose the gospel, however varied is the shape and form of their opposition? We can share so many common interests with our colleagues and friends and actually enjoy doing things together. But the moment we bring up the subject of Christianity in their company, a thick wall of indifference goes up and a cold wind of scorn blows and at times fires of angry outbursts explode everywhere. And we are pressured to keep quiet about the very thing that is most important and dear to us. We all know, do we not, that the moment we strive for the faith of the gospel, we shall suffer as Paul and the Philippians did and experience the same conflict that we see in them. “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…” (v. 29). These words were not just for the Philippians. These words were also for us who believe in Jesus Christ. Ignore these words and we become the salt that has lost its saltiness, the lamp that is placed under a basket and snuffed out.

What kind of life did we have in mind when we professed our faith in Christ and decided to follow Him as His disciples? Did we think that everybody would love us if we lived a good Christian life? Then why did Paul find himself in the prison? Was he not a good Christian? Are we ready, are we prepared, to face opposition and live with it for the rest of our lives for the sake of Christ? This shouldn’t come from being obnoxious and offensive in our testimony, of course; we must be as winsome and gracious as possible. But we must recognize that no charming personality of ours can neutralize the world’s opposition to the gospel. And is this such a terrible lot unique to Christians--that we won’t be liked by everyone? Who in the world is liked by everyone? The moment a person stands for something, he will feel the fire of opposition burning at his face. Only he who stands for nothing has no opposition. But he will have no support of allies, either. The question, therefore, is not a choice between a life of conflict and a life free of opposition. The question is whether what we stand for is worth all the consequences we must bear.

Paul says, “For to me to live is Christ, and to die is gain” (v. 21). Here is someone who has found something truly worthwhile: he has not only found something to live for but also something to die for. These words of Paul’s deal with the ultimate question of man’s existence: life and death; living and dying. What issues in life are more important and fundamental than these issues--the issues of life and death, the issues of how to live and how to die?

We realize that death is inevitable in this life. This fact of death makes us think about the significance and meaning of our life which will one day end. For with death comes the end of our life here in this world. Do we just live and die and that is all there is to life? If we fear death and try to avoid and postpone it as long as we can, isn’t it because life is more than simply existing? We all know instinctively that living is more than simply existing: we want our life to mean something. We cannot avoid death and we will all die. But we don’t want to die like an old machine, simply breaking down after its final sputter; we want to die for something worthwhile. Our life is temporary. Our life is fragile. It can be taken away from us without warning. Then it cannot be lived out for itself. There’s got to be something greater than itself. So we cannot be content just to exist for a while and to stop existing; we must live for something greater than ourselves; we must die for something greater than ourselves. Happy is the man who found something worthwhile to live for. Happier yet is the man who found something worthwhile to die for. Some would even say that we do not really have something to live for until we have found something to die for.

But what is truly worth dying for? What is worth letting go of all that is good and wonderful about our life in this world? Blinded by the superficial things of life, hurried by the urgent things of life, we often lose sight of them. But when viewed against the pitch darkness of death, the soft and delicate yet steady light of their beauty shines unmistakably--but for many, only too late. Imagine a mother with a terminal disease, having to leave behind her toddler son. What would she give to spend more time with her dear son? What regrets would wring her heart for being harsh with him for so many little things! And all the little things we allow to strain our relationship with our beloved ones--oh, how insignificant they are in comparison to the weight of the agony of losing them to death! So beautiful and precious are these things that people are willing to absolutize human relationships above all things! So many of our movies reflect this value, don’t they?

It is hard to argue against such a value. Especially against the backdrop of the materialistic world we live in, this value we give to our relationship seems so lofty and noble. The Bible itself would not deny its significance: think about all the commandments that deal with our relationship with one another! But the Bible is brutally realistic about what is truly valuable. Christ asks, “What does it profit a man to gain the whole world and forfeit his life” (Mark 8:36)? It may sound too practical but what is the point of dying for something if we ourselves cannot enjoy it? Does it sound too selfish, even? But who says that the Word of God is not practical, practical in its most ultimate sense? And when Christ calls on us to deny ourselves, it is not just for the sake of ascetic self-denial, for the sake of denying ourselves; it is for the sake of following Christ, for the sake of gaining Christ, who is far more valuable than we ourselves! So our Christian life is a paradox: “Whoever would save his life will lose it, but whoever loses his life for [Christ’s] sake will find it” (Matt. 16:25). In denying ourselves, in letting go of our self-centeredness for the sake of Christ-centeredness, we gain the most because we gain Christ.

Thus Paul’s words, “For to me to live is Christ and to die is gain.” These words would be nothing more than a romantic, sentimental mumbling if Christ were not worthy of his life and death! Again I ask you: who is, or what is, worthy of your life, your one and only life with all the potential of happiness it holds even if it were just a possibility? Is there anyone so worthy, so noble, so honorable that you can gladly give up your life and make all those who love you suffer the loss of their beloved one? Who or what is really, really worthy of giving up your life for? Paul’s heroic sacrifices--living for Christ and dying for Christ--would be the foolishness of a greatest degree if Christ could not give him eternal life. But Jesus Christ is indeed the Lord of life! He who died and rose again on our behalf is able to impart eternal life to us. In His death and resurrection He conquered death for us. So we can give up our life for Him and be assured that our sacrifice is not in vain. For, if He wants to take our broken life, it is only to give back to us a life that is complete and eternal. In Jesus Christ what we give up our life for, we will be able to enjoy through all eternity! Who is able to do this for us? If Paul could risk all, if Paul could lose all in this world, even his life, for the sake of Christ, it was because he would gain all things in Christ Jesus in the eternal kingdom of heaven. “He is no fool who gives up the things that he cannot keep to gain the things he cannot lose” (Jim Elliot).

Paul’s words were not just an expression of some romantic notion. He actually went through all kinds of trouble and persecution because of this precious gospel. He was in prison. But he suffered more than a temporary physical confinement: he was confronted with a real threat of imminent death. Yes, he was confident that he would be delivered through the prayers of the Philippians and the help of the Holy Spirit (v. 19). But we also know that his situation was such that he had to think about the real possibility of dying (vv. 20, 21).

But imprisonment and threat of death were not the only sufferings Paul went through. Even his so called fellow ministers caused trouble for him. He said in v. 17, “[Some] proclaim Christ out of rivalry, not sincerely but thinking to afflict me in my imprisonment.” How painful it must have been for Paul not only to be attacked from the front but also to be stabbed in the back from behind!

But how does Paul respond to all these things? He triumphant reports that all his troubles worked to advance the cause of the gospel! And he declares, “What then? Only that in every way, whether in pretense or in truth, Christ is proclaimed, and in that I rejoice. Yes, and I will rejoice” (v. 18)! Should we be surprised? The gospel of Jesus Christ transformed the cross of condemnation into the cross of forgiveness, the grave of despair into the empty tomb of resurrection, into the gate into heaven. What, then, are the afflictions of this world in comparison to death? The gospel of Jesus Christ can transform them into great opportunities for the advancement of the gospel!

Isn’t that what we see in Paul’s report?

His imprisonment served to make the gospel known even to the whole imperial guard (v. 13). And it was also because of his imprisonment that others were encouraged and emboldened to preach the gospel with a new vigor and confidence. So Paul rejoiced even in the midst of his troubles because the gospel did not stop its triumphant march even when he was confined to a small prison! In fact, it was out of his manifold afflictions that these noble, powerful and inspiring words came into existence and come to us. “For to me to live is Christ and to die is gain!” “What then? Only that in every way, whether in pretense or in truth, Christ is proclaimed, and in that I rejoice. Yes, and I will rejoice….” It was through his afflictions that his conviction became materialized in his life.

Even the people of the world recognized that difficulties come with great opportunities. This is a very popular theme in all kinds of self-help movements and religions. The Chinese phrase for crisis includes a word for opportunity: literally, the Chinese phrase for crisis means “dangerous opportunity”. If the people of the world can view their trials as opportunities for great things, what about you and me who have the gospel of the death and resurrection of Jesus Christ? We do not just have an attractive and inspiring idea. We have the reality and power of the resurrection of Christ. Having died with Christ to this world and having been raised with Him unto eternal life, we are no longer obsessed with the things of the world. We can have the composure of the mind to face our trials without being devastated and to view them as opportunities for us to demonstrate the power of the gospel. The power that works in us is as real as the empty tomb, as real as the resurrection of Jesus Christ! So we can confidently say that for us to live is Christ and to die is gain.

What does that mean?

When Paul said, “To live is Christ,” he means that the purpose of his life is to proclaim Christ (v. 18) and to serve God’s people for their progress and joy in the faith (v. 25). He saw his life as a time of fruitful labor (v. 22)--fruitful because his labor in the Lord is not in vain--not in vain because his labor is for the gospel which is the power of God for salvation to everyone who believes (Rom. 1:16)!

Why did Paul say, “To die is gain”? Because to die is to depart from this world and to be with Christ--to depart from this world of labor (as fruitful as it might be), to depart from this world of suffering, pain, persecution and imprisonment, to be with Christ, the Lord of our salvation and life, of glory and eternal rest. Although the union with Christ he enjoyed in this world was great--that is what enabled him to endure all manner of suffering--he looks forward with much anticipation to be with Christ in heaven because it will be so much better.

Brothers and sisters, God has given you Jesus Christ, in whom you have conquered death and received eternal life. If you lose your life for His sake, if you lose your reputation for His sake, rejoice and be glad, for great is your reward in heaven. Even if you were to lose all things in life--and all people will eventually lose everything when they die--you will gain Christ and all the benefits of His redeeming work. What a wonderful privilege it is for us to live for Christ and die for Him.

Do you realize that even the Old Testament saints were willing to die for their faith? Think of Daniel’s three friends--Shadrach, Meshach, and Abednego. Even when they were faced with the threat of being thrown into the fiery furnace, they said to Nebuchadnezzar, “O Nebuchadnezzar, we have no need to answer you in this matter. If this be so, our God whom we serve is able to deliver us from the burning fiery furnace, and he will deliver us out of your hand, O king. But if not, be it known to you, O king, that we will not serve your gods or worship the golden image that you have set up” (Dan. 3:16-18). What about Esther? “If I perish, I perish,” she said. This implies, of course, that they had a full conviction that there was something more important than their lives. Yes, the Old Testament saints were willing to die for their faith, if necessary. But do you see in them the unshakable, unflinching confidence and certainty that you see in Paul concerning the future beyond the grave? Paul saw death not merely as an inevitable, necessary evil but as a great gain to be with Christ in the glorious kingdom of heaven!

Truly noble and inspiring are Paul’s words: “For to be to live is Christ and to die is gain.” But let us not forget that his words are true only because Christ is worthy of his life and death! And we are here because of the same gospel. We are bound together with Paul in this Christian universal: it has been granted to us not only to believe in Christ but also to suffer for Him. Are we contending for the faith of the gospel? Are we experiencing, are we willing to experience, the same conflict that we see in Paul and the Philippians? Are we standing for the gospel by which we have been saved, by which we have gained God, heaven and eternal salvation? Or are we ashamed of the gospel? Do we realize that, if we stand for this gospel, we will face opposition and be right in the middle of the conflict that Paul faced? But is the gospel not worthy all the trouble, all the persecution, all the shame and humiliation and even the loss of life we may experience for the sake of the gospel? Oh, let this be our glorious and highest calling: to live and to die for Christ, to honor Him in our body whether by life or by death. We have found in Christ something worth living for, everyday and every moment of our life. We have found in Christ something worth dying for.

May our life show this surpassing value of the gospel! As we do so, may all our trials and tribulations be transformed into wonderful occasions to showcase the power of the gospel! Let us persevere and not grow weary! For the day will come when we shall stand in that glorious kingdom before our wonderful Savior to receive from our victorious King praise and honor and reward even for the smallest thing we have ever done in His name, far beyond what we deserve! Oh, saints of God, nothing we do in the name of Jesus Christ will be forgotten! Let us gladly surrender our all, even our life, to Him who gave Himself gladly to give us life everlasting!