Philippians 1:21

“For to me to live is Christ, and to die is gain”

“For to me”: “Whatever may be true of others, this he knows to be true of himself. There are, indeed, countless others of whom it is not true” (Erdman p. 64). Paul's opponents may have been self-centered (Philippians 1:17), but he is Christ-centered. Paul is not saying, “This is truth for me, while it may not be for others”. “To live is Christ”: “Life is Christ” (TCNT). “I live only to serve Him, only to commune with Him;. have no conception of life apart from Him. This is the passionate view of Christianity which, unfortunately, so many members of the church have never fathomed. Being. Christian is not. part-time hobby; it is. consuming career” (Jackson p. 33)."To live is Christ” means one is convinced that everything which Christ taught is absolutely right. One humbly and gratefully submits to Christ on every issue (Matthew 28:18). One is willing to sacrifice everything and anything, in order to stay in. right relationship with Christ (Matthew 5:29; 1 Peter 3:8). Christ is more important to us than any human relationship (Matthew 10:37; Luke 14:26). The cause of Christ is our consuming passion, over and above all other earthly interests (Galatians 2:20; 2 Corinthians 5:14). Nothing else comes close, nothing else even rivals our passion for Christ and His cause. The subject that we are interested in the most, that we most freely talk about, that is far and above the center of our lives, is Christ. “And to die is gain”: “Dying brings gain” (Wms). “And if. die. should merely gain more of Him” (Phi). “And dying--well, that's better yet!” (Tay). “Death would bring no cessation or diminution of that existence but would rather enhance it with the experience of being with Christ (v. 23) in. closer communion that he had known while still in the body” (Bruce pp. 49-50). Right here the various groups that believe death equals non-existence (Jehovah Witnesses and Seventh Day Adventists), have some explaining to do! Bruce is right when he says, “If death meant (even temporarily) less of Christ than was enjoyed in mortal life in mortal life--above all, if it meant (even temporary) annihilation-- it would be absurd to speak of it as gain” (p. 50).

All the annihilation theories must admit that death is. terrible thing, even for the Christian, because death means separation from God, for if one ceases to exist in death, then one ceases to have. relationship with God. God is not the God of non-existence beings (Matthew 22:32). This passage demands the Christian is fully conscious after death, that the Christian gets more of Christ after death, than before (2 Corinthians 5:8). Erdman is right when he says, “Paul does not mean that ‘to die is gain' because life is so intolerable, but because death issues in what is so desirable” (p. 65). Carefully note Paul's motivation. He did not desire death to escape from the harsh realties and responsibilities of this life. Neither did he fear death, because death would just give him more of the Christ, who was the very essence of his life. Seriously compare the "hope" of the Christian with the "hope" of the non-Christian. “The pagan viewed death as. release from earthly troubles and no more. It was for the pagan. walking away from present ills out into the unknown, perhaps into non-existence” (Hawthorne p. 46). Yet for the Christ death is “gain”! Paul does not desire to be "released from the pain of living", for he has already said, "living is Christ!" Even though he was in prison and was often persecuted for being. Christian, Paul seriously enjoyed living. Never does he say, “goodbye cruel world”.