For me, to live is Christ. Philippians 1:21. “For to me to live is Christ, and to die, is gain.” Believers in Christ belong to Him. In how we live, we show Him. Christ is the source and secret of our happiness. Our most valuable possession is our life, which lifts who we are and what we do to the highest possible level. When Christ is our life, our relationship with Him, now and forever, gives purpose and confidence to everything we do and everything that happens to us.
Paul found purpose in his life while he was in prison. He was able to advance the work of the Gospel there. He and Silas had sung hymns and prayed aloud in the prison at Philippi years before he wrote this letter. That prison stay resulted in souls being saved and baptized, and the new believers became a positive force for good in that city. There were believers from many walks of life in that city who were then gathered in the name and person of our Lord Jesus Christ. That was a positive result of “living Christ” in his own life. It wasn’t a sort of “add-on,” but it was a fundamental part of his being.
Desiring to die and be with Christ is natural for a believer, and that is the “gain” we all seek. Perhaps Paul believed that God would use his death to advance the Gospel and God's kingdom. The decision about dying isn't ours alone, but the Lord wants us to balance the “gain” of dying with a strong desire to live and be faithful witnesses of Him in whatever circumstances we're in. When we're ready and willing to die, we're free to serve and dedicate our lives to what matters most for God's glory.
Life comes from God, for He is its Source, Sustainer, Giver, and Taker of life. Even in the darkness before birth, there is a life force within each person that presses to survive until birth occurs. We are conceived, live, and are born in God’s time, both physically and spiritually. A Christian is born again and receives a new nature through the Spirit of God. Christ is our life from the beginning.
Childhood has its testing times, and as time passes, spiritual immaturity can lead to mistakes and failures. By God’s grace, we can survive and pass through unseen dangers. Satan is never resting as he seeks to claim my soul and keep me from trusting God without fear or doubt. Thank God. Christ is our life. New life is given in Christ, and I then received a whole new attitude. A new creation was conceived by the Holy Spirit of God when I believed in Jesus. Christ is our life-transforming power.
Years pass as I share with men and women, boys and girls, the message of salvation by grace through faith. The Spirit of God uses this to bring spiritual renewal in many others. An appreciation for God often leads them to dedicate their lives to devotion. Christ is our life in ministry. Age naturally brings some unwanted changes. There are no doubt limitations as this body ages, and now I am beginning to resemble one of the ancient people – but Christ remains our life-sustaining. Looking back at the start and following my life’s journey to this point, I often wonder how I would want to live if Christ was not my life, for "To me, to live is Christ.”
Let us rejoice when God uses others to continue the work we once did. They may do things differently, so we must recognize them as the Lord's servants for this time and place. Paul was neither self-seeking nor filled with self-pity because of his circumstances. He could, and should, rejoice in everything God was doing through others as well as himself. It is not wrong to ask for prayer that the difficulties will pass. However, resources and power are available in the Spirit, who can change everything in an instant if that is God's will. When that does not happen, it is up to us to turn that time into an opportunity for the Gospel, rather than question God's faithfulness. What could have caused sadness instead brings joy.
To "live Christ" is different from living for Christ. Living for Christ is an addition to living for ourselves. To live for someone or something gives that person or thing control over our lives. To live for business makes it the priority over every other interest. To live for pleasure or fame sets those things as the meaning of life. To live Christ puts Him in the place of the life source for a committed Christian. That also means whatever we do would have a good reason behind it. We would use our time as effectively as possible and focus our efforts where they truly matter.
There is a quality of life that magnifies Christ, whether we are in good or bad circumstances. To live or die is not up to us but to the One who holds that key. As for what I do, though, in life or death, it is an opportunity to glorify God. A person with a purpose of heart to live for Christ has been given a real meaning to life. We are ready to live when we are ready to die. Either one can bring joy into what could have brought sadness. One thing we know about dying is that for a believer, what comes after death is far better than life here.
However, there are opportunities now that we won't have in the future. One reason that makes living today valuable is that we can serve God under difficult conditions, among those who oppose Him and His truth, and represent Him and His righteousness. We won't have that opportunity after we die. Another reason to live now, even if life is tough, is that we can help other believers if we choose to do so and are willing to be used by God. While Paul was in prison, he prayed for God's people in the different places where he had preached the Gospel. Even in prison, he wrote letters to churches and fellow workers to give guidance and encouragement. How we use our time depends on whether we have an attitude of bitterness or blessing.