For To Me, To Live is ..........?
For To Me, To Live is ………?
I encourage you to please stop, reflect and answer the question and fill in the blank: For me to live is …? I have struggled myself to fill in the blank. Why are you living?
What may be the possible answers we could give? For to me, to live is to be wealthy and have nice family; to live is good health and good sports; to live is good church family. What is your answer?
This is how Apostle Paul answered: “For to me, to live is Christ and to die is gain”. Philippians 1:21. We looked at the fear of dying, now let’s deal with living. “To live is ….?
1. Notice that Paul did not say, “For to me, to live is for Christ.” He said, “To live is Christ”. Both are equally true for Paul. But he means to live is Christ. What does it mean “to live is Christ”? To live for Christ places the emphasis of living in the things I can do for Christ and not the things He can do thru me. His Holy Spirit lives in me and He enables my “doing”. I thank God.
2. If I am living for Christ, it means I am the one doing the living. If to me, to live is Christ, it means that Christ is the One doing the living in me. Is Christ living in you and does He have the supremacy and sovereignty over your life and my life? I am a temple of the Holy Spirit.
3. Paul was convinced that no one else is living in him. ”20 I have been crucified with Christ; it is no longer I who live, but Christ lives in me; and the life which I now live in the flesh I live by faith in the Son of God, who loved me and gave Himself for me. 21 I do not set aside the grace of God; for if righteousness comes through the law, then Christ died in vain.” Galatians 2:20-21. His death has reconciled me and established the relationship with God and not what I can do.
4. I presume that “if I am crucified with Christ” then I am dead or had died. There is no fear of dying because I am already dead. The risen Christ is the one living in me. The task at hand is to allow Jesus to live His life in me and thru me. I must abide in Christ thru his Word.
5. “To live is Christ” means that I am so united with Him that “the two have become one”. Marriage is what God has intended from beginning to be replica of our relationship with Him. It is a love relationship. Have I become one with Christ whereby His interests are my interest? God’s interest in everyone is oneness with him and nothing more. Am I furthering my oneness with Christ and facilitating His oneness in others? Is there a communion through prayer?
6. Paul understood very well the words of Jesus, “5 “I am the vine, you are the branches. He who abides in Me, and I in him, bears much fruit; for without Me you can do nothing” John 15:5. A branch is dead if not attached to the vine (Jesus). Paul stated it in his own words, “13 I can do all things through Christ[b] who strengthens me”. Phil 4:13. The doing comes from the being.
7. For to me to live is Christ. Like in marriage I am one with my wife. I can't bear fruit apart from her. There will be no children. The children do not make us one. The commitment at the altar established the marriage and made us one. Christ died for me and as His bride I must submit to him in all areas of life as my head. Lord, help me to know always that I have no life without you. You are my life and I surrender to you. My life is in your hands to do as You please for Your glory. No more complaining but giving of thanks for the Christ who lives in me. Thank you Jesus.
For most of us we tended to fill in the blank with the effects, fruits, blessings of Christ and not Christ himself. Blessing from God is not a sign of oneness but a sign of His grace on us. Blessings can deceive us into thinking we are abiding in Christ. Some of the blessings are results of application of biblical principles which even non Christ followers can have if they apply the same.
We must state and pray with Paul: “I have suffered the loss of all things, and count them as rubbish, that I may gain Christ 9 and be found in Him, not having my own righteousness, which is from the law, but that which is through faith in Christ, the righteousness which is from God by faith; 10 that I may know Him and the power of His resurrection, and the fellowship of His sufferings, being conformed to His death” Phil 3: 10.
Do you want to know Christ? Let’s pursue Him. He is our life and love. “For to me, to live is Christ” is enough reason to rejoice. Paul will again say “rejoice in the Lord”. Amen.
I encourage you to please stop, reflect and answer the question and fill in the blank: For me to live is …? I have struggled myself to fill in the blank. Why are you living?
What may be the possible answers we could give? For to me, to live is to be wealthy and have nice family; to live is good health and good sports; to live is good church family. What is your answer?
This is how Apostle Paul answered: “For to me, to live is Christ and to die is gain”. Philippians 1:21. We looked at the fear of dying, now let’s deal with living. “To live is ….?
1. Notice that Paul did not say, “For to me, to live is for Christ.” He said, “To live is Christ”. Both are equally true for Paul. But he means to live is Christ. What does it mean “to live is Christ”? To live for Christ places the emphasis of living in the things I can do for Christ and not the things He can do thru me. His Holy Spirit lives in me and He enables my “doing”. I thank God.
2. If I am living for Christ, it means I am the one doing the living. If to me, to live is Christ, it means that Christ is the One doing the living in me. Is Christ living in you and does He have the supremacy and sovereignty over your life and my life? I am a temple of the Holy Spirit.
3. Paul was convinced that no one else is living in him. ”20 I have been crucified with Christ; it is no longer I who live, but Christ lives in me; and the life which I now live in the flesh I live by faith in the Son of God, who loved me and gave Himself for me. 21 I do not set aside the grace of God; for if righteousness comes through the law, then Christ died in vain.” Galatians 2:20-21. His death has reconciled me and established the relationship with God and not what I can do.
4. I presume that “if I am crucified with Christ” then I am dead or had died. There is no fear of dying because I am already dead. The risen Christ is the one living in me. The task at hand is to allow Jesus to live His life in me and thru me. I must abide in Christ thru his Word.
5. “To live is Christ” means that I am so united with Him that “the two have become one”. Marriage is what God has intended from beginning to be replica of our relationship with Him. It is a love relationship. Have I become one with Christ whereby His interests are my interest? God’s interest in everyone is oneness with him and nothing more. Am I furthering my oneness with Christ and facilitating His oneness in others? Is there a communion through prayer?
6. Paul understood very well the words of Jesus, “5 “I am the vine, you are the branches. He who abides in Me, and I in him, bears much fruit; for without Me you can do nothing” John 15:5. A branch is dead if not attached to the vine (Jesus). Paul stated it in his own words, “13 I can do all things through Christ[b] who strengthens me”. Phil 4:13. The doing comes from the being.
7. For to me to live is Christ. Like in marriage I am one with my wife. I can't bear fruit apart from her. There will be no children. The children do not make us one. The commitment at the altar established the marriage and made us one. Christ died for me and as His bride I must submit to him in all areas of life as my head. Lord, help me to know always that I have no life without you. You are my life and I surrender to you. My life is in your hands to do as You please for Your glory. No more complaining but giving of thanks for the Christ who lives in me. Thank you Jesus.
For most of us we tended to fill in the blank with the effects, fruits, blessings of Christ and not Christ himself. Blessing from God is not a sign of oneness but a sign of His grace on us. Blessings can deceive us into thinking we are abiding in Christ. Some of the blessings are results of application of biblical principles which even non Christ followers can have if they apply the same.
We must state and pray with Paul: “I have suffered the loss of all things, and count them as rubbish, that I may gain Christ 9 and be found in Him, not having my own righteousness, which is from the law, but that which is through faith in Christ, the righteousness which is from God by faith; 10 that I may know Him and the power of His resurrection, and the fellowship of His sufferings, being conformed to His death” Phil 3: 10.
Do you want to know Christ? Let’s pursue Him. He is our life and love. “For to me, to live is Christ” is enough reason to rejoice. Paul will again say “rejoice in the Lord”. Amen.
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