LIVING FOR CHRIST

Philippians 1:12-29

Key Verse 1:21

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

In today’s passage, by presenting his life as an example, the Apostle Paul enlightened and inspired his audience to know how blessed it is to live a life for Christ, even though it comes with many ordeals, hardships, and sufferings. 

Before we get into this passage, it is a good idea to sing v. 4 of Hymn #286 in our Worship In Song hymnal: "Into the joy of Jesus deeper and deeper I go. Rising with soul enraptured, far from the world below. Joy in the place of sorrow, peace in the midst of pain, Jesus will give, Jesus will give; he will uphold and sustain!" By using expressions such as “joy in the place of sorrow” and “peace in the midst of pain,” composer Oswald J. Smith likewise shares with us what the Apostle Paul had in mind. 

The secret of joy and peace in spite of life’s pains and sorrows has long been known by the society of the saints. And the same secret is found couched in the title, "Living for Christ." Let us think about this subject in two parts: Part I. The Gospel of Christ and Part II. I Want You to Know.

I. The Gospel of Christ

When we look at the world, the world is filled with sorrow and pain. This was no different in the days of the Apostle Paul. The Apostle Paul lived during the era of the Roman Empire; in his day the Roman Empire ruled the world. And life under Roman rule was far less pleasant than it is today in the United States. In fact, it was largely filled with one bad news after another. Just reviewing a contemporaneous biography entitled The Twelve Caesars by Suetonius (Julius Caesar, Augustus, Tiberius, Gaius Caligula, Claudius, Nero, Galba, Otho, Vitellius, Vespasian, Titus, and Domitian) is enough to understand all the nightmares that people under their rule had to undergo. (During these long Summer months, I would suggest that members of this ministry read history books like The Twelve Caesars by Suetonius. Other recommendations include The Book of Acts by the Apostle Luke, The Pilgrim’s Progress by John Bunyan, The War of the Jews by Josephus, etc.)

The Lord God, however, did not leave people in this kind of miserable condition. He had mercy on them. In order to bring joy to all peoples on earth the Lord God sent Jesus as the source of good news. Speaking of the purpose of Jesus' coming, the Apostle Luke introduces his gospel by quoting what the angel said on the night of Christ's birth: "I bring you good news of great joy that will be for all the people." What does the word "all" mean? All means all, including you and me, including rich and poor, young and old. 

In order to practically bring his joy to a people without joy, the Lord God raised up two shepherds: one for the Jews and another for the Gentiles. For the Jews the Lord established the Apostle Peter (and of course all the other disciples, but mainly Peter). To help the Gentiles the Lord called the Apostle Paul. 

In order to bring God's joy to a people in depression, the Apostle Paul diligently preached the gospel to those living in Gentile nations. The people attending the church at Philippi were the first batch of people on the European continent to hear the good news. Now the Apostle Paul was in Rome, where he wrote an epistle (or letter) to the Philippians. And one of the prevailing themes in this epistle is simply “joy.” 

What then is the source of joy? As we mentioned earlier, the gospel is the source of joy. For this very reason, in the book of Philippians alone the word “gospel” appears nine times. And in today’s passage alone, this word is repeated four times (i.e., in verses 12, 16, 27a, and 27b). 

Why then is the gospel the source of joy? How does this work? What is so good about the gospel that it gives us such a great joy? We find the answer to this question in v. 27. Let us read v. 27. "Whatever happens, conduct yourselves in a manner worthy of the gospel of Christ. Then, whether I come and see you or only hear about you in my absence, I will know that you stand firm in one spirit, contending as one man for the faith of the gospel." In the passage the Apostle Paul used the gospel to convey ideas such as the call to advance the gospel (v. 12), the necessity of defending the gospel (v. 16), and the requirement for one to have "faith" in the gospel (27a). But in the latter part of v. 27, Paul talks about the contents of the gospel by adopting the expression "the gospel of Christ." This expression thus teaches us that the gospel is all about Jesus Christ. 

What does “the Christ” mean? The Christ means the Anointed One. It refers the One designated by God to save all peoples on earth from their fallen condition, particularly from their sins. The reason the Lord God appointed Jesus as the One to save the world is because he alone is qualified to save people from their fallen condition. 

For this reason the Apostle Paul uses the word Christ 11 times. The contexts in which the word “Christ” is used are as follows: "I am in chains for Christ" (13); "preach Christ" (15, 17); “Christ is preached” (18); "the Spirit of Jesus Christ" (19); "Christ will be exalted in my body" (20); "to live is Christ" (21); "I desire to depart and be with Christ" (23); "your joy in Christ" (25); "gospel of Christ" (27); and "[to suffer for him] has been granted to you on behalf of Christ" (29). 

When we combine these expressions together, we can have a pretty accurate idea of how to practically take possession of the joy that comes from Jesus Christ. Of course, the first thing we need to do is to open our hearts and accept Jesus as our Lord and Savior. Then try to do the following – consider yourself “in chains” for Christ, not literally per se, but meaning that you are so willing to love him and share him with others even to the point of going to prison. If you cannot go this far, however, nevertheless somehow struggle to preach Christ. The word "preach" might be a little bit difficult to understand let alone accept. If this is the case, then one will have a better idea of what it is to preach Christ if one reads all five of the sermons the Apostle Peter delivered in the book of Acts. Additionally, and as a topic of advanced study, it is a good idea to study the Apostle Paul's sermons found in the latter part of the book of Acts. Some might say, "I have never seen Jesus. How can I love him?" But as Paul mentioned in v. 19, Jesus is with us more closely than when he was walking here on earth in a body. How can this be? He is with us through the bestowal of his Spirit. So learn to have the fellowship with Jesus through the Spirit of God. And as we covered briefly at last Friday’s meeting, Jesus' Spirit comes with seven powerful faculties: the spirit of wisdom and understanding, the spirit of love and power, the spirit of counsel, the spirit of self-discipline, and the spirit of knowledge and the fear of the Lord (Isa 11:2; 2Ti 1:7). Then make a decision to use your body in such a way as to exalt Christ rather than yourself (20). Check who or what is at the center of your heart, and replace whoever or whatever rules your life with Jesus Christ, and keep it that way all the days of your life, even to the point of saying, "I no longer live my life; it is Jesus who lives my life." Then all the attractions of this life will only become stale and even look like rubbish to you, so that you may reach the point that the Apostle Paul reached when he said, "I desire to depart and be with Christ, for it is far better for me" (21). And you will understand what joy in Christ is all about; you will be willing to suffer for Christ ever so joyfully and willingly. 

II. I Want You to Know 

The brothers and sisters at the church of Philippi did “something” for Jesus Christ; they lived as partners of the gospel. They made sacrificial offerings to support the Lord's world mission work. They also must have been teaching the Bible diligently to people like college students at MSU - Macedonian State University. In this way, they sacrificed a lot. But still the Apostle Paul recognized that their joy was not complete. 

As a shepherd for them, the Apostle Paul wrote this epistle and, in this particular passage, he wanted them to know four things. What were the four things? Here are the four things Paul wanted them to know. 

(1) When the purpose is right, even the chains are a reason for our deepened joy (12-14).

First, Paul wanted them to know that when their purpose is right (namely, to live for Christ, I mean, truly for Christ and Christ alone and not for something else or for Christ plus alpha), then, even the chains (i.e., the restrictions or deprivation of certain privileges of their lives) would become reasons for sharper, deeper, and greater joy. 

Look at vs. 12-14. "Now I want you to know, brothers, that what has happened to me has really served to advance the gospel. As a result, it has become clear throughout the whole palace guard and to everyone else that I am in chains for Christ. Because of my chains, most of the brothers in the Lord have been encouraged to speak the word of God more courageously and fearlessly."

Here by "what has happened to me" Paul refers to such incidents in his life as described in the book of Romans and the book of Acts (Romans 1:15; Acts 19:21; 21:17-28:31). In these books, we see the Apostle Paul making a decision to go to Rome to preach the gospel. After this decision, he prayed to the Lord for the best way for him to go to Rome. In response to his prayer, the Lord provided Paul with a wonderful way to go to Rome. Using some stiff-necked Jews who stubbornly rejected Jesus as their Lord and Savior, the Lord granted that they make false charges against Paul. One thing led to another until Paul appealed his case to the Roman Emperor, Caesar Augustus. So what did the Roman government do to hear Paul's case in front of Caesar? It provided Paul with everything he needed: room and board at government hotels, 24 hour security guards, free “airplane” tickets, direct access to the heart of the Imperial Palace in Rome (the equivalent to our White House), and much more. 

In many ways this was God's wonderful provision - the provision to preach the gospel in an impossible place. Why was it such a wonderful provision? 

First of all, it opened up to Paul free access to the most important people of Paul’s day, the people who literally “ran the world.” Paul was a Jew. Romans were Gentiles. In Paul's days, Jews did not associate with Gentiles and Gentiles did not with Jews. Plus, Paul was a layman. He was not some high official and consequently had no privilege whatsoever to access the Emperor’s court in the heart of the Roman Empire. Even nowadays, although the United States is a democratic country which believes in government of the people, by the people, and for the people, still, without a special pass it is impossible for an individual to enter inside the Oval Office at the White House in Washington, D.C. Unlike the United States, Rome was based on a dictatorship. Every dictator is afraid of assassination. So the security must have been super tight. But the Lord God wanted to bring the gospel even to the Roman Emperor. So he provided Paul with a free pass. And Paul stayed right in the midst of Rome, in a small room which I imagine must have looked like one of the prayer rooms at the Downey Center basement. 

Second, it provided Paul with a mandate to talk about Jesus Christ, particularly Jesus as the true ruler of the universe. 

Paul's case was very unique in that the charge against him was his faith in Jesus, confessing that Jesus is the King. This, however, was not in conflict with Caesar being a political king because Jesus is a spiritual king! But many got confused about the meaning of Jesus' true kingship. So each time government officials – like district attorneys, detectives, and Roman soldiers assigned to guard the prisoners in the Royal Palace – most of whom worked in the department of law enforcement, came near Paul and asked him about his case, Paul had to open his mouth and start talking about Jesus Christ! Then as they listened to Paul in a quiet environment, such as inside the office of a district attorney or at the private office of a prison guard, they had the exclusive opportunity to hear the gospel! Some of them might have loved to hear Paul speaking about the good news of Jesus. If so, they invited Paul more often than necessary to decide on his case! 

Third, this kept Paul from being ineffective or at least less effective than he was supposed to be. And this offered Paul the fabulous momentum to maximize all the opportunities that came his way for the most number of people to have access to the gospel. 

Paul was a very active person. A review of his evangelical journeys recorded in the book of Acts shows that he was never the type of person to sit in one place doing nothing.  Some people have no problem being seated in front of a TV and watching all the stupid TV shows all day long. But Paul was never that kind of a person. Thus, although there are a lot of good aspects with being active, one of the problems with an active person like Paul is that he or she tends to suffer from a syndrome known as "the Rolling Stone Syndrome." What is the Rolling Stone Syndrome? "A rolling stone gathers no moss." God knew Paul’s problem, so by putting him in chains (that is, locking him up in a prison cell), the Lord God effectively held him down in one location and one location only: the compound of the Royal Palace guard. While staying there, the Lord God accomplished three things: first, he offered Paul ample opportunity to pray for all the members of all the churches he pioneered; second, Paul concentrated on a 1:1 ministry with the elite of all the elites of the then superpower nation Rome for a prolonged period of time (specifically, two years) (Acts 28:30-31); and third Paul wrote four beautiful epistles (Colossians, Ephesians, Philemon, and this epistle, Philippians). These epistles are supreme in that they clearly reveal who Jesus truly is, explain church doctrine systematically, illustrate the graceful examples of redemption, and exhibit the pure joy that is the essence of a Christian life. 

In addition to the above, Paul says that thanks to his imprisonment – preaching Christ even in his chains – many have gathered up their courage and preached the gospel, overcoming tremendous pressure in their lives. 

From this passage we learn that when we are fully committed to Jesus Christ and live for him, all sorts of restrictions like the lack of money or the inability to move around from place to place actually work powerfully to advance the gospel of joy. 

This has been one of my thanks topics as well. Being a missionary, I wondered on many occasions why I had to be stuck here in Downey, especially during the weekends. During the weekend, many people do a bunch of fun things. But each time the weekend approached, I thought the time for my torture likewise approached. But as I studied this passage I recognized that I was and am “blessedly” stuck here in Downey. In fact, this is the only time I derive most of my joy in life.

(2) When the purpose is right, even those who criticize us are additional sources of joy (15-25).

Look at vs. 16-18. "It is true that some preach Christ out of envy and rivalry, but others out of goodwill. The latter do so in love, knowing that I am put here for the defense of the gospel. The former preach Christ out of selfish ambition, not sincerely, supposing that they can stir up trouble for me while I am in chains. But what does it matter? The important thing is that in every way, whether from false motives or true, Christ is preached. And because of this I rejoice. Yes, and I will continue to rejoice..." 

We don't know the exact situation and conditions of the people trying to disturb and make Paul unhappy, even by preaching the gospel. But undoubtedly they tried to make Paul unhappy, even in an odd sort of way. Yet these people could not make Paul unhappy. Rather, despite their ill intentions, what they did made Paul even more joyful than before. Why? Because in preaching Jesus Christ, there is no competition! See, the joy found in Jesus is “shareable” and “enjoyable” by all peoples on earth, for the joy in Jesus, although it is priceless, comes free of charge! And the more you preach Christ, the more civil (gentle and kind) people become, the sounder and safer the society will get, and the greater the joy will be! 

So by all means make it your prime purpose in life to preach Jesus Christ. Then, even if you have tons of people (especially inside the church) who hate you or in any other way make you unhappy, you will be effectively insulated from the pain and conflicts that come from these people. 

(3) When the purpose is right, even our worst enemy, death, becomes a ground for absolute joy (19-26).

Look at vs. 19-26. "For I know that through your prayers and the help given by the Spirit of Jesus Christ, what has happened to me will turn out for my deliverance. I eagerly expect and hope that I will in no way be ashamed, but will have sufficient courage so that now as always Christ will be exalted in my body, whether by life or by death. For to me, to live is Christ and to die is gain. If I am to go on living in the body, this will mean fruitful labor for me. Yet what shall I choose? I do not know! I am torn between the two: I desire to depart and be with Christ, which is better by far; But it is more necessary for you that I remain in the body. Convinced of this, I know that I will remain, and I will continue with all of you for your progress and joy in the faith, so that through my being with you again your joy in Christ Jesus will overflow on account of me." 

Here in this passage it looks like Paul is talking about a number of subjects such as his hope to be released from the prison cell, the life that lives for his sheep’s rather than his own well-being, the hope of rest after his bodily life here on earth is complete, etc. and so forth. But upon careful observation, Paul is really only saying one thing and one thing alone: that is, because he serves Jesus with single-minded devotion, the Lord Jesus sets him free from all the fears and anxieties of life, including the uncertain outcome of his impending trial and, most dreadfully, the "grim" moment of the Grim Reaper, Mr. Death, about to fall upon him. 

He expressed this freedom from the anxieties and fears of life, particularly in the key verse 21, "For to me to live is Christ, to die is gain!" Here, “to live is Christ” means a lot. It means that it is Christ who makes his life exciting. To some, playing a video game or playing Go or playing a sport like soccer is what makes life exciting. So they really go for these things, even sacrificing everything they have – their time, money, youth, and even marriage – to become the best they can be at these things! But to Paul to live was Christ; Christ was who Paul joyfully desired to live for. Furthermore, “to live is Christ” means "it is Jesus who runs my life." What a fabulous statement! Jesus is the wisest person of all. And Jesus holds all the authority in heaven and on earth. Yet Paul says that this most powerful and most graceful person runs his life! Most excitingly, in Jesus there is no hint of sorrow or death! So even if he was seated in a prison cell, locked up like all of us, in a real prison called the body, he was filled with God's life! For this reason he says that even to die (meaning to take off this physical body upon his physical death) was gain! Yes, this is true. Indeed, departure from one's body which is dead because of sin is gain. Why? Because departure from one’s physical body means to be at home with Jesus Christ. But not all people have this hope of being with Christ upon their physical death. Why not? Because inasmuch as their relationship with Jesus is uncertain, their future after death is likewise uncertain. And the Bible says that there are only two destinations for one to go: either to stay with Satan in hell or to be with Jesus Christ. And when you are uncertain on your relationship with Jesus Christ while in the body, you run the risk of being eternally shut out of the fellowship with Christ and remain stuck with the most heinous creature of all. 

(4) When the purpose is right, all sufferings become sources of joy, joy, and more joy (27-29). 

Now for the conclusion. Let’s look at vs. 27-29. "Whatever happens, conduct yourselves in a manner worthy of the gospel of Christ. Then, whether I come and see you or only hear about you in my absence, I will know that you stand firm in one spirit, contending as one man for the faith of the gospel without being frightened in any way by those who oppose you. This is a sign to them that they will be destroyed, but that you will be saved--and that by God. For it has been granted to you on behalf of Christ not only to believe on him, but also to suffer for him." In this passage, Paul says that because the gospel is meant to set man free from bondage to the power of sin and death, it is impossible for man to know the gospel and still live in sin (e.g., in the spirit of rivalry and jealousy or in the spirit of anger and rage) continuously. At the same time, because the gospel sets man free from the anxieties and fears of enemies, even the enemy known as death, it is impossible for man to live like a fearful chicken or rabbit. Rather, despite hardships and ordeals, a true Christian who has truly committed him or herself to Christ can advance the gospel, braving all kinds of sufferings. 

One word: living for Christ is the most blessed way to live!

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