AUTHENTIC CHRISTIAN LIVING : PART 2

                                             

                                   

                                                WHAT ARE YOU LIVING FOR?

Philippians 1:19-26

¹⁹ For I know that this will turn out for my deliverance through your prayer and the supply of the Spirit of Jesus Christ, 

²⁰ according to my earnest expectation and hope that in nothing I shall be ashamed, but with all boldness, as always, so now also Christ will be magnified in my body, whether by life or by death. 

²¹ For to me, to live is Christ, and to die is gain.

 ²²  But if I live on in the flesh, this will mean fruit from my labor; yet what I shall choose I ^[a]cannot tell

. ^23 [b]  for I am hard-pressed between the two, having a desire to depart and be with Christ, which is far better. 

²⁴ Nevertheless, to remain in the flesh is more needful for you.

 ²⁵ And being confident of this, I know that I shall remain and continue with you all for your progress and joy of faith,

 ²⁶ that your rejoicing for me may be more abundant in Jesus Christ by my coming to you again.

 

What are you living for? Your answer to this question will determine the direction of your life. If your purpose is wrong, your direction will be wrong. If your purpose is vague, your direction will be vague. If you do not know your purpose, you will just be swept along by the currents of our age, doing what seems to bring you happiness. It is crucial that you be clear and correct in answering the question, “What are you living for?”

 

The apostle Paul was clear and focused on his purpose. I believe that the purpose for which he lived is the only purpose that takes the eternity into account, so that whether we live a long life or whether it is cut short, that purpose will be fulfilled. In short, Paul’s purpose is, “For to me, to live is Christ” (1:21).

 

The sentence in Philippians 1:21 is not only a statement of the apostle’s true experience, but also it is a standard of judgement which confronts us with the most thorough test of our Christian faith we will ever encounter. Every person who professes Christ as Savior must grapple with the question,” Can I honestly say, ‘For me, to live is Christ’?” The purpose of Paul’s statement means, every Christian should aim at being able to say truthfully, “For me, to live is Christ”.

 

WHAT DOES IT MEAN TO “LIVE CHRIST”?

The concept of “being in Christ” was vital to Paul’s understanding of what it means to be a Christian. He addresses this letter “to all the saints in Christ Jesus who are in Philippi” (1:1). The instant a person truly believes in Jesus Christ as savior, he is joined organically in a living, real union with Christ the Head as a member of His body, the church.

 

To be “in Christ” means that all that is true of Christ is true of the believer. As Paul writes (Romans 6:10,11), “For the death that He died , He died to sin, once for all; but the life that He lives , He lives to God. Even so consider yourselves to be dead to sin, but alive to God in Christ Jesus.” The believer is in union with Christ.

 

While that is our true understanding before God, we must grow in our experience of the reality of that understanding, so that in our daily lives, we live in fellowship with Christ, communing with Him and depending on Him for everything. It means growing to know Christ intimately (Phil 3:10) as we continue to await for His second coming.

 

Nowhere else can we attain salvation except through Him and Him alone. Let us live each day as if it were our last day on earth always bettering our relationship with Christ.