(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 cannot tell. (23) For I am hardpressed 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. (27) Only let your conduct be worthy of the gospel of Christ, so that whether I come and see you or am absent, I may hear of your affairs, that you stand fast in one spirit, with one mind striving together for the faith of the gospel

The apostle Paul wrote the “prison letter” to the Philippians from Rome as he had been under arrest for preaching the gospel. As a Roman citizen he had appealed to Caesar for judgment – he would either be pardoned or executed – and in our verses he is weighing his options; Physical deliverance from prison or spiritual deliverance from earthly life – clearly he expected the former. To live or die his life revolved around Christ Jesus and Christ was the reason for his existence. In Christ Paul found joy in any circumstance.

What are we living for? If our purpose is wrong our direction will be wrong. Paul was clear about his purpose and this took eternity into account; the fact of death and what lies beyond. In faith in Christ we are dead to sin and in life we experience Christ. Our focus should be the the end game – our “gain” of Christ is sufficient for the believer. We are to live for Christ and not ourselves. We should challenge the cultural idea of retirement as we are never retired from living Christ. In our verses we see this is Paul’s sole aim; he did all things for the sake of the gospel and makes it clear that he walked by the Spirit every day in every situation. Our culture seems to think of death – if we think of it at all – as an end, not a beginning. We avoid thinking or talking about death unnecessarily but we are not ready to live until we are ready to die. For Christians, like Paul, to live purposefully is to live for Christ and and to die is gain – this does not mean we are not to mourn or desire death.

Reading these verses we should be asking ourselves ‘What am I living for’? We should be clear, be all in and be joyful in the Lord.