Christian, You are Heaven Bound, Meanwhile Make A Difference – Philippians 1:20-26

Posted on Nov 04

Like any of us, the possibility of death dials into focus what’s truly important to Paul, and he’s determined to live whatever number of days he has left on earth by honoring Jesus “whether by life or by death.”  If he lives, he will continue to preach the gospel and lead others to Christ; if he dies, he will be with the Lord for all eternity.

“For to me to live is Christ, and to die is gain,” he continues in verse 21. “If I am to live in the flesh, that means fruitful labor for me. Yet which I shall choose I cannot tell. I am hard pressed between the two. My desire is to depart and be with Christ, for that is far better. But to remain in the flesh is more necessary on your account.”

The ultimate win-win. And as Paul embraces this truth, his emotional life follows suit and stabilizes.

So, when Paul notes that he wants to honor Christ in his body, the idea is to magnify Jesus — to make him bigger. To have him sit in the center of our hearts.

A breakdown of another verb Paul uses in this passage: to depart (“My desire is to depart and be with Christ, for that is far better.”)“Depart” in ancient Greek can be viewed illustratively in a number of ways: A soldier leaving a camp and going off to the next place; the ropes holding a boat to a dock being released so it can sail away; a farmer removing the yoke of the oxen when their work is over. It’s quite the image. It signifies the end of work labor and movement toward something great.

If we’re believers in Jesus, like Paul we know where we’re headed when we die. And like Paul, we need to be about making a difference for Christ’s glory while we’re still walking on this planet. How do we do that? Well, Paul explains toward the end of the passage in verse 25: “I know that I will remain and continue with you all, for your progress and joy in the faith, so that in me you may have ample cause to glory in Christ Jesus, because of my coming to you again.”

For Paul, it is a joy to see his fellow believers grow in their faith.  We should be about devoting our time and energy and resources to others, believers and non-believers alike, and encouraging them toward Christ. And such actions naturally lead to joy.

When we give too much time and attention to our difficult emotions, we become more self-focused. Life becomes all about us and our pain. But when we make the active decision to let Jesus sit on the throne in the middle of our hearts, our emotions can be in check, and we can become more useful to him.

Many people — even some Christians — live life mainly to be entertained until it ends.

So … how are you living your life today?

 

Lord, May we all be locked in on our mission to magnify You in our bodies, place You on the thrones in our hearts, and devote ourselves to making a difference as we reach out to others.

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