WEDNESDAY August 28, 2024
To Live Is Christ, to Die Is Gain
For to me, to live is Christ, and to die is gain. But if I live on in the flesh, this will mean fruit from my labor; yet what I shall choose I cannot tell.
Philippians 1:21-22
Paul believed that the moment he died, he would be in the presence of God. He knew his body was just a tent that housed his spirit. In heaven, he would receive a new body:
For we know that if our earthly house, this tent, is destroyed, we have a building from God, a house not made with hands, eternal in the heavens. For in this we groan, earnestly desiring to be clothed with our habitation which is from heaven (2 Corinthians 5:1-2).
There are many Christians who do not like the subject of death. They will say, “Please do not talk about that; I am afraid of death.” If I could take you into the presence of God for five seconds, you would never want to come back here! I can hardly wait! Heaven is going to be incredible.
Paul was willing to live or die for Christ. That was his priority. Nothing in this world is to take priority over Jesus Christ––not your wife, your children, your money, your sports car, or your credit cards. If you can say like Paul, “For to me, to live is Christ, and to die is gain,” then you have your priorities right––you really love our Lord Jesus Christ. Continue to live this truth.
However, if a person lives in the flesh––according to their carnal desires––they will die in their sin. Those who do not trust Christ for salvation have no spiritual fruit. All they labor for is temporal––everything they have worked for in life will burn. They have no spiritual dividends in heaven.
In this life, Christians are to serve Christ. In doing so, they are sowing eternally––having eternal fruit for their labor. They are making investments in the bank in heaven that cannot be taken away from them.
When we come to Christ, we’re no longer the most important person in the world to us; Christ is. Instead of living only for ourselves, we have a higher goal: to live for Jesus.
~Billy Graham~
For more from Raul Ries, please visit SomebodyLovesYou.com!
