Glorious Gospel, Glorious Life

“To live is Christ and to die is gain" (Philippians 1:21) is a great claim to make about our Lord Jesus. He is our all-sufficient portion in this life and the great hope of our soul to see Him face to face when we depart. Nothing else on earth is our one desire. Nothing else in heaven is our one hope. He is our breath and our life, and the great call of our soul is to make Him known. Our words about Him are glorious, but do our lives match our words?

This is tested in times of suffering. Do we grumble and complain? Do we fear the loss of earthly treasure and life? The world mourns any earthly loss, but the testimony of the Christian is that any loss is gain as we come to know Jesus more and more. He is the one thing they can never take from us. We have a “better possession and an abiding one” (Hebrews 10:34).

What our hearts treasure, our lives will reflect. We do not need to force our lives to match the great claims of the Gospel. Guard our hearts in Christ Jesus, and the manner of our lives will naturally flow. Yet, the exhortation that our lives are worthy of the Gospel is helpful.

This exhortation in Philippians 1:27 help us take inventory of our heart and our lives. Is there a disconnect between what we say and how we live. If so, what is the heart problem underneath it all? This verse jolts our hearts to examine ourselves and find hidden weeds of unbelief. Spirit, help!

Many say they know Jesus, but their lives testify to another god (1 John 1:6, 8; 2:4, 9). There are many who lie about their allegiance to Christ and their lives are the damning testimony against them. May this verse warn and rebuke! Awake and heal the blind, O Lord!

Our lives are the proof of the Gospel of Jesus we proclaim. The joy and hope we portray is the fruit of the life of Christ flowing throughout us! In times of plenty, fruit! In times of need, fruit! In times of watering, fruit! In times of drought, fruit! In life, fruit! In death, fruit! To live is Christ and to die is gain!

“And they have conquered him by the blood of the Lamb and by the word of their testimony, for they loved not their lives even unto death.” – Revelation 12:11