Word of Salvation – Vol. 29 No. 37 – October 1984

To Live Or To Die; What Do We Choose?

Sermon by Rev. B. Gillard, v.d.m. on Philippians 1:21-25

Scripture Readings: Philippians 1:12-30; Psalm 16; Isaiah 11: 1-9

Suggested Hymns: 38, 228, 447, 454, BoW 702.

Congregation of our Lord Jesus Christ, brothers and sisters and young people.

I wonder if you have ever been faced with a difficult decision, and you didn't know quite which way to decide.  You were kind of pulled in both directions.

The Apostle Paul was facing a similar situation as he sat in his dungeon in Rome.  He wasn't sure whether to choose life or death, not that he had any final say in the matter.  No, the decision about such matters rests entirely with the Lord.

But as he sat there in his prison cell he must have had quite a bit of time for some quiet reflection.  And thinking about it he felt pulled in two directions: the desire to remain in this present world on the one hand, and the desire to depart from this life on the other hand.  And when he thought about it, he came quite definitely to the conclusion that for the believer, death is more desirable than life.  There was, it seems, no doubt in his mind whatsoever about it.  In verse 23 he says, "it is better by far".  In the Greek it reads: “it is very much better”.

I wonder how many of us feel the same way the Apostle Paul did?  How many of us feel it is better by far to depart than remain here in this present life!

But why did he feel this way?  Was he having a hard time in prison?  Was he old, and just about dead anyway?  Was he suffering a lot from some disease?  Didn't he think he would ever get out of prison again?

The answer to all of these questions as far as I can see is "NO'.  There was no apparent reason in this world why Paul should want to depart.  As a matter of fact, he seems fairly confident that he will be released from prison, and allowed to go on his way, and go about his work.

The only conclusion that we can come to then, is that it just is better, very much better, for a believer to depart from this life, rather than to remain in it, regardless of present circumstances.

But why is this?  Why is death very much better than life for the believer?  Well, let's look at our text to supply us with some answers.

Notice what it says in verse 21: "For to me to live is Christ and to die is gain.”  Paul didn't look upon death as dying.  He looked upon it as gain.  The word really means to make a profit.  I wonder if you have ever bought something, or made a good investment and reaped a handsome profit, for your efforts.  That's how Paul thought about death.  It wasn't a loss, it was a gain!

And then take a look at what he says in verse 23.  "I'm torn between two: I desire to depart and be with Christ, which is far better."  Now the word depart is the interesting word here.  Paul didn't see death as the end.  He saw it as the beginning, it was a departure for another place; a better place.  This word departure has been used in a couple of different ways.  It has been used to describe the breaking up of a camp, to move on for the next leg of the journey.  When the Israelites came out of Egypt on their way to the Promised Land, they camped along the way, until it was time to break camp and continue their journey to the Promised Land.  This is how Paul thinks of death for the believer.  It's breaking camp for the last time, before he crosses over into the Promised Land; the land that flows with milk and honey.

Then the same word is also used to describe a ship being released from its moorings.  It leaves the wharf and sets sail on its voyage.  But where is it heading?  Well, the Bible tells us it's heading for a place of which "eye has not seen, nor ear heard, nor has it entered into the heart of man, the things that God has prepared for those who love him."

We cannot say with any final accuracy what awaits the believer, when our ship touches down on that marvellous shore.  But there are some things that we can say.  We can say that our believing loved ones who have gone before will be there to greet us.  And what a reunion that will be!

This life and this world is only temporary, and marred by many sorrows.  But in heaven, there will be no more parting.  Our reunion will be forever.  Of course, death for the believer brings its sorrows and sadness with it.  But we should also remember that this life cannot go on forever.  And our partings in this life are only temporary if we truly believe.  It will only be a matter of waiting for the next ship or two, to see if our believing loved ones are on board to join us.

And I have no doubt that the Apostle Paul expected to see many believing loved ones there.  Many that he himself had brought to faith in Christ.

But what else can we look forward to there?  Well for one thing we will be at last in the perfect Church.  No more Uniting and no more Baptist, no more Presbyterians or Reformed.  We will all agree, and we will all see it the same way.  There will be perfect unity and harmony and love for one another.  No longer the church militant; the church triumphant.

And the threat of war will be gone; we will live in peace.  Just as we read in Isaiah Chapter 11, verse 6 and following.  "The wolf will dwell with the lamb, and the leopard will lie down with the kid, and the calf and the young lion and the yearling together, and a little boy will lead them."

There will be no more sin, and so there will be no more crime, or broken homes or broken hearts.  Sickness and disease will be banished forever.  No more crippling arthritis, or deadly cancer, or other things to wrack our bodies with pain.  And we will be able to see Him with our very own eyes, the One who came from heaven and became a man and lived our life and died our death, so that we could have forgiveness and enter into life forevermore.

Is it any wonder then, when we stop and think about it a little bit, that the Apostle Paul would think it was better by far, to depart this life and be with Christ?

But perhaps someone might say: but isn't it a bit dangerous to think too much along these lines?  Isn't there a danger that we may become too heavenly minded to be of any earthly use, if we allow ourselves to get carried away with such thoughts?  After all, we are living here now and we have got a job to do where we are.  Isn't there a danger, that we might neglect all the things that have to be done here below?

Well, to answer that question let’s take a look at the man who was so heavenly minded.  The man who thought it was so very much better to depart and be with Christ, the Apostle Paul himself.

What kind of man was he?  Was he running around with his head in the clouds?  Was his halo falling down around his ankles and tripping him up?

Was he so heavenly minded that he was of no earthly use?

No he wasn't, was he?  He was just the opposite.  It was because he was so heavenly minded that he was of so much earthly use.

Do you know the people in this world who are of the least earthly use?  Those who are so earthly minded that they can't see anything else.  Or, those who are half hearted with divided loyalties, trying to get the best out of both worlds, without being fully committed to either, They are the useless ones, because they only live for themselves and this present world, and what they can get out of it.

But Paul wasn't like that!  Certainly, he wanted to go, but he wasn't about to quit his post.  What conclusion did he come to about this whole matter?  Well, verse 24 tells us.  Writing to the Church in Philippi he said, "It is more necessary for you that I remain on in the body.  Convinced of this I know that I will remain, and I will continue with all of you for your progress and joy in the faith."

No, it was because Christ and the things of heaven were such a reality in Paul's life that he laboured from one end of the empire to the other to advance the cause of Christ and the Kingdom of God.

Do you know what I think is wrong with the Church today?  I think it's a bit too earthly minded and not heavenly minded enough,

We have become too much like the world.  We have become too much at home in this present world.  We have been made to think that the good life is found in this life instead of in the life to come.  Material and temporal realities have become more important than spiritual and eternal realities.  We have lost our dynamics.  We have lost our power to change the world, because we have become too much a part of this present age.  We're too comfortable here.

Paul was in the world, but he wasn't of it.  That's why he had such a powerful impact upon it.  He was here in the body and he did his work.  He didn't shirk his responsibility and calling.  But in his spirit, he longed to be somewhere else.  He longed to be with Christ.  He lived in this world but he knew he was a citizen of a heavenly kingdom, where Christ is seated at the right hand of God and he longed to go home.  This is why he could say, "For me to live is Christ and to die is gain."

The life that Paul lived was a Christ-centred, a Christ-pleasing, a Christ-directed and a Christ-serving life; a Christ filled life.  Christ was at the centre of Paul's life.  Like sport, or T.V. or work or money or pleasure is at the centre of other people's lives.

What was his secret?  How did he manage to live such a life?  Well I think we have been talking about that already.  It was his heavenly mindedness.  He had the right perspective on life.  He knew that we were only pitching camp here for a little while.  This is not our eternal city.  This is not our lasting home.  We are only pilgrims passing through.  That was Paul's Secret.

But there was something else he knew.  He knew that Jesus Christ, God's son, gave up everything and came into this world and pitched his earthly tent for a little while, so that he should die on a wooden cross in shame and humiliation for our sins; to redeem our life from death and destruction.  In the words of a hymn writer, he Paul, knew that “love so amazing, so divine, demanded his soul, his life and his all”, and that is what he gave.

"For me to live is Christ, and to die is gain."'

That was how Paul looked at life and at death.  Do you and I look at life and at death in that way too?

AMEN.