For to me to live is Christ and to die is gain. Philippians 1:21
The book of Philippians was written by the Apostle Paul in about the year 62AD. ¹ † Phil. 1:21 obviously provided the inspiration for a Christian song released 1,953 years later! ‘To live is Christ’ is well performed by Sidewalk Prophets:
Commentary: (Philippians 1:21) “Death is a great loss to a carnal, worldly man, for he loses all his earthly comforts and all his hopes; but to a true believer it is gain, for it is the end of all his weakness and misery. It delivers him from all the evils of life, and brings him to possess the chief good. The apostle’s difficulty was not between living in this world and living in heaven; between these two there is no comparison; but between serving Christ in this world and enjoying Him in another. Not between two evil things, but between two good things; living to Christ and being with Him.
See the power of faith and of Divine grace; it can make us willing to die. In this world we are compassed with sin; but when with Christ, we shall escape sin and temptation, sorrow and death, for ever. But those who have most reason to desire to depart, should be willing to remain in the world as long as God has any work for them to do. And the more unexpected mercies are before they come, the more of God will be seen in them.”—Matthew Henry. Read more commentaries here. † Related post: Why are we so reluctant to die?
Are YOU ready to meet the Lord?
