Phil.
1:19-30: “Paul Explains His Contrary Desires To Go To Be With The Lord Or
Remain With Them, And He Explains That For Him To Live Is Christ”
By
1.
In our last
study, we looked at the introduction to the book of Philippians as well as the
first 18 verses of the book.
1.1.
We saw that Paul
was the uncontested author.
1.2.
We saw that the
city of
1.3.
We saw from Acts
15 how that the church was formed when Paul on his second missionary journey
saw a vision of a Macedonian man who was asking him to come over and help
them. Then, when Paul went to the city
he met some women gathered for prayer and a woman named Lyddia came to faith in
Christ and then proceeded to host a church in her house.
1.4.
We saw how that
the church in Philippi had come to be one of Paul’s favorites because they
share with him in everything, even through thick and thin, sickness and health,
etc. Paul loved them so much they were
like his children and every thought of and prayer for them brought him joy,
and, he wrote that he had them in his heart.
Paul had allowed the Philippians alone to support his ministry because
he knew that they would not question his motives for ministry nor stumble
because of helping him out.
1.5.
We saw that the
epistle was probably written by Paul early during his first imprisonment when
he was being held in Caesarea before he was shipped to
1.6.
We saw that the
book was written primarily to thank the Philippians for their financial gifts
to him as well as to urge unity between two of the leaders of the church,
probably those who were leaders of house churches in
1.7.
We saw that the
main word and theme in the book is ‘joy.’ This word is mentioned in almost every part
of the book as Paul refers to his feelings and care for the church as well as
their relationship and spiritual growth in Christ.
1.8.
Michael Gunn showed us that the joy that the Philippians
had was not a joy that existed because they had no trials or difficulties, as
we looked at his quote: “Philippians
has been a book about the “Fellowship of Joy” found in a relationship with
Christ, and His mission in the world.
Paul’s joy is not a fanciful joy separate from real world living. So many struggling people eschew help because
those that want to help simply “Don’t understand!” Or, “No one feels my pain.”
This can’t be said of Paul and the Philippians.
Paul was in prison, facing imminent death. The Philippians faced relational division,
heresy, ostracism, persecution, poverty and possibly even death. In spite of this Paul urged the church to
find their way to God’s peace, “Which surpasses all understanding!””
1.9.
We looked at the
way in which the people of this world look at and experience “joy” and
we realized that the world’s experience of “joy” was very fleeting and
did not bring lasting contentment of any kind.
We saw that the world looks for joy in things like unbelief, pleasure, money,
position and fame, military glory, etc., however that the famous men who have
found their joy in those things ended up living lives of desperation and
depression.
1.10.
We looked at what “joy” for the Christian
involves. We saw that joy for the
believer is inseparably linked to fellowship with Christ and is a fruit of the
Spirit (Gal. 5:24) in the believer’s life and linked to obedience (John 15:9-11). The joy
of the unbeliever is a giddy joy that is an emotion determined by
circumstances. But, the joy of the believer involves a choice to have joy and
essentially it is an attitude of faith and trusting in God, counting and
considering your blessings in life.
2.
In our study
today, we are going to look at verses 19 – 30 of chapter 1 of the book of
Philippians.
2.1.
Paul will first
tell the Philippians that he knew that he would remain in their lives. He knew this because of their prayers which
would cause him to be delivered, and he also knew this through the provision of
the Spirit in his life. He will say that
it was his earnest expectation and hope that he would not be put to shame in
anything but rather that in all things Christ would be exalted in his body,
whether by life or by death.
2.2.
Then, Paul tells
the Philippians that for him to live is Christ, and to die is gain. We’ll talk about what that meant to Paul.
2.3.
A web site
dedicated to reviewing a book by Martyn Lloyd-Jones called, “The Life of
Joy: An Exposition of Philippians 1 & 2,” in which he discusses Phil. 1:21 where Paul said that for him “to
live is Christ and to die is gain,” states the following:
“Now there are, of course, large
numbers of people who never think at all about the meaning of life. Life to
them just means existence, a kind of animal condition, or a state almost like
that of a plant or flower. There are many people who have no philosophy
whatever. Here they are in this amazing thing called life; they have this
astounding gift of being, and yet they go through without contemplating it.
They never stop to ask what it means, they just go on from day to day, eating
and drinking, without any such thoughts at all.
Then there is what we might well call the Epicurean view of life…it is amazing
to notice the numbers of people who, in they answered honestly, would have to
say that to them that is life—that round of one pleasure after another. It is
tragic, but it is true. How often have we heard of people leaving the provinces
and going to live in the big cities because they want to see ‘life.’ They pity
the people whom they have left behind because life to them means an opportunity
for pleasure.
But there is another view which we may describe as the Stoic’s view of life. It
is more intelligent than the Epicurean’s and it expresses itself like this:
life is something which has to be endured. The Stoic does not keep a perpetual
grin on his face and say: “Isn’t everything wonderful?’…And, alas, there are
large numbers, who, if you were to ask them what living is all about, would
have to say that it is a battle with circumstance and chance.
And then today, and always in times like this, when life is particularly
difficult, there is the cynic’s view of life…It is perhaps a peculiar
temptation in a time like this, when so much idealism has been falsified and so
many bright hopes have been dashed to the ground.
Then, to advance up the scale, there is the view that may be described as the
mystic’s view of life. It is important that we should understand this, because
oftentimes the Christian view has been mistaken for what I am describing as
that of the mystic…The typical mystic’s view is that life and all its ills are
ultimately due to the flesh, and that salvation is to be found by going out of
the flesh and not being identified with it. Consequently, the mystic spends his
time in trying to mortify the flesh; he tries to live in a passive manner, not
allowing the world to influence or affect him. That is his outlook, a kind of
dying to the world and adopting a purely passive attitude.
But let me now go on to what I would describe as the average man’s view of life
and this is where the word of the Apostle tests us so profoundly. Christian
people, members of Christian churches, if we were asked, ‘What is living to
you?…is it not true that many of us would have to admit and confess that it
means our families, our homes, our work, our occupations, our activities in
this life? Does not living often mean to many of us the companionship and love
of our loved ones, the home life and circle?…and when they are taken from us,
our life, our world, collapses and we have nothing left.
But let me go on. There is the humanist’s view. To the humanist living means an
opportunity of doing good, of improving the world and uplifting the state of
society.
Then let us go on to what we may call the religious view of life, and I am
putting it like this to differentiate it from the Christian view. There are
some people, who, if you ask them, ‘What is life?” are bound to say that it
means being religious and performing religious duties…sometimes, I have to talk
to men and women who have led very active lives in church circles and who, when
they have been taken ill, seem to have nothing left to them.
Shall I go further and put it like this: living, to the Christian does not even
mean God…A Jew or a Muslim can say quite honestly that life to him means God,
and there are many in the world who can say that God is the center of their
lives.
What, then, does [Paul] mean by life?…Perhaps the best way of putting it is
like this: the thing that Paul is really saying about himself is that he is in
love with Christ. He loves him and, as is always true of love, that love
dominates his life and controls it. That is what I live for, he says, that is
the nature and object of it all,” The Life of Joy: An Exposition of Philippians
1 & 2 (Baker (1993), 88-92.”
3.
VS 1:19-20 - “19
for I know that this will turn out for my deliverance through your prayers
and the provision of the Spirit of Jesus Christ, 20 according to my earnest expectation and hope, that
I will not be put to shame in anything, but that with all boldness,
Christ will even now, as always, be exalted in my body, whether by life or by
death.” – Paul tells
the Philippians that he knows that he will be delivered because of the prayers
and the provision of the Spirit of Jesus Christ and according to his earnest
expectation and hope that he would not be put to shame in anything but rather
with all boldness Christ will be exalted in his body, whether by life or by
death
3.1.
Paul looked at
his life as being lived in such a way that Christ would in all things be
exalted in his life. In every labor for
Christ, in every affliction he suffered, in every trial, in every joy, etc.,
etc., he saw his life as being lived so that in all of it Christ would be
exalted in his life.
3.2.
Paul believed in
the power of prayer, as these verses tell us.
He really believed that God was going to deliver him through the prayers
of Philippians, that is, unless for some reason the Lord wanted to call him home
at this point.
3.3.
Paul also
believed that the life that he lived really did count for Christ, and that the Lord viewed his life in that way. Therefore, he realized that if he lived on
this would be to do incredible things for the edification of the churches. If he died, Paul realized that this would be
because he would have an incredible testimony for Christ as a martyr. Paul knew that He would ‘not be put to
shame in anything’, but rather that God would see fit that his life truly
counted for Christ.
3.3.1. Do you recognize that the things that you do in your
life truly count for Christ?
4.
VS 1:21 - “21
For to me, to live is Christ and to die is gain.” – Paul tells the Philippians
that for him to live is Christ and if he dies it is will be gain for him
4.1.
Paul could not
have written this verse declaring that it was “gain” for him if he died:
4.1.1. If he believed as the Catholics teach of an
intermediate place believers go called “Purgatory.”
4.1.1.1.This is the concept that the believer who dies is not really
with the Lord just yet, not really at peace or rest, and awaiting the payment
of indulgencies or for certain sacrifices or prayers.
4.1.1.2.The belief in “Purgatory” is a denial of the
perfect work of Christ upon the cross in paying the full debt of our sin.
4.1.2. If he believed that death for the believer was a state
of “soul sleep.”
4.1.2.1.Those who hold to this concept think that the believer
who dies is not with the Lord and is essentially non existent, his soul is just
sleeping and waiting for some future time when the Lord would awaken it so he
could be with the Lord.
4.1.2.2.To the thief on the cross who asked Jesus to remember
him when He came into His kingdom, Jesus didn’t say to this man that he would
go to Purgatory for a period of time and then eventually he would be in heaven,
and He didn’t say to this man that he would not exist for a good period of time
and then later be awakened. Instead,
Jesus replied to this man, “Assuredly, I say to you, today you will be with Me in
4.1.3. If he did not know that Christ had paid for all of his
sins and that he was now standing in the righteousness of Christ.
4.1.3.1.Paul believed that those who are in Christ have His
righteousness imputed to them, just as he writes about in 1 Cor. 1:30: “But by His doing you are in Christ Jesus, who
became to us wisdom from God, and righteousness and sanctification, and
redemption.”
4.1.3.2.Paul knew that the Lord was waiting for him after this
life with open arms, and that the Lord was not holding judgment over the
believer in Christ.
4.1.4. If he did not have absolute assurance through the word
of God that he was destined for heaven not hell after this life.
4.1.4.1.In 1 John 5:11-13, we read about the assurance of
salvation that each of us who are trusting in Jesus Christ and His death upon
4.1.5. If he did not have the assurance that after this life
he was promised a resurrection body like Christ’s.
4.1.5.1.Paul knew that the Christian was promised to have a
body after this life that was raised in power and glory, and like that of Jesus
Christ Himself: 1 Corinthians 15:35-49,
“35 But someone will say, “How are the dead raised? And with what kind of body do
they come?” 36 You fool! That which you
sow does not come to life unless it dies; 37 and that which you sow, you do not sow the body
which is to be, but a bare grain, perhaps of wheat or of something else. 38 But God gives it a body just as He wished, and to
each of the seeds a body of its own. 39 All flesh is not the same flesh, but there is one flesh
of men, and another flesh of beasts, and another flesh of birds, and
another of fish. 40 There are also heavenly
bodies and earthly bodies, but the glory of the heavenly is one, and the glory
of the earthly is another. 41
There is one glory of the sun, and another glory of the moon, and another
glory of the stars; for star differs from star in glory. 42 So also is the
resurrection of the dead. It is sown a perishable body, it is raised an
imperishable body; 43 it is sown in dishonor, it is raised in glory; it is sown in weakness, it
is raised in power; 44 it is sown a natural body, it is raised a spiritual body. If there is a natural
body, there is also a spiritual body. 45 So also it is written, “The first man, Adam, became a living soul.” The last Adam became a
life-giving spirit. 46 However, the spiritual is
not first, but the natural; then the spiritual. 47 The first man is from the earth, earthy; the
second man is from heaven. 48
As is the earthy, so also are those who are earthy; and as is the heavenly,
so also are those who are heavenly. 49 Just as we have borne the image of the earthy, we will
also bear the image of the heavenly.”
4.2.
Paul was speaking
in this verse of death for the believer as being spectacular and a venture
directly out of this body to be with Christ.
Paul knew that “to be absent in the body is to be face to face with
Christ” (2 Cor. 5:8: “8 We are confident, yes,
well pleased rather to be absent from the body and to be present with the Lord.”), and thus if he died he knew that for him this
would be ‘gain’ (a word used to mean gain, advantage, and even financial
gain). In fact, Paul knew that being
there directly in the presence of Christ would be better than every joy he
could every experience upon the earth.
In His presence “there is fullness of joy forevermore,” (Psalm
16:11: “You will make known to me the
path of life; In Your presence is fullness of joy; In Your right hand there are
pleasures forever.”)
4.3.
Paul knew that
Christ was His sufficiency in all things, and thus for him to live was Christ:
4.3.1. Phil. 4:13: “I can do all things
through Him who strengthens me” :
4.3.2. 2 Corinthians 3:5:
“Not
that we are adequate in ourselves to consider anything as coming from
ourselves, but our adequacy is from God.”
4.3.3. 2 Corinthians 9:8:
“And
God is able to make all grace abound to you, so that always having all
sufficiency in everything, you may have an abundance for every good deed.”
4.3.4. We will look at this verse again when we get to
chapter 4 of the book, but in Philippians 4:11 we see that Paul had learned to
be content in every situation in life because of the fact that for him to live
was Christ: “Not that I speak from want, for I
have learned to be content in whatever circumstances I am.”
4.4.
As this is a book
about “joy,” we have to recognize that the “key to joy” is living
for Christ. On a web site, Ed Rowell, a
man I know nothing of really, has written some good things, including, “Joy
comes from having a right purpose for living and the right attitude about dying.”
4.5.
On the same web
site, Ed Rowell tells the story of an English man named, William Wilberforce,
whose life could be summed up as, “to live is Christ” :
·
I'm going to tell
you a story about a man who personifies a life worth living and dying for:
William Wilberforce.
·
Wilberforce had
everything that you could possibly imagine: money, power, prestige, and
friends—until he got messed up by God's call on his life.
·
William had
walked away from his faith when he was young, but a group of friends eventually
won him back.
·
His decision
caused both spiritual growth and tremendous tension in his life, because he was
a servant of the people, a politician, a legislator.
·
Wilberforce soon
dedicated himself to two great objectives: the suppression of the slave trade
and the reformation of morality.
·
Wilberforce first
abolitionist bill was defeated in Parliament by a ratio of 2:1.
·
Wilberforce was ready
to return to his old ways, but John Wesley—who was literally on his deathbed at
the time—convinced him otherwise.
·
This encouraging
word revitalized Wilberforce's spirit, but for the next 11 years, every tiny
victory was followed by a massive defeat.
·
William faced all
sorts of obstacles—his health deteriorated, he had ulcerative colitis, and he
was almost blind—but he persevered.
·
When Parliament
finally passed the Abolition of Slave Trade Act in 1807, there was nothing to
enforce the end of the slave trade; Wilberforce continued to work.
·
All the while, he
worked on behalf of the poor for the reformation of the moral life of
·
Wilberforce
established dozens of faith-based social service organizations.
·
Wilberforce kept
·
Wilberforce was
also known for his generosity as much as for his tenacity; at one time, he was
financially supporting 60 different causes.
·
Obstacles
continued to come—his health deteriorated at a rapid rate, his sons turned
against him, he became financially destitute, and one of his adult daughters
was tragically killed—yet the work that he had begun continued.
·
Three days before
William Wilberforce died—July 26, 1833—the Emancipation Bill passed in
Parliament.
·
If Wilberforce
had been looking for happiness, he had had very little; but in those last days
of his life, in spite of all the hardship, can you imagine the depth of joy
that he must have felt?
4.6.
Another
example: When Adoniram Judson graduated
from college and seminary he received a call from a fashionable church in
4.7.
Life for Paul was
always summed in one word, ‘Christ.’
Christ lived through him and the life he was living he was living for
Christ and unto Christ, and with Christ.
His life was ‘Christ.’
4.8.
Is your life as a
Christian such that you could explain and summarize your life in that same
word, ‘Christ’? Or, are you
building your own kingdom, completing your own plans, and just doing whatever
the heck it is that you want to do with your life? This is not the way that the Christian life
is to be lived! Our life is “hidden
with Christ” (Colossians 3:3: “For you have died and
your life is hidden with Christ in God.”) and our life needs to be lived as Paul described it was to be for
the Christian: “…you are not your own
for you have been bought with a price, therefore glorify God in your body,”
(1 Cor. 6:19-20).
5.
VS 1:22-26 - “22
But if I am to live on in the flesh, this will mean fruitful
labor for me; and I do not know which to choose. 23 But I am hard-pressed from both directions,
having the desire to depart and be with Christ, for that is very much
better; 24 yet to remain on in the
flesh is more necessary for your sake. 25 Convinced of this, I know that I will remain and
continue with you all for your progress and joy in the faith, 26 so that your proud confidence in me may abound in
Christ Jesus through my coming to you again.” – Paul tells the Philippians
that if he continues to live on in the flesh that this will mean that he will
have fruitful labor, and thus he doesn’t know if he wants to die and be with
Christ or live on and have effective labor for Christ, yet he realizes that it
will be better for the Philippians if he lives on in the flesh and for this
reason he knows he is going to remain and continue on with them so that he can
help in their progress and joy in the faith
5.1.
Paul struggled
with his desires because he did long to be face to face with Christ. But, on the other hand he also knew that his
life counted so greatly for Christ, and that the church truly needed him. Therefore, he was more than willing to labor
for the Lord on their behalf: ‘I know
that I will remain and continue with you all for your progress and joy in the
faithl.’
5.2.
Some of the
churches pulled away from Paul because he was always suffering and being
persecuted. They wondered how Paul could
be in the center of God’s will if he was always getting beaten up, stoned,
whipped, etc. Paul was concerned that
this attitude towards him not rub off on the Philippians because they had stood
by his side through thick and thin, sickness and healthy. He tells them that he knows that he will
continue on with them, ‘so that your proud confidence in me may abound in
Christ Jesus through my coming to you again.’ He was concerned that they continue to have ‘proud
confidence’ in him and not pull away from him because of his sufferings and
persecutions, you see.
6.
VS 1:27-28 - “27
Only conduct yourselves in a manner worthy of the gospel of Christ, so that
whether I come and see you or remain absent, I will hear of you that you are standing
firm in one spirit, with one mind striving together for the faith of the
gospel; 28 in no way alarmed by your
opponents—which is a sign of destruction for them, but of salvation for
you, and that too, from God.” – Paul tells the Philippians to conduct themselves in
a manner worthy of the gospel so that whether or not he comes to them or stays
away that he will hear that they are standing firm in one spirit with one mind
striving together for the faith of the gospel, and not alarmed in any way by their
opponents
6.1.
Paul tells the
Philippian church that their actions were important because they gave a
testimony about themselves to the people of this world. He tells them that they needed to be careful
to conduct themselves ‘in a manner worthy of the gospel of Christ.’ In other words, they needed to act in a
Christ-like way with each other, and they needed to show by their unity of
spirit and mind as a church that Christ was in them and working through them. Disunity destroys the testimony of the
church, and Paul is going to address a couple of individuals within the church
soon who were violating the unity and love of Christ in the church, and this
was causing the church to have a poor testimony.
6.2.
It is important
that we as Christians always consider what the world thinks of our
conduct. We want our lives to count for
Christ as Paul’s counted for Christ, and thus we need to follow Paul’s advice
here and be Christ-like and try as much as possible to be of one-mind and
spirit with our brothers and sisters in the body of Christ.
7.
VS 1:29-30 - “29
For to you it has been granted for Christ’s sake, not only to believe in
Him, but also to suffer for His sake, 30 experiencing the same conflict which you saw in
me, and now hear to be in me.” – Paul tells the Philippians that it has been granted
to them for Christ’s sake to not only believe in Christ but also to suffer for
Christ’s sake, and experience the same sort of conflicts that they say and have
heard are in Paul’s life
7.1.
Paul had a word
from God for the Philippians here. He
tells them that they too had been appointed to suffer for Christ, just as he
had been appointed. This isn’t the kind
of a word that they were excited to receive, and it was probably not a word
that Paul enjoyed giving. But, it was
from the Lord and the church was to receive it as such and prepare their hearts
for persecution, trials, and suffering.
But, they would have great joy in the midst of suffering for and serving
Christ.
7.2.
Paul tells them
to keep in mind while they were suffering that they were to ‘suffer for His
sake.’ Their lives counted for
Christ and they were being lived for Christ, and they needed to be prepared
even to suffer for the Lord if He so led in their lives. They were to submit themselves to all manner
of suffering and persecution willingly and gladly because they were living
their lives for Christ, and in fact for them too to live was Christ.
7.2.1. Peter wrote to a bunch of Jews who had become
Christians and were going to experience great trials, that they also would
experience joy inexpressible and full of glory:
1 Peter 1:6-8, “6 In this you greatly rejoice, even though now for a
little while, if necessary, you have been distressed by various trials, 7 so that the proof of your faith, being more
precious than gold which is perishable, even though tested by fire, may be
found to result in praise and glory and honor at the revelation of Jesus
Christ; 8 and though you have not
seen Him, you love Him, and though you do not see Him now, but believe in Him,
you greatly rejoice with joy inexpressible and full of glory.”
7.2.2. Oh Christian, when you go through trials and
tribulations, and even persecutions, do you endure them willingly and even
joyfully because you are living your life for Him and wanting your life to
glorify and truly count for Him? Are you
living your life ‘for His sake’?
8.
CONCLUSIONS:
8.1.
Can your life be
summed up in “Christ”? If not, I encourage you to turn your life completely
over to Christ and allow your love for Christ to be what motivates you in all
that you do.
8.2.
Do you have a
proper perspective and both life as well as death, recognizing that for you “to
die is gain”?
8.3.
Are you living in
the joy of Christ in spite of your circumstances, trials, difficulties, etc.?