To Live is Christ and To Die is Gain
- Diana
- Jan 12
- 3 min read
I don't know about you but I never understood what the Apostle Paul meant when he said “For to me, to live is Christ, and to die is gain.” Luckily we have a lot of Biblical Scholars today that have studied the Bible. Now I understand because I've heard it explained in a way I can understand.
"In this statement, the apostle Paul is saying that everything he has tried to be, everything he is, and everything he looked forward to being pointed to Christ. From the time of Paul’s conversion until his martyrdom, every move he made was aimed at advancing the knowledge, gospel, and church of Christ. Paul’s singular aim was to bring glory to Jesus." This is so great because this is how I felt when I found out what Jesus did for me! Let me say that this explanation, that I found, is from Got Questions? The way I understand it, giving up our love of worldly things is "To Live is Christ". If you're holding onto this world for worldly possessions and what you can "get" than you're not living for Christ.
“To live is Christ” means that we proclaim the gospel of Christ. Paul preached in synagogues; he preached at riversides; he preached as a prisoner; he preached as an apostle; he preached as a tentmaker. His message was constant: “Jesus Christ and him crucified” (1 Corinthians 2:2). He brought the message of Christ’s sacrifice to kings, soldiers, statesmen, priests, and philosophers, Jews and Gentiles, men and women. He would preach to literally anyone who would listen.
“To live is Christ” means that we imitate the example of Christ. Everything that Jesus did and said, that’s what Paul wanted to do and say. The church benefitted from his godly example: “Follow my example, as I follow the example of Christ” (1 Corinthians 11:1). What would Jesus do? That’s what we want to do.
“To live is Christ” means that we pursue the knowledge of Christ. We want to know Christ better and better each day. Not just a set of facts about Christ, but Christ Himself. “I want to know Christ—yes, to know the power of his resurrection and participation in his sufferings, becoming like him in his death, and so, somehow, attaining to the resurrection from the dead” (Philippians 3:10-11).
“To live is Christ” means that we are willing to give up anything that prevents us from having Christ. Paul’s testimony in this regard: “Whatever were gains to me I now consider loss for the sake of Christ. What is more, I consider everything a loss because of the surpassing worth of knowing Christ Jesus my Lord, for whose sake I have lost all things. I consider them garbage, that I may gain Christ and be found in him” (Philippians 3:7-9). We cling to the promise of our Lord in Mark 10:29-30 that our sacrifices for Jesus’ sake will be repaid a hundredfold." Remember when Jesus says if God feeds the birds how much more will He do for us if He made us in His image! (Matthew 10:29–31)
“To live is Christ” means that Christ is our focus, our goal, and our chief desire. Christ is the center point of our mind, heart, body and soul. Everything that we do, we do for Christ’s glory. As we run the “race marked out for us,” we lay aside the entangling sin and worldly distractions, “fixing our eyes on Jesus” (Hebrews 12:1-2). He is our life.
I hope this explanation helps you as much as it has me! I'm so glad when I learn something new from God's Word. My husband and I just saw the Angel Studios David Movie (and to watch the Trailer click below), I will have to do a movie review on it, but as a young boy fighting Goliath it was like what it feels like to me to be doing Social Media posts about believing in Jesus for the Public. I have to be brave as David was and had courage from having faith in God and that God would protect him. The movie is definitely worth seeing.
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