Phil. 1:21 For to me, to live is Christ and to die is gain. (22) But if I am to live in the flesh, if this to me is fruit for my work, then I do not know what I will choose. (23) But I am constrained between the two, having the desire to depart and be with Christ, for this is far better.
In verse 21 Paul says, "For to me to live is Christ, and to die is gain." In a practical way, the gain in verse 21 is the presence of Christ. When Paul said, "To die is gain," he meant that to die is to enjoy Christ's presence in a better way. In verse 23 Paul says that his desire is to depart and to be with Christ. To be with Christ is a matter of degree, not of place. While Paul was desiring to be with Christ in a higher degree, he was already with Him continually. Through his physical death, he would be with Christ to a fuller extent than he enjoyed in this earthly life. When Paul was in prison, he enjoyed Christ and experienced Him in two ways. One way was to enjoy the presence of Christ, and the other way was to live Christ. There is a vast difference between enjoying the presence of Christ and living Christ. For example, I may enjoy my wife's presence, but I cannot live her. By this we see that we may enjoy a person's presence without living that person. Paul not only enjoyed the Lord's presence, but he also lived Him. He knew that when he died he would have no further opportunity to live Christ, but he would enter into a higher enjoyment of the presence of Christ. Therefore, to die would be gain. What Paul valued was not only the presence of Christ, but also the opportunity to live Him. Throughout the centuries, Christians have been encouraged to practice the presence of the Lord. However, there has been little encouragement, if any, to live Him. Many believers are familiar with the famous book The Practice of the Presence of God and have been encouraged by it to endeavor to live in God's presence. However, the concept of practicing the presence of God is mainly an Old Testament concept, not a New Testament one. Yes, according to the New Testament, we may enjoy the Lord's presence on the one hand. But, on the other hand, we should practice living Him. We have not only the Lord's presence, but we also have His Person. Not only do we need to be in His presence; we also need to be one person with Him and live Him. To live Christ is a much deeper experience than simply to be in His presence. Living Him goes far beyond the enjoyment of His presence. First Corinthians 6:17 says, "He that is joined unto the Lord is one spirit." We are one spirit with the Lord not only that we may enjoy His presence, but even more that we live Him.
Bible verses are taken from the Recovery Version of the Bible and Words of Ministry from Witness Lee, Life-study of Philippians, pp. 57-58. Both are published by Living Stream Ministry, Anaheim, CA. Please visit us at www.emanna.com. Send comments to: [email protected].
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