
For to Me to Live Is …

Introduction: How would you complete this sentence? “For to me to live is ____”?
After being a persecutor of the Church and a self-righteous Pharisee, Saul—who later became Paul—discovered life’s most important Treasure: Jesus Christ!
Have you found that Pearl of great price, the Lily of the Valley, the Bright and Morning Star, the One who was and is and is to come, the Firstborn of the dead, the Lover of our soul, the Creator of heaven and earth, the Rock of Ages, the Great Shepherd of the sheep, the King of Glory, the Chief Cornerstone, the Light of the world, the Word of God, and finally, the One who will come again as the King of Kings and the Lord of Lords?!!
By the way, what did he mean when he said, “To die is gain”?
How would many people finish this sentence?
“For to me to live is ____ to make money? To be happy? To have a bigger house? A fancier car? To have another spouse? To fix my children or grandchildren? To get a better job? To not be depressed or discouraged? To live my dreams? To have fun? To travel places? To not have to put up with others? To retire? To be forgiven? To have a better family?”
On and on…
Well, keep in mind, the man who was inspired to write this was incarcerated in Rome while waiting to die. Circumstances did not look good. No doubt, the words of Jesus concerning his suffering probably echoed in his heart.
After his conversion, he was instructed to go to a house where Ananias lived. As he arrived, Ananias questioned our Lord’s will for this persecutor of the Church named Paul. But here was God’s response:
“But the Lord said unto him, Go thy way: for he is a chosen vessel unto me, to bear my name before the Gentiles, and kings, and the children of Israel: For I will shew him how great things he must suffer for my name’s sake.” (Acts 9:15-16)
Suffering is on God’s agenda. Jesus Christ suffered for us; actually, He was crucified for the payment of our sins! Peter wrote to clarify that believers and followers of Jesus will face the same (1 Pet. 2:21-24).
Think about this: Since Jesus Christ bought us with a costly price—His redeeming blood (1 Cor. 6:19-20)—does it not make sense that our life should focus on His will for us?
If we believe that, then we, along with Paul, can say with a clear conscience, “For to me to live is CHRIST!”
Gain what? How about gaining a better body? Truthfully, our bodies are wearing out! But the good news is one day we will have a brand-new body!
How wonderful will it be to have no more hurts, no pain, no sorrow, and no more death?
Besides that, according to the last chapters in the book of Revelation, we will have a brand-new home called the New Jerusalem. Won’t that be wonderful?!
Conclusion: So we can now honestly say, “For to me to live is CHRIST, and to die is gain.”
You know, that makes life worth the living!
Love y’all,
Dr. Randy Reese