To live – Christ!
For to me, living means living for Christ, and dying is even better. Philippians 1:21
Philippians 3:8-11
8 Yes, everything else is worthless when compared with the infinite value of knowing Christ Jesus my Lord. For his sake, I have discarded everything else, counting it all as garbage, so that I could gain Christ
9 and become one with him. I no longer count on my own righteousness through obeying the law; rather, I become righteous through faith in Christ. For God’s way of making us right with himself depends on faith.
10 I want to know Christ and experience the mighty power that raised him from the dead.
11 I want to suffer with him, sharing in his death, so that one way or another I will experience the resurrection from the dead!
Embracing Life as God Intended
In his best-seller Fully Human, Fully Alive, John Powell offers a profound exploration of what it means to live life as the Father intended, vibrantly, purposefully, and fully engaged. Powell paints a picture of a life that is not only reflective and thoughtful but also brimming with love, imagination, and passion.
The Characteristics of Fully Alive People
- Thoughtful and Reflective: “Fully alive people are always thoughtful and reflective,” Powell writes. They ask the right questions of life and remain open to being questioned by life itself. They do not live passively in an unexamined world but instead engage deeply with their surroundings. Most importantly, their hearts are alive with concern and love for others.
- Emotionally Vibrant: Fully alive individuals embrace the full spectrum of human emotions. They experience wonder, awe, tenderness, compassion, and even the extremes of agony and ecstasy. They are not afraid to feel deeply, allowing their emotions to enrich their lives rather than limit them.
- Fully Engaged in Mind, Heart, and Will: These individuals use all their faculties, powers, and talents to their fullest potential. They are open to the whole experience of life, both internally and externally. Powell notes, “There is an instinctive fear in most of us to travel with our engines at full throttle. We prefer, for the sake of safety, to take life in small and dainty doses.” Yet, it is in fully engaging with life that we truly come alive.
The Apostle Paul: A Biblical Example
Of all the figures in Scripture, the Apostle Paul stands out as a shining example of someone who lived fully alive. His life was marked by bravery, determination, and an unwavering passion for Christ. Paul shows us the way. His life was characterized by:
- Courage and Suffering: Paul’s life was a testament to his courage and resilience. The list of his sufferings in 2 Corinthians 11 is staggering: beatings, imprisonments, shipwrecks, and more. Yet, Paul bore these scars as evidence of his sincerity and love for Christ and others. His willingness to suffer was rooted in his deep love for people and his mission to share the gospel.
- Deep Love for Others: Paul’s love for others was profound and sacrificial. Regarding his fellow Jews, he declared in Romans 9:3: “For I could wish that I myself were cursed and cut off from Christ for the sake of my brothers.” To his children in the faith, Paul wrote in Philippians 4:1: “My brothers, you whom I love and long for, my joy and crown.” His love was not shallow but royal and deep, encompassing all those he served.
- Passion for Christ: Above all, Paul’s life was permeated by his passion for the Lord Jesus Christ. He lived and died for Christ. As Hughes notes, “Paul put everything he had into living (and dying) for Christ. He was alive for Christ!”
REFLECT & PRAY
Thomas Jefferson once said, “If you want something you’ve never had, you must be willing to do something you have never done.” This call to action resonates deeply with the desire to live fully alive in Christ.
Father, I long to be fully alive in Christ and to say from my heart, “To live is Christ.” Help me to establish and maintain a commitment to Him, using all of my human faculties, powers, and talents. Strengthen me to experience the full color and sound of knowing Christ Jesus my Lord.
INSIGHT
A Life of Purpose and Joy
Paul’s Perspective on Life and Death
Paul was unafraid of either life or death. His singular focus was to magnify Christ in his body, whether through living or dying. As Wiersbe notes, “No wonder he had joy!” Paul had deeply contemplated the meaning and purpose of life, and he distilled it into one powerful maxim: “To live is Christ, and to die is gain.”
Living for Christ
For Paul, life was an exhilarating journey of serving Christ and uplifting those around him. Every heartbeat pulsed with the mission of spreading the gospel and strengthening the church. His existence was a thrilling adventure, wholly embraced by Christ. This passionate devotion sparked within him an extraordinary sense of purpose and endless joy, pushing him to accomplish the extraordinary!
Dying as Gain
For Paul, death was not a loss but a gain. It represented an opportunity to be face-to-face with the Lord Jesus Christ, which he viewed as “far better.” He found himself torn between two choices: continuing to serve others on earth or departing to be with Christ. Both options held deep meaning and joy for him, but ultimately, being with Christ was his greatest hope and delight.
The Forceful Simplicity of Paul’s Words
In the original Greek, Paul’s statement is strikingly terse and powerful, written without verbs. It would be literally translated, “to live Christ, to die gain.” The absence of verbs emphasizes the immediacy and intensity of his conviction. These words were not just a theological statement but the very maxim by which Paul lived.
To zen Christos: To live Christ
To apothanein kerdos: To die gain
This simplicity underscores the all-encompassing nature of Paul’s devotion. His life and death were entirely centered on Christ.
Magnifying Christ Through Life
Paul’s life was a lens through which others could see the greatness of Christ. As Wiersbe explains, “The telescope brings distant things closer, and the microscope makes tiny things look big. To the unbeliever, Jesus is not very big. Other people and other things are far more important. But as the unbeliever watches the Christian go through a crisis experience, he ought to be able to see how big Jesus Christ really is.”
The believer’s life serves as a lens that magnifies Christ, making Him appear closer and more significant to those who observe. Paul’s life was a living testimony to the greatness of Christ, even in the midst of suffering.
Ralph P. Martin adds, “Paul’s only reason for existence is that he may spend his life in that glad service, and death for that cause will be the crowning service.”
A Life of Celebration and Gratitude
John Powell beautifully describes the kind of life Paul lived, “For such people, life has the color and sound of celebration. Their lives are not a perennial funeral procession. Each tomorrow is a new opportunity. There is a reason to live and a reason to die. And when such people come to die, their hearts will be filled with gratitude for all that has been, for ‘the way we were,’ for a beautiful and full experience.”
Paul’s life was characterized by joy, gratitude, and purpose. He lived fully, laughed deeply, and loved greatly, leaving the world better because of his presence.
The Driving Force of Paul’s Life
Paul’s words in Philippians 3:10 reveal the driving force behind his noble life: “I want to know Christ, yes, to know the power of His resurrection and participation in His sufferings, becoming like Him in His death.” As Hughes notes, this is “as forceful an expression of love as any in the Scriptures.” Paul’s love for Christ was the foundation of his life, shaping every decision and action.
Reflecting on Paul’s Example
Paul’s life challenges us to reflect on our own priorities and purpose. Living fully means not playing it safe or taking life in small doses. Instead, it involves embracing the fullness of who God created us to be, thoughtful, emotionally vibrant, and passionately dedicated to Christ. Let us draw inspiration from Paul’s example and strive to live fully alive for the glory of God.
To live Christ!
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© Dr. H 2025
Dr H Reflections 