For to me, to live is Christ and to die is gain. 

                                                Philippians 1:21 

It seems that everyone, at one time or another, has asked the big questions regarding life in an effort to find the meaning of it all. For one such man the definition to the meaning of life was simple. “To live is Christ” was Paul’s declaration. It began with his conversion as it does for every one of us as believers. Conversion is a necessary beginning point for anyone of us if we are to echo Paul’s sentiment. Jesus put it this way:

Jesus answered and said to him, “Truly, truly, I say to you, unless one is born again he cannot see the kingdom of God.”

                                                                                                            John 3:3 

He used similar language by saying: 

And He called a child to Himself and set him before them, and said, “Truly I say to you, unless you are converted and become like children, you will not enter the kingdom of heaven.”

                                                                                                Matthew 18:2-3 

Just like Paul, all Christian lives begin at conversion. So what did Paul mean when he said, “To live is Christ”? He was reflecting on the reality that living in this world meant serving God. It meant that he was living a Christ-centric life. Just as the planets revolve around the sun, as believers, our lives should revolve around Jesus. This Christ-centered life can be defined by examining the threefold definition of what it truly means to “believe.”

1. A Christ-centered life is a life of personal trust in Jesus.

“To live is Christ” is to personally and completely trust in Jesus for salvation, eternal life, and all things pertaining to this life. It would be quite absurd to suggest that we could trust in someone that we do not know. Would we trust an absolute stranger with our wallets or purses, our keys, our children, or even our lives? Of course not! Contrast that with that of a long-time friend. Trusting that individual with the things that are of most value to us would not be that difficult since that friend has a long track record of being reliable. To trust Jesus is to know Him. It means that we have had a conversion experience and have now moved from merely being religious to having a personal relationship with Him.

2. A Christ-centered life is a life of confident surrender to Jesus.

“To live is Christ” is to confidently surrender our lives into the hands of Jesus. Instead of pursuing our desires and dreams and merely asking God to bless them, we begin to pursue His will and His plan for our lives. Sometimes the two may be one in the same but when they are not, we should always yield to His desire. To surrender our lives to Jesus means that we deny ourselves, take up our cross, and follow Him (Luke 9:23). It means that we acknowledge the fact that as Creator of the universe and Savior of the world, Christ knows what is best. His plans for us are always superior to whatever we can create for ourselves. Surrendering our lives to Jesus means that we move from merely living for ourselves to living for Him.

3. A Christ-centered life is a life firmly reliant on Jesus.

“To live is Christ” is to firmly rely on Christ for everything that we need. Protection, provision, and spiritual prosperity are all things for which we rely on God. As we trust and surrender our lives to Him, we depend on His grace, mercy, and kindness towards us. To rely on Christ is to place confidence in His ability instead of ours. It is to live life without regrets knowing that Jesus is working all things for our good (Romans 8:28). Firmly relying on Jesus means that we move from merely depending on ourselves to depending on Him.

But the other half of Paul’s declaration to the meaning of life is, “to die is gain.” For Paul, to continue on living in this world meant that he would enjoy the privilege of serving God but if he were to die, it would be a bonus. He knew that upon drawing his last breath, he would be forever in the presence of God enjoying all of the benefits that come from being in heaven.

What a tragedy it is when people live their entire lives without even the slightest consideration for eternity. In our modern world, “fire and brimstone” preaching has really taken it on the chin. Often referred to as antiquated and inappropriate, this style of preaching takes on considerable worth when it acts as a “wake up call” for humanity. Paul was able to say that dying was gain only because he knew and served Jesus Christ. Quite often today we see those that want all of the benefits of heaven but are turned off by the suggestion of living for Christ. They seem to adopt the second half of Paul’s declaration without fully immersing themselves in the first. But for those who can say, “to live is Christ”, the reality of “to die is gain” is theirs as well.

So what about you? Have you discovered the real meaning of life? His name is Jesus!