Our Worship Pastor, Nick Wolfe, has been teaching us the song Jesus, Only Jesus! Tonight I taught on Philippians 1:21 For to me, to live is Christ and to die is gain! The song has been stuck in my head and the verse has captured much of my thinking for the last couple of days. I suppose anyone can sing the song or recite the verse. Living it out is a different matter. The song says, “Who can command the highest praise? Who has the name above all names? You stand alone, I stand amazed Jesus, only Jesus!” No doubt the words are true! But are we truly amazed? Is it our experience? Can we truly say that our life practices demonstrate this scripture – For to me, to live is Christ……?
If my purpose in living is Christ, I will be unable to ignore the people for whom Christ died – and my understanding is His sacrifice is offered to all! I will be unable to spend my time totally consumed with my life – my wants, my desires, my ambitions. To truly say For to me, to live is Christ, my life will have to look much more like His! My desires will have to be His! My purposes will not be my own – but His!
My thoughts, prayer life, study of the word, and actions will reflect a passion, a seriousness, an enthusiasm that will be unmistakably Christ centered and spirit empowered. To say For to me, to live is Christ… Christ will be the default, the foundation, the point of reference, the core, the force, the direction behind, under, surrounding, and in everything I am about.
So, armed with some of these thoughts, I am convinced that I need to repent! For surely my life does not reflect that I give Christ the full regard I should in all things pertaining to life. My prayer is that Christ will lead my sanctification so that more and more - For to me, to live is Christ…will be the much more an obvious reality in my life and practice.
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