All of Christ

“For to me to live is Christ, and to die is gain.” (Philippians 1:21)

The testimony of every believer should be that which Paul stated here. One author pointed out that the testimony of some concerning this life should be, “for me to live is wealth,” or for some, “for me to live is pleasure,” for others it would be, “for me to live is wickedness.” But not Paul, whose life was lived committed to Christ, controlled by Christ, in honor of Christ and to the glory of Christ.

And, every life, even the life of a Christian, will come to an earthly end. For the person without Christ, regrets, tragedy and hopelessness await him. He fails to realize that, “after death is the judgment.” (Hebrews 9:27)

So Paul, the believer, the Christian, sees death as gain. A.T. Robertson says in his, “Word Pictures in the New Testament,” that such an attitude as Paul’s can be described as “living on the interest while living and cashing in the principle at death.” Paul had no fear when facing death’s door for he knew the joy that awaited him on the other side.