For Me or for You
“For I am in a strait betwixt two, having a desire to depart, and to be with Christ; which is far better: Nevertheless to abide in the flesh is more needful for you.” Philippians 1:23-24
Sometimes I get so fed up with this old sinful world and all of the problems, irritations, disappointments, and troubles that we all face on a daily basis, that I must agree with the apostle Paul. For a believer, to leave this earth behind with all of its ungodliness sounds pretty good. Imagine everyday being perfect with beautiful sunshine, flowers, a cool breeze, and no one causing you grief. Isn’t that the kind of life that most people desire? I don’t mean one where one is not required to work and make a contribution to the betterment of mankind because honest, fulfilling work is good for folks. What I do mean is a life that is pleasant without hassles and constant stress. If one is looking for that kind of life on this earth, then he or she will experience a big disappointment for that will never happen under the rule of humans.
Paul wrote that for him to live was Christ and to die was gain (v.21). His life was dedicated to Jesus Christ. He had no other purpose but to proclaim the gospel to whomever and wherever the Lord sent him. His only goal was to make Christ and the gospel known to the world. Should he be allowed more time on this earth, he rejoiced in the fact that he would continue to preach the gospel so that more people would be saved. Even as Paul had the desire to live and continue his work, he knew that if it was his time to depart this earth, he would be in the joys of heaven with Christ, enjoying freedom from pain, sorrow, and hardships, and he had certainly experienced all of those. Whether he continued to live or passed from this life into eternity, Paul considered it a win-win outcome.
If it was up to Paul to decide his future, he didn’t know which one was better. If he was allowed to live a few more years, he would continue to spend his time in honoring Christ by preaching the gospel and winning souls which would increase the kingdom of God. Even so, he was leaning toward leaving this old world behind and going home to be with his Lord and Savior, his best Friend in all of heaven and earth. Paul had no wife, children, or grandchildren to hold him on earth. He was tired of the persecution, yet willing to endure more persecution if it was God’s will for him to live. He was caught in what we call “a rock and a hard place” except this Rock was Christ, and the hard place was all the work left to be accomplished. Christ and heaven were a far better option for him personally, but the better option for Christ and for believers and unbelievers, as well, was to be able to continue to encourage the church and preach the gospel to the lost.
Paul felt that God was not through with him on this earth. There was still much work to do, more souls that needed to hear the gospel, more churches to plant, and more new believers to disciple and teach. However, Paul was now in prison in Rome because he preached the gospel, but even while locked up and unable to travel, he was still active in reaching the lost through his letters and with those whom he did come in contact while incarcerated. According to tradition, Paul was kept in prison for a few years and then beheaded in A.D. 67 or 68 (Unger’s Bible Dictionary). We don’t have any record of his time in prison except for the letters that he wrote to the churches of Macedonia, Asia Minor, and Rome, but I would imagine that every single guard, authority, servant, and cleaning lady who came anywhere near him heard the gospel. Thus, God gave him more time to share the gospel of Jesus Christ, but then took him home to be with the Lord for all eternity.
We can learn from Paul that up until we take our last breath, there is always a need to share the gospel with the lost. For believers, it will be a very pleasant change to be among the saints of God and with Jesus in a perfect paradise, but while we are still living on this earth, we may be the only ones who are praying for an unsaved person that we know. The way that the world is going, there are fewer and fewer believers who have a real burden for the those who do not know Jesus as Lord and Savior. I can’t help but wonder who will pray for the salvation of those that I have been praying for when I pass away?