The Person Who Delights In God

Is Delighting in God Selfish?

We interact with others along two axises: vertical with God and horizontal with others.

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Ephesians 5:25–30 ESV

Husbands, love your wives, as Christ loved the church and gave himself up for her, that he might sanctify her, having cleansed her by the washing of water with the word, so that he might present the church to himself in splendor, without spot or wrinkle or any such thing, that she might be holy and without blemish. In the same way husbands should love their wives as their own bodies. He who loves his wife loves himself. For no one ever hated his own flesh, but nourishes and cherishes it, just as Christ does the church, because we are members of his body.

Joy in any circumstance

Philippians 1:20–21 ESV

as it is my eager expectation and hope that I will not be at all ashamed, but that with full courage now as always Christ will be honored in my body, whether by life or by death. For to me to live is Christ, and to die is gain.

Phil 1:

Philippians 1:18–22 ESV

What then? Only that in every way, whether in pretense or in truth, Christ is proclaimed, and in that I rejoice. Yes, and I will rejoice, for I know that through your prayers and the help of the Spirit of Jesus Christ this will turn out for my deliverance, as it is my eager expectation and hope that I will not be at all ashamed, but that with full courage now as always Christ will be honored in my body, whether by life or by death. For to me to live is Christ, and to die is gain. If I am to live in the flesh, that means fruitful labor for me. Yet which I shall choose I cannot tell.

Verse 20 Verse 21

Christ will be exalted . . . . . . . because for me

whether by my life . . . . . . . . . to live is Christ

or my death . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . and to die is gain

How can Christ be exalted by Paul’s death?

Christ can be exalted in Paul’s death if Paul experiences dying as gain because he is with Christ. We see that with verse 23:

Philippians 1:23 ESV

I am hard pressed between the two. My desire is to depart and be with Christ, for that is far better.

“Experiencing Christ as gain in your dying magnifies Christ. . . . He must be a satisfaction so deep that when death takes away everything you love — but gives you more of Christ — you count it gain.” - John Piper

Matthew 13:44 ESV

“The kingdom of heaven is like treasure hidden in a field, which a man found and covered up. Then in his joy he goes and sells all that he has and buys that field.

How can Christ be exalted by Paul’s life?

Christ is exalted by our lives when he is our all-surpassing treasure.

Philippians 3:8 ESV

Indeed, I count everything as loss because of the surpassing worth of knowing Christ Jesus my Lord. For his sake I have suffered the loss of all things and count them as rubbish, in order that I may gain Christ