JOY EXPECTED: TO LIVE OR DIE

Philippians 1:19–26 NKJV

For I know that this will turn out for my deliverance through your prayer and the supply of the Spirit of Jesus Christ, according to my earnest expectation and hope that in nothing I shall be ashamed, but with all boldness, as always, so now also Christ will be magnified in my body, whether by life or by death. For to me, to live is Christ, and to die is gain. But if I live on in the flesh, this will mean fruit from my labor; yet what I shall choose I cannot tell. For I am hard-pressed between the two, having a desire to depart and be with Christ, which is far better. Nevertheless to remain in the flesh is more needful for you. And being confident of this, I know that I shall remain and continue with you all for your progress and joy of faith, that your rejoicing for me may be more abundant in Jesus Christ by my coming to you again.

Main Idea: God desires self-sacrifice for church growth and His glory.

Key Question: How often do you think about sacrifice for the church family?

1. True life comes through unconditional deliverance. (v. 19-20)

Philippians 1:19–20 NKJV

For I know that this will turn out for my deliverance through your prayer and the supply of the Spirit of Jesus Christ, according to my earnest expectation and hope that in nothing I shall be ashamed, but with all boldness, as always, so now also Christ will be magnified in my body, whether by life or by death.

A. The supplication of God’s people. (v. 19)

Philippians 1:19 NKJV

For I know that this will turn out for my deliverance through your prayer and the supply of the Spirit of Jesus Christ,

prayer singular, your plural. They collective praying the same, in unison.

Luke 11:13 NKJV

If you then, being evil, know how to give good gifts to your children, how much more will your heavenly Father give the Holy Spirit to those who ask Him!”

Matthew 18:19 NKJV

“Again I say to you that if two of you agree on earth concerning anything that they ask, it will be done for them by My Father in heaven.

Philippians 1:19 NKJV

For I know that this will turn out for my deliverance through your prayer and the supply of the Spirit of Jesus Christ,

Romans 8:26 NKJV

Likewise the Spirit also helps in our weaknesses. For we do not know what we should pray for as we ought, but the Spirit Himself makes intercession for us with groanings which cannot be uttered.

Galatians 3:5 NKJV

Therefore He who supplies the Spirit to you and works miracles among you, does He do it by the works of the law, or by the hearing of faith?

2. True life come through unhindered rewards. (v. 21-26)

A. We win in death. (v. 21, 23)

Philippians 1:21 NKJV

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

Philippians 1:23 NKJV

For I am hard-pressed between the two, having a desire to depart and be with Christ, which is far better.

2 Corinthians 5:8 NKJV

We are confident, yes, well pleased rather to be absent from the body and to be present with the Lord.

Romans 14:7–9 NKJV

For none of us lives to himself, and no one dies to himself. For if we live, we live to the Lord; and if we die, we die to the Lord. Therefore, whether we live or die, we are the Lord’s. For to this end Christ died and rose and lived again, that He might be Lord of both the dead and the living.

B. We win in life. (v. 21-26)

Philippians 1:21–26 NKJV

For to me, to live is Christ, and to die is gain. But if I live on in the flesh, this will mean fruit from my labor; yet what I shall choose I cannot tell. For I am hard-pressed between the two, having a desire to depart and be with Christ, which is far better. Nevertheless to remain in the flesh is more needful for you. And being confident of this, I know that I shall remain and continue with you all for your progress and joy of faith, that your rejoicing for me may be more abundant in Jesus Christ by my coming to you again.

Colossians 3:4 NKJV

When Christ who is our life appears, then you also will appear with Him in glory.

The NIV Application Commentary: Philippians Death a Gain, Life a Fruitful Labor (1:21–26)

Such statements can only mean that Paul’s relationship with Christ was so close that his entire existence derived its meaning from his Lord.

John 17:3 NKJV

And this is eternal life, that they may know You, the only true God, and Jesus Christ whom You have sent.

The NIV Application Commentary: Philippians Contemporary Significance

Many Iranian believers, on the other hand, have learned Paul’s perspective on death, and they, like him, provide an example for Westerners. Mehdi Dibaj, for example, was imprisoned by the government of Iran in 1984 on charges of “apostasy,” since he had converted from Islam to Christianity. The penalty for this crime according to the Islamic law that ruled Iran was death. Mehdi languished in prison for ten years before his case came to trial; when it did, his written statement of defense was a simple and straightforward reaffirmation of commitment to Jesus Christ. The last few lines of that defense contain this remarkable paragraph:

[Jesus Christ] is our Saviour and He is the Son of God. To know Him means to know eternal life. I, a useless sinner, have believed in His beloved person and all His words and miracles recorded in the Gospel, and I have committed my life into His hands. Life for me is an opportunity to serve Him, and death is a better opportunity to be with Christ. Therefore I am not only satisfied to be in prison for the honour of His Holy Name, but am ready to give my life for the sake of Jesus my Lord.…

On December 12, 1993, the court before whom this defense was made sentenced Mehdi to execution. Then, under intense pressure from people in the West who knew of the case, including the U. S. State Department, the Iranian government arranged Mehdi’s release in January 1994. Seven months later, he was found dead “under suspicious circumstances” in a Tehran park, the third Christian murdered in Iran after his release from prison. Some Christian groups suspected the complicity of the Iranian government.