Die is Gain?

So I have been preparing for my sermon on Sunday, this week we are looking at Philippians 1:18-30, and a big theme is death. Also life and how we live it, but with life, comes the ultimate reality that we do not live forever.

Paul says, that for him to live is Christ. The big thing here is that it is all about Christ. Is our reason to live for Christ? Are we not afraid to die because we know that we will then spend eternity with Christ. Many people do fear death, and many people also do not live for Christ, and even those who claim to be Christians do not always live in a manner that is worthy of the gospel of Christ (Phil. 1:27).

The big question I have is what are you not willing to leave behind. If you are afraid of death what is the reason? I got thinking about this as lately I have had some pains in my groin area, and my father in law recently went through testicular cancer stuff and it got me thinking a little bit more about my own death.

I love my wife and kids, and this is the only reason sometimes why I want to be here. However, I cannot allow them to become my idols, I am here to live for Christ, and although that means that I still lovingly and graciously lead my family, my primary responsibility first is to Christ. I need to trust that Christ will look after my wife and my family if I were to die before them. I need to keep in a clear perspective that for me to live is all about Christ. to worship Him, proclaim him, which includes encouraging and leading my family to do the same. However, in the end for me to die is gain.

When I die I get to spend eternity in the presence of the Lord Jesus, whom I long to be with face to face. Often we ask the question, Do you want to go to heaven? I don't think this is the right question. Would you want to go to heaven still if Jesus was not there? This is the difference, the only reason why heaven is amazing is because Jesus is there. Nothing else should matter. We don't live our lives to get to heaven, we live our lives to bring glory to God, and in the end spend eternity with him. This is why to live is Christ, and to die is to be with Christ (gain).