Title: Life or Death/Philippians 1:12~26
Contents Life or death/Philippians 1:12~26 Rev. Kiho Um
The famous historian Professor Arnold Toynbee said: “Wherever Paul stayed, whatever town or city it was, from that moment on, that city and that town could not escape Paul’s sphere of influence. On the day that Paul was transported to Rome, the dawn of the gospel was dawning in the sky of Rome. No one has changed the fate of world history more than the ambassador of Christ, this little giant Paul.”
Rev. Lee Yong-do, who shook the mountains of Korea in the 1930s and caused a great work of the Holy Spirit everywhere he went across the country, was choked by the continued guidance of the revival crusade. is said to have been
In this way, as children of God, no matter what situation we are in, that is, whether we can live or die, whether we live or die, our goal is to glorify God. Then, we would like to share grace through the text of what kind of life we should live in this world.
Let us honor Jesus.
2 Corinthians 5:15 says, “He died for all, that the living should no longer live for themselves, but for those who died for them and were raised again.” We believe that success is for you and failure is not for you. However, whether we live or die, faith to glorify Christ is the fact that all things are success, blessing, and glory. Therefore, you should be able to say, “For the sake of the Lord even if I succeed, and for the Lord if I fail.” The world considers it to be ethically flawless. However, God did not use a person without blemish, but even if he had blemishes, trespasses, and mistakes, when he honors Jesus Christ, he forgives his sins, acknowledges him, exalts him and blesses him.
David said in Psalm 51:14, “O God, the God of my salvation! Deliver me from the sin of bloodshed, and my tongue will sing high of Your righteousness.” David knew the God of salvation right away. He knew right away the mystery of being saved and justified by the Lord's righteousness, not mine. David was a man who, even when righteous, sinned for the Lord, and lived or died for the Lord, honoring Christ.
Peter was a man who made many mistakes, had a lot of blood, and boasted a lot. One day, while the disciples were rowing on the Sea of Galilee, they encountered a great storm. Jesus was walking on the water. When the disciples called it a ghost, Jesus said, “It is me, do not be afraid.”
Then Peter said, “Lord, command me to walk on the water.” Jesus gave permission. So Peter set out to walk on the sea, but soon he saw the wind and was afraid. When Peter, who fell into the sea, cried out, “Lord, save me,” he said, “O you of little faith, why did you doubt?” Then they got into the boat together, and the wind stopped (Matthew 14:22). At this time, everyone in the boat bowed down to Jesus and confessed, “Truly, you are the Son of God.” But the important thing here is that even when Peter walked on the water, he called on Jesus, and even when he drowned, he called only Jesus. Even if Peter succeeded, he showed only Jesus, and even if he failed, he showed only Jesus.
Dear saints, Even if we fail, if Jesus Christ appears more in our failures, that failure will be changed into a very great history and miracle. Therefore, neither failure nor success should be for the Lord.
We must have the heart of Jesus.
Whether we live or die, it is when we become saints who have the heart of Christ to honor Christ. The mind of Jesus must be in the body that honors Christ. The heart of Jesus is the heart of the cross, the heart of love, gentleness, and humility. It's your way to die. It is a way to show the glory of God. Therefore, to honor Jesus, I must die. We need to know that there is victory, life, and truth in the death of Jesus on the cross.
As the proverb says, “Even if an ax cuts a juniper tree, the ax blade is covered with incense. Galatians 2:20 says, “I have been crucified with Christ, and it is no longer I who live, but Christ lives in me. The life I now live in the flesh I believe in the Son of God, who loved me and gave himself for me. I pray in the name of the Lord that you will be able to radiate the fragrance of “Jesus Christ, who lives in me” to our homes and our neighbors as we confess that we live in faith.
We must be profitable.
The Apostle Paul thought that it was better for him to die and it was also a good thing. It is because the final way of my life is to come to Christ and to be united with Jesus. But there is also the desire to live longer, because it is beneficial to you. The Apostle Paul says that life and death belong to Christ, and the reason to live is because of those who need him.
Jesus lived his life for the benefit of many. Before ascending into heaven, Jesus said to his grieving disciples, “It is for your good that I go away.” And after he left, he sent the Holy Spirit. Although Jesus lived, He benefited us, and when He died, He benefited us. A good heart that can benefit others is possible when the one in me is Christ.
That is why 1 Corinthians 10:31-33 says, “Therefore, whether you eat or drink or whatever you do, do all for the glory of God. So do not seek my own gain, but the benefit of many, that they may be saved.” This means that we should live for the benefit of others, not for our own personal benefit.
The natural man is of the world and apart from God. Those who belong to the spirit are those who live according to the word of God and those who belong to Christ. It is a spiritual person who is controlled by the Holy Spirit. When I live for others, benefit others, and try to make others successful, Jesus makes me useful and makes me successful first. We must imitate Paul's faith. Therefore, I pray that there will be a work in which only Jesus Christ is honored in me whether I live or die. It is no longer I who live, but I pray that your life will become a daily experience of Christ living in me.