An
elderly retired Sunday School teacher was talking to one of her past
pupils. She said, ‘you
know, as I lose more and more friends to heaven, I often wonder what it is
really like up there and what I should be looking forward to. I know that they say there are streets of
gold, but that doesn’t seem to excite me very much. The one thing I really want is to see Jesus.’
How is
your passion for Jesus?
The
apostle Paul talks openly about death. He
can’t avoid thinking about it because he is under house arrest in Rome. He might be taken from that place of chains
and be brought to a place of execution.
Death could be just around the corner for Paul. But then, death could be just around the
corner for any one of us!
We are
going to thing about life and death, and how our love for Jesus should shape
our living and dying. In particular, I
am going to ask you three questions: Do
you love Jesus more than comfort? Do you
love Jesus more than your reputation? Do
you love Jesus more than living?
Do you love Jesus more than comfort? (12-14)
This
imprisonment that Paul is enduring, as he writes to the Philippians, is
probably the same imprisonment as is as described at the end of the book of
Acts. As it turns out, he will be freed,
only to be imprisoned and executed at a later date.
Here he
is under house arrest. Most likely he is
chained by the wrists to a Roman guard on each side. But he is not feeling sorry for himself. This letter is full of rejoicing.
We might
think that he should be frustrated. He
was a tireless worker for the gospel. He
wanted to take the message of Jesus to the ends of the known world. Yet he is happy in these difficult
circumstances. Why is he happy? Now I
want you to know, brothers, that what has happened to me has really served to
advance the gospel (12).
He can
see two ways in which this imprisonment is a good thing for the message of
Jesus.
Firstly, it has become clear throughout the whole
palace guard and to everyone else that I am in chains for Christ (13).
Paul has a captive audience. As
the guards change shift he has new companions to witness to. As he shares with them, and word about him
spreads, it becomes clear that this man is not in prison because he is guilty
of some crime but on account of his stand for Jesus.
Secondly,
his efforts in prison are encouraging his fellow Christians. Because of
my chains, most of
the brothers and sisters in the Lord have been encouraged to speak the
word of God more courageously and fearlessly (14). Isn’t that what happens when we hear of the
work of some courageous missionary? The
speaker tells stories of hardships endured, difficulties overcame, and opposition
faced. Instead of going away thinking
‘my goodness that sounds tough, I’m glad my life isn’t like that,’ you actually
are courage. Their courage encourages us. Their example inspires us.
It may be
that rather than make our life easier, Jesus wants to be our strength through
the pain. Would you be satisfied with
that? Do you love Jesus more than
comfort?
There was
a woman in Australia who struggled with terrible arthritis. She was a Christian. She struggled bravely. The patience she had with her discomfort had
a profound impact on a neighbour. That
neighbour wanted to know the woman’s secret to suffering well. So, the neighbour started coming to her
church. That neighbour became a
Christian, as did her son. That son is
now a leading Bible commentator and teacher.
We might not always see what God will accomplish through our pain, but
he won’t let our pain be wasted if we trust him with it.
Do you love Jesus more than your reputation?
(15-18a)
Some
people were using the fact that Paul was in prison to stir up trouble for
him. Perhaps they were undermining him:
‘What use is he now that he chained up?’
Maybe they say he has let the side down: ‘if only he had been a little more
subtle, he would not have got himself in trouble?’ These trouble-makers are motivated by envy,
rivalry and selfish-ambition. They
resent his authority and see him as competition.
But Paul
is not worried about them. So, what if
they are trying to destroy his reputation?
The important thing is that in
every way, whether from false motives or true, Christ is preached. And because of this I rejoice (18).
What
matters is Jesus and his gospel, not Paul and his reputation. He would have had no time for the competition
that often exists between churches. He
wouldn’t be worried if others got credit for work that he had done. Does it hurt us that people think that we are
out of our mind to follow Christ? Are
you embarrassed to be a Jesus freak? Can
we take it when someone points out where we need to change? If we love Jesus more than our reputation,
then we will invite people to correct and challenge us. We will be more concerned that we grow in
godliness than defend our behaviour. If
we love Jesus more than our reputation, then we will be vulnerable with people,
because it is only when we are honest about our real selves that we can invite
people to help us change. In an age of
carefully crafted Facebook profiles, people need to see honest people who can
admit that they have not got it all together. They need to see the beauty of
broken people who are holding on the Jesus.
Do you love Jesus more than life? (18b-26)
Yes, and I will continue to rejoice, for I know that through
your prayers and the help given by the Spirit of Jesus Christ, what has
happened to me will turn out for my deliverance
(19). Notice his confidence in the power
of prayer. He knows that the Philippians
are praying for him and that the Spirit will help him. The deliverance that he speaks of here may
refer to the strength to keep on going to the very end. So, he continues, I eagerly expect and hope that I will in no way be ashamed but will
have sufficient courage so that now as always Christ will be exalted in my
body, whether by life or by death (20).
Paul wants to honour Jesus in how he lives or how he dies. It is not comfort, nor reputation, nor life,
nor death that matters most to him, it is exalting Christ.
For to me, to live is Christ and to die is gain
(21). He can declare, ‘I desire to depart and be with Christ which
is far better’ (23). If to die is
gain, what is the purpose of life? Paul
says, ‘to live is Christ’ (21a). The very purpose of our existence is to make
Jesus look good. He expects that he will
go on living because he believes that God has graciously given him work to do. I will
continue with all of you for your progress and joy in the faith, so that through
my being with you again your joy in Christ Jesus will overflow on account of me
(25-26).
Conclusion: How can I
love Jesus more?
It would
be wrong for me to tell you that you should love Jesus more than comfort,
reputation and life and not tell you how you can love. How can I love Jesus more than anything
else? Think of the woman who washed
Jesus feet with her tears (Luke 7:47).
Jesus said that she loved much because she was forgiven much. The apostle Paul loved Jesus so much because he
was content to think of himself as the greatest of all sinners (1 Timothy
1:15). Our love for him will only grow
as we are enabled to rejoice in the measure of love he has shown to us!
So, stop
excusing your sin. Resist the urge to
cry with the world, ‘but I am a good person!’
See that the roots of every conceivable evil lie in your heart. Don’t look down on others when they fall, but
remember that ‘there but for the grace of God go I.’ Acknowledge that you are far worse than you
realise, and far more loved than you dreamed.
Then pray
that God would allow you to feel assurance that your sins are forgiven. He is the one who grants repentance and he
will never turn away anyone who comes to him in repentant faith, no matter what
you may have done. There is a work of
the Spirit here: the apostle Paul prays that we may have the strength to
comprehend with all God’s people the breath and length and height and depth of
God’s love (Ephesians 3:18-19). There is
also a very practical side to this: the apostle John says ‘see what manner of
love the Father has lavished on us’ (1 John 3:1).
Prayerfully
consider God’s gracious love for you so that you love for him would grow beyond
comfort, reputation and even life itself.
Then you will have reason for rejoicing!
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