Everyone has a Balance Sheet in Life
Philippians 1:20 According to my earnest expectation and my hope, that in nothing I shall be ashamed, but that with all boldness, as always, so now also Christ shall be magnified in my body, whether it be by life, or by death. 1:21 For to me to live is Christ, and to die is gain.
Every man has a profit and loss account with life; Death essentially closes the account and deletes the balance.
It is important as well as pleasant to know that at the final settlement the balance will be on the right side.
The Apostle Paul could with all confidence in the truth of the statemen and say: For me to die is gain, but only because in living he fulfilled the conditions upon which profit was made sure, there was no guess work, but an assurance. The secret of his assurance of future gain lay in present living - " For Me To Live is Christ."
The act of living implies correspondence with environment.
To truly live as humankind in this world there must be correspondence with three
1) Physical
2) Intellectual
3) Spiritual
for man consists of body, mind and soul Taking it for granted that Christ is the source and also the expression of all Christian life
Let us invite our text under three important words
1) Live
2) Die
3) Gain
I. Live
1) Physically - In Life we Physically hold correspondence with physical things that the body may be healthy and strong to serve the Lord Jesus Christ
Colossians 3:24 Knowing that of the Lord ye shall receive the reward of the inheritance: for ye serve the Lord Christ.
1 Corinthians 10:31 Whether therefore ye eat, or drink, or whatsoever ye do, do all to the glory of God.
2) Intellectually - Correspondence (agreement) in the real of thought
Ephesians 1:17 That the God of our Lord Jesus Christ, the Father of glory, may give unto you the spirit of wisdom and revelation in the knowledge of him: 1:18 The eyes of your understanding being enlightened; that ye may know what is the hope of his calling, and what the riches of the glory of his inheritance in the saints,
This is by virtue the intellectual development in the knowledge of God
3) Spiritually - Ccorresponding with spiritual things: In the soul's environment. Here all physical and Intellectual life is sanctified, here all powers of the body and mind are consecrted.
Here Christ rules. "There is a spirit in man
Job 32:8 But there is a spirit in man: and the inspiration of the Almighty giveth them understanding.
John 14:17 Even the Spirit of truth; whom the world cannot receive, because it seeth him not, neither knoweth him: but ye know him; for he dwelleth with you, and shall be in you.
The language of every Christian should be - " For me to live is Christ"
II. Die
1) Ceasing to correspond (agree) with our physical nature
2) Dead to all things temporal
3) Passing out of the realm (Kingdom) of change, decline and thing that die
4) Lsying aside the body, with all its physical ways
5) Going to the Father
John 13:1 Now before the feast of the passover, when Jesus knew that his hour was come that he should depart out of this world unto the Father, having loved his own which were in the world, he loved them unto the end.
III. Gain
1) By the life of the real man being perfectly redeemed from sin and death
2) By becoming to the end of probationary period of life, the sorrows and pain
Revelation 7:16 They shall hunger no more, neither thirst any more; neither shall the sun light on them, nor any heat. 7:17 For the Lamb which is in the midst of the throne shall feed them, and shall lead them unto living fountains of waters: and God shall wipe away all tears from their eyes.
3) By an everlasting existence in perfect harmony with the divine Source of all life.
4) Receiving the rewards for faithful efforts to do God's will on earth
5) By being with Christ! All loss will be blotted out and forgotten " The Balance - - - All Gain!"
