Why Go On Living? - Philippians 1:21-26 Series

Philippians 1:20 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. 21 For to me, to live is Christ and to die is gain. 22 If I am to go on living in the body, this will mean fruitful labor for me. Yet what shall I choose? I do not know! 23 I am torn between the two: I desire to depart and be with Christ, which is better by far; 24 but it is more necessary for you that I remain in the body. 25 Convinced of this, I know that I will remain, and I will continue with all of you for your progress and joy in the faith, 26 so that through my being with you again your joy in Christ Jesus will overflow on account of me.

Introduction

Two of the most famous authors ever to pick up a pen both wrote some of their most well-known words on the same topic. Shakespeare and the Apostle Paul.

Shakespeare and Paul

You all know Shakespeare’s famous words: “To be or not to be, that is the question.” The character Hamlet is debating whether or not to commit suicide. To be or not to be – should I keep on living or just end it all? He is wrestling with the question of whether it would be better to live or to die.

Paul wrestled with that same question.

Philippians 1:20 … Christ will be exalted in my body, whether by life or by death. … 22 Yet what shall I choose? I do not know! 23 I am torn between the two

Just like Hamlet – he is struggling to decide whether it would be better to go on living or to die. If you think it’s morbid to consider the possibility that maybe dying would be better than living, think again. Everything Paul does in chapter 1 is put here for an example for us, and he wrestles with this question. It’s a good thing to think about, but we need to realize that there is a right way and a wrong way to look at it. Hamlet is a great example of the wrong way, and the Apostle Paul is going to show us the right way.

Hamlet is so miserable in his life that he wants to commit suicide so he can finally have relief. But then he gets to thinking about what might be on the other side. And what if it’s even worse than this life? So he decides against suicide. He says, “Conscience does make cowards of us all.” I’m afraid to commit suicide, because I’ve got a guilty conscience. I have done some things in this life that I’m not so sure I want to have to answer for if there’s a Judge out there somewhere.

According to Romans 1:32, deep down, people know there is a God, and they know they are answerable to him. And as a result, even though millions of people are miserable in this life, very few end up committing suicide. And that is what happens with Hamlet. He says, “As miserable as I am in this life, I don’t want to take my chances on what could be an even worse existence that I could never come back from. I think I’ll just stay put.”

Now let’s compare that with Paul. Hamlet’s dilemma was which of two horrible options would be worse. Paul’s dilemma was which of two wonderful options would be better. Hamlet can’t decide because both options are so miserable. Paul can’t decide because both options are so attractive. All through this passage he is weighing the advantages of each – just the pros, no cons. In verse 20, “On the one hand I could exalt Christ by living, but on the other hand I could exalt him by dying. To live is Christ, but to die is gain. Living will mean fruitful labor. But dying means I get to be with Christ, which is far better. But it’s more necessary for the Philippians’ progress and joy in the faith that I live. This is an impossible decision!”

How many of you would like to be like Paul – struggling to figure out which would be better ? life or death, and you can’t figure it out because both options are so incredibly attractive? You can’t wait for that day when you die and go to be with Jesus, but in the meantime you are full of joy in this life. Paul is going to teach us how to get there. And he is going to do it in three parts. He is going to show us how to die in a way that exalts Christ. Then he is going to show us how to live life in a way that your life is so full of joy that you are ok with postponing heaven. And then he is going to show us something that will finally tip the scales in favor of one over the other. Those are his three points.