Christ – The Christians’ Aspiration 

“For to me, to live is Christ, and to die is gain.”  -Philippians 1:21 

The Apostle Paul was quite an amazing man.  He accomplished great things for God working wholeheartedly in seeing the gospel of Jesus Christ proclaimed and the church built up.  But those great things were never his focus.  Those things were not his chief goal – they were never his sole aspiration.  The Apostle Paul had but one aspiration: to know Jesus Christ, the power of His resurrection and the fellowship of His sufferings (Philippians 3:10).  To the apostle Paul, life consisted of knowing Christ, not the things that he did for Christ.  This is why he could say, “For to me, to live is Christ, and to die is gain.” 

As a pastor I have a great burden on my heart for those whom God has entrusted to my care while here on earth.  I want nothing but the best for the members of my church and for all my brothers and sisters in Christ.  I want you to have joy, peace, love, and contentment but I can’t give it to you.  I can only point you to and speak to you about The One who can.  That is why I want you to know Christ because I know that He alone can satisfy your deepest needs and longings.  I want you to really know Him.  Not just so that you can rest in the knowledge of salvation but so that you may GROW in that knowledge experientially.  So that day-by-day you may be weaned off of the desires and lusts of this world and be joined more and more with the passions of His heart – so that you may behold Him in all His glory.  So that you can say with the Apostle Paul, “For to me, to live is Christ, and to die is gain.”  Not to say it by rote memory recitation but to say it from the depth of your soul; as the cry of your heart; as the focus of your minds; as the sole aspiration of your life 

For Christ, and Christ alone, should be the Christians’ aspiration.  Let me share with you five things that we must realize about the Christians’ aspiration. 

1.      It’s a personal aspiration 

“FOR TO ME, to live is Christ and to die is gain.” 

Many people go through life wandering aimlessly with no direction, no motivation, and no aspiration.  Unfortunately, this is true of Christians – those who claim to be followers of Jesus Christ.  However, think about it: how can a believer have no aspiration?  Should not the Christians’ aspiration be the one whom they are following?  I believe many Christians are living without direction (and thus without joy) because they are seeking the wrong things, asking the wrong questions, and focusing on the wrong things. 

Too often we go through life asking ourselves, “What does God want me to do?  What ministry does He have for me?  Where should I serve?  What should I be doing?”  We are so focused on doing the works of righteousness instead of focusing on Him who IS our righteousness.  The question that we should ask ourselves is not, “What does God want me to do?”  but “What does God want me to be?”  I am convinced that the Apostle Paul was not focused on doing the works of Christianity as much as he was focused on being a Christian – a follower of Jesus Christ – and as a result, he did the work and God used him in mighty ways. 

“FOR TO ME, to live is Christ, and to die is gain.” This is a personal aspiration and it must be the aspiration of every Christian if we are to grow up in all aspects into Him, who is the head, even Christ (Ephesians 4:15). 

2.      It’s a worthy aspiration 

“For to me, TO LIVE is Christ, and to die is gain.” 

A question that we should always be asking ourselves is this: “Is what I’m living for worthy of Christ dying for me?”  It is said that a person’s life consists of that which he possesses.  Jesus said, “Where your treasure is there will your heart be also.”  What is life to you? Your kids, work, sports, recreation, possessions, politics, and/or ministry?  These may all be good things but they must never become THE thing because all of these fall so short of being a worthy aspiration.  Only Christ is worthy – for He alone is life.  So, if we want to live – to have a worthy aspiration – we must follow Christ. 

Let’s not deceive ourselves.  We may say that we want to be like Christ – but do we really?  We may say that He is our life – but is He really?  If we are to become more like Christ we must be honest with ourselves before God.  Consider carefully.  What possesses you?  What captures your heart?  What grabs and keeps your attention? 

I remember standing in on a conversation with a group of Christians.  They were going on about how they enjoyed music and then sports and I was just standing there silently.  Then someone turned to me and asked, “Chuck, what do you enjoy?  What are your hobbies?”  Before I could say anything another person said, “O, he just enjoys Jesus and the Bible.”  There was then an uncomfortable pause before the people quickly turned the conversation back to the topic of sports.  Now, realize, what the person said was true – it just was not said in a positive way nor received.  Also, don’t misunderstand me.  It’s not that I don’t like music, sports, recreation, or other things – I do.  But, none of those things capture my heart – they do not possess me and I refuse to ever let anything other than Christ and His Word to possess me (1Corinthians 6:12).  My heart cries out with the hymnist, “All that thrills my soul is Jesus – He is more than life to me.” I have spent half of my life without Christ, trying to find pleasure and enjoyment in the things of this world, and I found none – nada, zilch, zip, zero.  What thrills me is to sit quietly in Christ’s presence, to look to Him, to read and study His Word, to ponder over His Word until He reveals its truths to me. Now if that makes me dull and uninteresting to most people – so be it – I will not apologize.   

 “For to me, TO LIVE is Christ…” He is the only worthy aspiration that the Christian can have. 

3.      It’s a specific aspiration 

“For to me to live IS CHRIST, and to die is gain.” 

Not only is it specific – it is divine – and this is what makes it worthy. 

Christians, of all people, should be people of singular focus.  Too many Christians, though, have no goal.  Some do have a goal but it is often the wrong one (focused on themselves, not God’s glory).  Some Christians have too many goals and are scattered, frazzled and ineffective.  And then there are those few that do have the right goal.  Our focus – our aspiration – should be Christ and Christ alone. 

The Christian life is so simple – if we’d just keep our eyes on the goal – Jesus Christ.  To live IS CHRIST.  That’s it.  If we were to keep our eyes on the goal, what might happen in our lives?  Unfortunately, we are so easily distracted.  We get caught up in the latest fads and interests and get our eyes off of Christ.  Many people say they want to follow Jesus – but I’m not sure if they are really being honest.  Too often they don’t want to follow Jesus; they just want the blessing that Jesus gives.  The Apostle Paul’s goal was to know Christ: not only the power of His resurrection but also the fellowship of His sufferings.  To follow Christ may mean a life here on earth of suffering, discomfort, and rejection – but if the Christian’s true aspiration is to know Christ, these things will not matter because through these things he will discover Christ more and will find the supernatural peace, joy, and contentment that only Christ can bring. 

If we say that Christ is our life we must realize that His life, mission, and sufferings become ours.  Only when it does will His work begin to be done in and through us. 

4.      It’s a selfless aspiration 

“For to me, to live is Christ, AND TO DIE is gain.” 

To the Christian – the person following after Jesus Christ – death matters not because the Christian cares not about himself – he is too consumed with Christ and the things on His heart.  As G. Campbell Morgan once said, “I am not looking for death, I am looking for Christ.”  And when we’re following Christ, all that matters is Him, not ourselves. 

5.      It’s an eternal aspiration 

“For to me, to live is Christ, and to die IS GAIN.” 

This is why the Christian can be selfless, because he lives with an eternal mindset, a Biblical worldview.  The follower of Jesus Christ knows that death is but a step through the portal to eternal glory where he will then see his Lord face-to-face!  Think of the men and women throughout the ages who died in the faith – who died for their faith:  Isaiah was sawn in half; Stephen was stoned to death; Paul was beheaded; John Huss and many others were burned at the stake; Jim Elliot was slaughtered by savages. Were their lives a loss?  Was it all for nothing? Do you think that they regretted their lives?  How about their deaths?  I think not!  They stepped through the portal to eternal glory and saw that it was gain!  But I believe they knew that before their final step, because they were consumed with Christ. 

When a Christian dies it is nothing but gain.  O it’s sorrowful for us who are left behind and who knew them – but to want them back is selfish on our part.  They don’t want to come back; they are with their Lord Jesus Christ.  We should rejoice with them and for them – longing for the day when we will join with them in seeing and praising the Lord Jesus Christ face-to-face. 

“…to die IS GAIN.”  This statement can only be said if our aspiration is Christ.  Because if Christ is our aspiration we will not fear death.  If Christ is truly our aspiration, death is but the final step to realizing our goal: Jesus Christ Himself!  Does this mean that we should then just kill ourselves?  Absolutely not!  For this would be against the will and Word of God.  But we should make Christ our aspiration – so much so that death loses its fear over us.  With Christ as our aspiration we should be willing and ready to die everyday, for in death there is eternal gain.  If Christ is our aspiration we will be living for that which is eternal and we will be willing and ready to die to ourselves daily so that He may live in and through us.  We need to realize that there is great eternal gain when we die to ourselves, to the world, to our own selfish desire, and to our own petty disagreements.  We need to live for Him and to Him.  We need to stop looking at ourselves and steadfastly focus on Jesus Christ - seeing Him in His life, His death, His resurrection, and in His glory.  Nothing else matters.  Everything else pales in comparison.  As we die more and more to ourselves and to the things of this world, we will find growing within us a deeper love and a greater longing for Christ and Christ alone.  Then we will find our heart singing, “All that thrills my soul is Jesus – He is more than life to me.” 

If we are growing closer to Christ, we will be moving farther away from the things of this world.  If we are being thrilled by Christ, the things of this world will be of no interest to us.  O Christian, realize the struggle that we are in.  We are all being pulled from two sides.  God the Father, Son, and Holy Spirit are on one side and the Devil and the World are on the other.  The question is which side are we growing closer to?  Which side is the strongest in the practical reality of our daily lives?  If we are growing stronger and closer to Christ then when the world pulls, its grip will break.  If we are holding tight to the world and the things of it, then when God pulls, we will break.  We will break at that point which is weakest. 

How can we grow stronger towards Christ?  How do we make Christ our aspiration?  First, you have to want it and if you do, then thank God that the desire is there. Don’t set out to do great things for God because you can’t – set out to know Him.  To do that you need to: 

·         Slow down.  You need to start applying the brakes to the vehicle of life and start slowing down.  Too many of us are confusing busyness with spirituality today.  Being busy does not necessarily mean that you are being effective in your walk with God. 

·         Stop.  Slowing down is not enough.  We need to stop.  Don’t speed through God’s yellow light.  Slow down and stop.  If He is calling you, He wants you to stop and focus on Him. 

·         Be still.  Too often we stop doing things physically but we are still going frantic mentally.  Once you have stopped you then need to be still.  You need to calm yourself, be quiet, and relax.  This is so hard for many people today and that is why so many Christians are weak and ineffective. 

·         Sit in His presence.  Now that you have quieted yourself, you need to put yourself in the right place.  You need to sit in His presence, not yours or someone else’s.  You need to pull out the Word of God and let Him speak to you.  You need to learn to wait on Him to reveal Himself more and more to you through His unchanging Word.  Great things do come to those who wait. 

·         Cry out to Him and for Him.  As you’re sitting in His presence cry out to him to be the aspiration of your life.  Let your heart’s longing be made known to Him.  Don’t be content with just asking for Him once – cry out over, and over, and over, and over…  Keep crying out for Him day-after-day, week-by-week, monthly, yearly, and for the rest of your life.  And as you’re crying out, stay in His Word and discover Christ more. 

“For to me, to live is Christ and to die is gain.” 

More love to Thee, O Christ, more love to Thee!

Hear now the prayer I make on bended knee;

This is my earnest plea:

More love, O Christ, to Thee,

More love to Thee, more love to Thee.

Once earthy joy I craved, sought peace and rest;

Now Thee alone I seek, give what is best;

This all my prayer shall be:

More love, O Christ, to Thee,

More love to Thee, more love to Thee.

Let sorrow do its work, send grief and pain;

Sweet are Thy messengers, sweet their refrain,

When they can sing with me:

More love, O Christ, to Thee,

More love to Thee, more love to Thee.

Then shall my latest breath whisper Thy praise;

This be the parting cry

My heart shall raise;

This still its prayer shall be:

More love, O Christ, to Thee,

More love to Thee, more love to Thee.

By God's Grace ~ Through God's Word ~ For God's Glory!

Chuck Long

©God’sGWG
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