The Advancement and Joy in the Faith

Livin Maharaj

The 18th verse of Philippians 1 says, “And in this I rejoice; and I will rejoice.” The first ‘rejoice’ is connected with the fact that Christ is proclaimed. The second ‘rejoice’ is explained in vv. 19ff. Last week, I claimed that the ground of Paul’s joy is Christ, not his circumstances, not the motives of those who proclaimed Christ, nor the outcome of the proclamation. On the one hand, your confidence that Christ is worth more than all the pleasures in the world should have increased. On the other hand, you may have asked whether those who rejoice in Christ care about anything on earth? In other words, do people who treasure Jesus care about the outcomes in the lives of those around them, at the very least, their brothers and sisters in Christ?

The question I will seek to answer today is this: how does a person whose joy is grounded in Christ alone determine his purpose? How does one live when they treasure Christ more than anything else in the world?

Life or death decisions are revealing. As Paul remains in prison, he has time to think through what is expedient for him: his release or his demise—life or death. Paul is not merely thinking about abstract ideas; it is as concrete as it gets for him. Look at vv. 22b and 23a. He says he is hard-pressed between the two options. These are both good options.

Here is what I will do in this sermon. I will first consider the option he does not choose. Then, I will consider the option he chooses. We will look at the reasons why he chooses one over the other. From our examination, we will infer how a person whose joy is grounded in Christ alone determines his purpose.

The Rejected Option: Death as Personal Gain

First, we look at the rejected option: death. If the choice is between life and death, many people today will say, “There is no real choice. Life is the only option.” That is not the way Paul saw things. He says, “to die is gain.” Look at v. 21. In fact, he says it is the “much more better” option—our English translations will say a far better option. Look at v. 23. “My desire is to depart and be with Christ, for that is much more better.” Paul’s confidence is in the promise of Jesus.

In John 14:3, Jesus said, “I prepare a place for you; I will come again and will take you to myself, that where I am you may be also.” Jesus promised that believers would be with him. Now, it is true that we will be with Jesus forever in the new heavens and new creation. Will we be with Jesus between our death and the renewal of all things? Yes. Jesus said to the thief on the cross, “Truly, I say to you, today you will be with me in paradise” (Luke 23:43).

So, yes, one day we will all have a resurrected body. But nobody will miss out on being with Jesus. See 1 Thess 4:13–17:

But we do not want you to be uninformed, brothers, about those who are asleep, that you may not grieve as others do who have no hope. For since we believe that Jesus died and rose again, even so, through Jesus, God will bring with him those who have fallen asleep. For this we declare to you by a word from the Lord, that we who are alive, who are left until the coming of the Lord, will not precede those who have fallen asleep. For the Lord himself will descend from heaven with a cry of command, with the voice of an archangel, and with the sound of the trumpet of God. And the dead in Christ will rise first. Then we who are alive, who are left, will be caught up together with them in the clouds to meet the Lord in the air, and so we will always be with the Lord.

Our confidence in the matter is that all Christians will always be with the Lord. Those who have died and those who remain until Jesus returns. We will all meet him in the air.

Therefore, there are three states in which we can be. First, the current state. Second, the intermediate state. Finally, the renewed, eternal state. So, which one is the best situation? Of course, it is the renewed, eternal state when we have our resurrected bodies. Which one is better? The intermediate state—although we will be away from our bodies, we will be with Jesus. It is better that we have communion with Jesus unhindered. Which is the least good state for a believer? The present state.

Paul rejected the better option for the current state.

The Chosen Option: Life for Fruitful Labor

Why might Paul choose life? Let us consider Paul’s choice: life. First, let us look at Paul’s statement in v. 21: For me to live is Christ and to die is gain. To live, for Paul, is Christ. He loves Christ. His joy is in Christ. It should have been then that Paul would choose gain and desire death. Let us look at the next verse. Paul says if he is to live in the flesh, it means fruitful labor. Paul wants to live for Christ and do fruitful labor. For Paul, life implies fruitful labor. He chooses living and laboring because he desires to be the cause of two effects.

First, Paul desires to be the cause of the Philippians’ progress and joy in faith (v. 25). The twofold effect in the lives of the Philippians is their progress in faith and their joy in the faith. He wants his presence in their lives to make a difference. He wants them to progress, not stagnate. He wants their joy to increase, not be stale. So fruitful labor results in progress in faith. Progress in faith leads to greater joy. As a husband, wife, father, mother, sibling, church member, or leader, do you desire that your presence in the lives of those around you will result in the progress and joy of their faith? Or are you merely the breadwinner, house organizer, and general care provider for those around you? How do you think of your presence in the lives of those God has put around you?

Second, Paul desires to be the cause of glory in Christ in the Philippians (v. 26). This effect is also related to the previous one. The reason that the Philippians glory in Christ is that they are progressing in the faith and have joy in the faith. Paul wants his presence to give them ample cause to glory in Christ. Are you the cause for those around you glorying in Christ? Does your presence make people give thanks to God that Christ lives in you? Do they glory in Christ because for you to live is Christ?

The Governing Principle: Christ Magnified

Now, we are in a position to infer the governing principle since we have considered both the rejected and chosen options. Paul chose life over death, which he claims is better. He says, “to live is Christ; to live is fruitful labor.” For Paul, fruitful labor and Christ are the same. This does not mean that all work is automatically worship. Rather, Paul’s work is an outflow of his worship. His choice in the matter cannot be condensed to personal gain vs public gain. That would be a gross misunderstanding of why Paul made his choice.

Paul does not think he is making a sacrifice. Although he is laying down personal gain for the sake of others, he is not saddened by it. He loves Jesus. His joy is in Christ. His choice shows that his joy is in Christ—he is most happy when Christ is most magnified. If he continues to live, he will continue to be the cause of more people magnifying Christ. His aim in living is to magnify Christ to and through as many people as possible. He wants people to advance in their faith and increase in their joy in Christ, and so glory in Christ. He wants to be the cause of these effects. He is not merely satisfied that such effects are taking place. He is no satisfied bystander. He is an active agent of joy.

How do you think about your purpose in life? How do you make decisions about life and death? Do conversations concerning death (whether in your mind or out loud) only involve insurance, property, and settlements, or do you also think about the gain that is ahead? Do conversations about your future—job change, role change, relocation—only have to do with some worldly joy, or does it also include the progress and joy in the faith of those you care about?

Paul’s decision-making rubric is clear. He will choose that which magnifies Jesus the most without begrudging. He is most satisfied when Christ is most magnified. So here is the governing principle: A person whose joy is grounded in Christ determines his purpose by choosing whatever most magnifies Christ. What is the source of your joy? Your satisfaction? Can you truly say that you treasure Jesus? Do your life choices demonstrate what you claim? Can those who see how you live conclude that you are where you are because of Christ? Paul was in prison. Everyone around him knew that he was in prison for the sake of the gospel. What about you?

The Decision-Making Rule: Always Aim to Please Christ

Now that we have discussed the governing principle, let us consider how we apply it in our lives. Turn with me to 2 Cor 5:1–10.

For we know that if the tent that is our earthly home is destroyed, we have a building from God, a house not made with hands, eternal in the heavens. For in this tent we groan, longing to put on our heavenly dwelling, if indeed by putting it on we may not be found naked. For while we are still in this tent, we groan, being burdened—not that we would be unclothed, but that we would be further clothed, so that what is mortal may be swallowed up by life. He who has prepared us for this very thing is God, who has given us the Spirit as a guarantee. So we are always of good courage. We know that while we are at home in the body we are away from the Lord, for we walk by faith, not by sight. Yes, we are of good courage, and we would rather be away from the body and at home with the Lord. So whether we are at home or away, we make it our aim to please him. For we must all appear before the judgment seat of Christ, so that each one may receive what is due for what he has done in the body, whether good or evil.

In this passage, Paul teaches us how to live in the light of the reality that we have two options—to live with Christ forever or to live and labor for Christ here and now. Since this is true, Paul says that we are always of good courage. That is first and foremost. There is no bad news for Christians. Bitter providence is bitter. The end of a painful life or a sweet life is the same for Christians; we will be with Christ. So we do not lose courage. Second, we walk by faith and not by sight. We do not make calculations like the people of the world. Yes, we plan; we save. But we do that without putting our trust in those things. When we have a bitter diagnosis, we can gain very little by knowing the statistics of the efficacy of the treatment, the percentage of times this particular doctor has cured that disease, etc. We may use such techniques to determine a plan of action. However, our plans may amount to nothing. For let us not fool ourselves: We are in as much control of our lives as a grain of rice growing in a field at this moment can determine who will consume it. We walk by faith. We attempt great things for God and expect great things from him. We know that we live for him. When we desire to magnify him, we are not deterred by what we see; we are fueled by what he has said in his word. I preach because I know the Bible says that his word will not return void, but it will accomplish his will. It is not my preparation, delivery, or lack thereof that determines the effect of God’s word. My limitations will not hinder God. My laziness will not stop God. My effectiveness will glorify God. God does what only he can do. When I do my part, I magnify him. Third, we aim to please God at all times. That is how Christians make decisions. We are always aiming to please God. We always ask, “What would please you, God?” And we learn from God’s word what pleases him.

Christians have gone to prison for the gospel; gone to remote parts of the world, having sold all their possessions to preach the gospel; served their neighbor a cup of tea for the sake of the gospel. Why do they do so? They aim to please God always.

Are you wrestling with a decision to make today? Ask yourself what will please God. Are you convinced that you have made a decision that may not please God? Repent and seek his forgiveness. It might still not be too late to change your plans.

There are only two options before you—to be with Christ, or to labor for Christ. If you remain, it is not accidental. It is appointed. You are here for one reason: to be the cause of others’ progress and joy in the faith. So live in such a way that your presence makes Christ more precious to others. Choose what magnifies him most. And in doing so, you will find—
that your deepest joy and his highest glory are not at odds, but one and the same.