To Live Is Christ

In Philippians 1:19–26, we hear Paul speak from a place most of us try to avoid: uncertainty. He’s imprisoned, unsure whether he will live or die—and yet his words are steady, joyful, and startlingly clear. Paul shows us a hope that transcends both life and death because it is anchored in a Person: Jesus Christ.

Paul’s famous line is not a slogan; it’s a redefinition: “For to me, to live is Christ, and to die is gain.” Life is no longer measured by achievement, comfort, security, or self-preservation. Life is participation—ongoing, embodied communion with Christ and partnership in his purposes. And death, while still real and grievous, cannot threaten what is held in Christ. For Paul, death means being with Jesus. That’s why death-anxiety loses its grip, and love becomes possible.

This passage also reframes vocation. Our culture trains us to build identity around what we do and what we become. But Paul reveals a deeper calling: our primary vocation is faithfulness to Christ expressed through sacrificial love for others—especially the local church. Paul’s “fruitful labor” isn’t about self-advancement; it’s about gospel progress, and the joy and growth of God’s people.

We also see a holy tension in Paul: he desires to depart and be with Christ, yet he’s convinced remaining is “more necessary” for the sake of others. Spiritual maturity often feels like this—not certainty without struggle, but love that can carry tension without collapsing into anxiety or control.

As we continue learning to inhabit a cross-shaped imagination, this text invites us to ask: What story is shaping our identity? Where are we waiting for outcomes before we believe we can have joy? And what would it look like—right here, right now—to say with honesty and obedience: to live is Christ?