WHY SHOULD GOD BE INTERESTED IN YOUR BEING ALIVE?

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

Philippians 1:21

Most people focus on the second part of the verse, *“to die is gain,”* and contemplate the joys of heaven. But we should not overlook what comes before. The importance of the phrase *“to live is Christ”* cannot be overstated. In all honesty, this phrase should be central to every Christian’s life.

In this statement, the apostle Paul is saying that everything he has tried to be, everything he is, and everything he looked forward to being pointed to Christ. From the time of Paul’s conversion until his martyrdom, every move he made was aimed at advancing the knowledge, gospel, and church of Christ. Paul’s singular aim was to bring glory to Jesus.

Paul preached in synagogues; he preached at riversides; he preached as a prisoner; he preached as an apostle; he preached as a tentmaker. His message was constant: *“Jesus Christ and him crucified” (1 Corinthians 2:2).* He brought the message of Christ’s sacrifice to kings, soldiers, statesmen, priests, and philosophers, Jews and Gentiles, men and women. *He would preach to literally anyone who would listen.*

Everything that Jesus did and said, that’s what Paul wanted to do and say. The church benefitted from his godly example: “Follow my example, as I follow the example of Christ” (1 Corinthians 11:1). *What would Jesus do in every circumstance or situation that we may found ourselves in? That’s what we MUST do.*

*We want to know Christ better and better each day.* Not just a set of facts about Christ, but Christ Himself. “I want to know Christ—yes, to know the power of his resurrection and participation in his sufferings, becoming like him in his death, and so, somehow, attaining to the resurrection from the dead” (Philippians 3:10-11).

Paul’s testimony in this regard: “Whatever were gains to me I now consider loss for the sake of Christ. What is more, I consider everything a loss because of the surpassing worth of knowing Christ Jesus my Lord, for whose sake I have lost all things. I consider them garbage, that I may gain Christ and be found in him” (Philippians 3:7-9). *We cling to the promise of our Lord in Mark 10:29-30 that our sacrifices for Jesus’ sake will be repaid a hundredfold.*

*Christ is the center point of our mind, heart, body and soul.* Everything that we do, we do for Christ’s glory. As we run the “race marked out for us,” *we lay aside the entangling sin and worldly distractions, “fixing our eyes on Jesus” (Hebrews 12:1-2). He is our life.*

Why should God be interested in your being alive? Your guess is as good as mine; *It's in God's interest to keep you alive.* He loses if you die the physical death whilst you gain by retiring into His rest. When you retire into His rest through physical death you no longer can win souls. No more preaching and living Christ to your sphere of contact and influence. So as a Christian the only way to justify your continuous existence in this mortal body is to win souls.