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

Philippians 1:21, NKJV

If I were to ask you, “Are you ready?”, what would be the first thing to come to mind? Am I ready for what? you might think. If I did not specifically state exactly what it is I am asking about you perhaps would stand there in a bit of bewilderment, waiting for me to finish the question. Are you ready to go? Are you ready to eat? Are you ready for bed? Are you ready for work? Are you ready for class? I guess it would be a little difficult to answer the question without further information.

In the short verse quoted above, the apostle Paul speaks of two extremely important subjects for the disciple of Jesus Christ: life, and death. So, let’s take this statement and fill in the blank left at the end of my question. For Christians, we sometimes engage in conversation with others and assure them that we are ready to die. Death is not a dreaded enemy, but a welcomed guest. I don’t mean to suggest by this that we relish the idea of dying any time soon, but that we are ready to die and know what awaits us when we do pass through that valley of the shadow of death. We know to whom we belong, and we are assured of the fact that when we close our eyes in death, we will open them in the presence of the living God.

How do we have this assurance? What do we base our confidence in that gives us this settled state of confidence that we will end up in His presence when we die? It can’t be based on my own personal performance as a human being, can it? Certainly not! The Bible states categorically that there are none who are righteous. It further states that even our very best – our personal righteousness – is as filthy rags before holy God. We cannot justify ourselves with good works, or charitable deeds, or gifts to good causes, or church attendance, or service in the church. Jesus said that many would claim those as proof of their relationship with God, but they would hear the words, “Depart from me, I never knew you.”

No, nothing we could ever do would earn our entrance into the presence of God. Only what He has done for us in giving His Son, Jesus Christ, to be the propitiation for our sin. It is through His sacrificial death, by which He bore the penalty for our sin, that we are given entrance into the presence of God.

So, first and foremost, the question, “Are you ready?” has to do with your eternal well-being. Are you ready to die? Are you ready to meet the Lord on the basis of what He has done for you? If not, then please, do so before it is eternally too late.

But let’s give attention to the second topic broached in Paul’s statement: “For to me, to live is Christ.” From this statement, we might ask, “Are you ready to live?” You say you are ready to die, to meet the Lord, to stand before Him at the judgment seat of Christ. You testify that you have a relationship with Him and have an eternal home awaiting you. But are you ready to live for Him in the present? If so, what evidence is there in your life right now that would validate that claim? What are you doing that shows you are living for Him?

We’ve all probably heard someone say, “If you were arrested and accused of being a Christian, would there be enough evidence to prove that you are?” What do you have as supporting evidence for your claim to be a disciple of Jesus?

Each of us were born with certain natural abilities. Some are able to do amazing things in the field of athletics, others are naturally prone to working with numbers, still others are predisposed to in-depth study and research. Some are creative writers, others are artists of different kinds, and others are musically inclined. What are your natural abilities and talents? Are you using them to point people to Jesus? Or would you have to admit you use them in a self-serving way?

If you are indeed a believer in Jesus Christ, you have been given at least one spiritual gift that motivates you to act in certain ways. Some are gifted teachers, others are gifted to preach. There are those who have the gift of administration, and others who have the gift of hospitality. Some are motivated by their gift of mercy, and then others have the special gift of faith. Do you know what your gift is, and are you using it for the glory of the Lord?

You might profess to be ready to die and meet the Lord, but are you ready to live here, now, for His glory? Are you using your talents and your gifts in ways that honor Him, and that point other people to Him? Can you honestly say that, for you, to live is Christ and to die is gain?

Let’s make an all-out commitment to live, and ultimately die, for Him.

Until next time:

Blessings!