Mon., 3/27/17 Devotion (Php. 1:21)

Today's encouragement comes from Philippians 1:21, where we read these words:

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

The Apostle Paul's words here are highly-illuminating to us in the church to-day. Christ is to be our life. If anything else holds that place, we are practicing idolatry. If we could come to understand the nature of all things, we would clearly see that Jesus is the end all of everything.  Without Him, life is basic-ally boring and mundane. With Christ, everything makes sense; and living in Him is exciting.

For the redeemed Christian churchman dying is an added bonus. Instead of it taking anything away from us—we simply get a nearer and clearer vision of Jesus. In this regard, the true believer has it made. As we live here, we have our Messiah; and as we die—we only get a more intimate walk with Him.

[Puritan quote of the day: "There is no greater sign of a rotten heart than a fundamental unsteadfastness in the covenant of God.” —Richard Steele, in, "The Character of an Upright Man"]