For Me to Live is Christ (a retitled excerpt)
by Thomas Watson (Taken from sermon, The Death of the Righteous)
"For to me, to live is Christ and to die is gain!" Philippians 1:21
Paul was a great admirer of Christ. He desired to know nothing but Christ, and him crucified. 1 Cor 2:2. There is no medicine like the blood of Christ!
"For to me, to live is Christ." That is, "Christ is my life!" Or thus, "My life is made up of Christ." As a wicked man's life is made up of sin, so Paul's life was made up of Christ—he was full of Christ. That I may give you the sense of the text more fully, take it in these three particulars:
1. "For to me, to live is Christ," that is—Christ is the PRINCIPLE of my life. I fetch my spiritual life from Christ, as the branch fetches its sap from the root. "Christ lives in me." Gal 2:20. Jesus Christ sends forth life and spirits into me, to quicken me to every holy action. Thus, for to me to live is Christ: Christ is the principle of my life; from his fullness I live—as the branch lives from the root.
2. "For to me, to live is Christ," that is—Christ is the END of my life. I live not for myself—but for Christ. All my living, is to do service to Christ. "Whether we live, we live unto the Lord." Rom 14:8. We lay out ourselves wholly for Christ. We propagate his gospel; the design of our life is to exalt Christ, and to make the crown upon his head flourish. It may then be said, for to us to live is Christ—when our whole life is a living for Christ.
3. "For to me, to live is Christ," that is—Christ is the JOY of my life. Psalm 43:4, "God my exceeding joy," or the cream of my joy. A Christian rejoices in Christ's righteousness. He can rejoice in Christ when worldly joys are gone. When the tulip in a garden withers–a man still rejoices in his jewels which are locked up in the house. Just so—when worldly joys are gone—a saint can rejoice in Christ, the pearl of great price. In this sense, Christ is the joy of my life. If Christ were gone—my life would be a death to me.
by Thomas Watson (Taken from sermon, The Death of the Righteous)
"For to me, to live is Christ and to die is gain!" Philippians 1:21
Paul was a great admirer of Christ. He desired to know nothing but Christ, and him crucified. 1 Cor 2:2. There is no medicine like the blood of Christ!
"For to me, to live is Christ." That is, "Christ is my life!" Or thus, "My life is made up of Christ." As a wicked man's life is made up of sin, so Paul's life was made up of Christ—he was full of Christ. That I may give you the sense of the text more fully, take it in these three particulars:
1. "For to me, to live is Christ," that is—Christ is the PRINCIPLE of my life. I fetch my spiritual life from Christ, as the branch fetches its sap from the root. "Christ lives in me." Gal 2:20. Jesus Christ sends forth life and spirits into me, to quicken me to every holy action. Thus, for to me to live is Christ: Christ is the principle of my life; from his fullness I live—as the branch lives from the root.
2. "For to me, to live is Christ," that is—Christ is the END of my life. I live not for myself—but for Christ. All my living, is to do service to Christ. "Whether we live, we live unto the Lord." Rom 14:8. We lay out ourselves wholly for Christ. We propagate his gospel; the design of our life is to exalt Christ, and to make the crown upon his head flourish. It may then be said, for to us to live is Christ—when our whole life is a living for Christ.
3. "For to me, to live is Christ," that is—Christ is the JOY of my life. Psalm 43:4, "God my exceeding joy," or the cream of my joy. A Christian rejoices in Christ's righteousness. He can rejoice in Christ when worldly joys are gone. When the tulip in a garden withers–a man still rejoices in his jewels which are locked up in the house. Just so—when worldly joys are gone—a saint can rejoice in Christ, the pearl of great price. In this sense, Christ is the joy of my life. If Christ were gone—my life would be a death to me.
