Philippians 1:20d – Choosing Life

… whether by life or by death.

Summary: This passage brings us to an interesting crossroads between one kind of “life and death” and another. 

It is, perhaps, time to review Paul’s entire thought here: 

“I eagerly expect and hope that I will in no way be ashamed, but will have sufficient courage so that now as always Christ will be exalted in my body, whether by life or by death.”

So far, we have looked at what it means to be ashamed, to have courage, and to exalt Christ in our bodies. Now, we look at how far Paul is willing to go to exalt Christ. 

It is important to note here what Paul means by “life or … death.” The Bible uses the word “life” to refer to two different things, just like we use the word “judge” to mean two things. A person can form an opinion by using good judgment, which the Bible tells us we are to do (Luke 12:57), or a person can judge someone as a court might pass judgment. Judging people this way is something we are commanded not to do (Matthew 7:1).  

In the same way, the Bible talks about life as we normally refer to it, meaning we live and breathe, and death, meaning our heart and breathing stop. However, it also talks about life and death in spiritual terms. 

In the story of the Prodigal Son (Luke 15:11-32), the father in the story explains that when his son rebelled against him and went away, he was “dead.” Later, when the son returned repentant, the father said he was “alive again” (Luke 15:24, 32). 

When Paul talks about exalting Christ by his death, he is not talking about spiritual death. Instead, he is talking about the death of his body. When he talks about life, we get into another interesting area. 

When we, like the Prodigal Son, return to our Heavenly Father, we are “born again” (John 3:3-7). In biblical terms, this means that our spirit has been reunited with God just like Adam’s was in the Garden of Eden (Genesis 2). 

Jesus speaks to this mystery when he says: 

“Whoever finds their life will lose it, and whoever loses their life for my sake will find it.” (Matthew 10:39)

Paul understands this. 

To find true life, that is spiritual life in the Father, we need Jesus. When we have that kind of life, life in the flesh becomes less important. It is not that we don’t appreciate the life in the flesh that God has given us, rather we understand that life with God is more valuable. 

Unfortunately, just because we choose life with Christ over our physical life, it doesn’t mean our “flesh” stops wanting the things it always wanted. Paul’s list of what the flesh wants includes “hatred, discord, jealousy, fits of rage, [and] selfish ambition,” among other things (Galatians 5:19-21). Life in the Spirit, on the other hand, wants different things. Paul’s list of what the Spirit wants includes things like “love, joy, peace, forbearance, kindness, goodness, faithfulness, gentleness and self-control” (Galatians 5:22-23). 

When Paul exalts Christ by his death, we see a man who is willing to die (physically) rather than deny Jesus. When Paul exalts Christ by his life, he is talking about both kinds of life. The difference is that the Spiritual life takes precedence over the physical. 

Christ is exalted when our physical lives in the flesh reflect his Spirit rather than our flesh. Two kinds of life, but only one can be in control. Paul shows us why it is important to choose true life. 

Application: Always choose to follow Jesus. 

Food for Thought: What does our behavior say about our faith in Jesus?