Digging in Deeper: Philippians 1:20-21

“My eager expectation and hope is that I will not be ashamed about anything, but that now as always, with all courage, Christ will be highly honored in my body, whether by life or by death. For me, to live is Christ and to die is gain.” (CSB – Read the chapter)

Humans have always been on a search for the fountain of youth. Sometimes this search has taken the form of looking for a literal source of water with magical powers. Other times it has been more figurative than that. The point is that we are always on the lookout for something that will extend not only the amount of time we have in this life, but the quality of that time as well. We want to live, yes, but we want to live in good enough shape to be able to enjoy it to the fullest. This desire in and of itself isn’t necessarily a bad thing. But when it becomes the primary desire of our life, we can be drawn off the track that actually leads to life in pursuit of one of a variety of things that don’t. Starting here and running through the next few verses, Paul offers us a better way. Let’s take a look.

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Morning Musing: 2 Corinthians 5:14-15

“For the love of Christ compels us, since we have reached this conclusion: If one died for all, then all died. And he died for all so that those who live should no longer live for themselves, but for the one who died for them and was raised.”‬‬ (CSB – Read the chapter

What does it mean that Jesus died and rose again? That’s kind of a big question. There have no doubt been whole books written on the matter. I’m aiming for this to take less than five minutes of your time, though, so what can we say right now? Paul gives us one really good thing here. Let’s talk about it. 

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Morning Musings: Galatians 2:20

“I have been crucified with Christ.  It is no longer I who live, but Christ who lives in me.  And the life I now live in the flesh I live by faith in the Son of God, who loved me and gave himself for me.”  (ESV – Read the chapter)

At first read, this is a pretty far-out there claim for Paul to make.  I mean, as far as an objective fact goes it is totally false.  He was not crucified with Christ.  As far as we know, he was not anywhere nearby when Jesus was crucified.  More than that, given where he was theologically then, he would have been part of the crowd cheering on the event.  He would likely have been glad to have been able to drive the nails into His hands and feet himself.  So what does he mean? Read the rest…