according to my earnest expectations and hope that in nothing I shall be ashamed, but with all boldness, as always, so now also Christ will be magnified in my body, whether by life or by death.  (21) For to me, to live is Christ, and to die is gain.  (22) But if I live on in the flesh, this will mean fruit from my labor; yet what I shall choose I cannot tell.  (23) For I am hard-pressed between the two, having a desire to depart and be with Christ, which is far better.  (24) Nevertheless to remain in the flesh is more needful for you.  (27) Only let your conduct be worthy of the gospel of Christ, so that whether I come and see you or I am absent, I may hear of your affairs, that you stand fast in one spirit, with one mind striving together for the faith of the gospel

The letter to the Philippians was written by the apostle Paul.  At the time Paul wrote this letter he was in prison in Rome having appealed to Caesar as a Roman citizen – he was arrested for preaching the gospel.  The outcome was uncertain and Paul either faced death or would be freed.  In this first chapter of the letter to the church at PhillipI Paul writes about the pros and cons of the impending decision:  his desire is to die and be with Christ (to die is gain) but if he were to live, he would live for Christ and serve His purpose.

What do we live for as men and women of faith???  To live properly we must live purposely and with an eye to our inevitable death.  What do we think happens after death – and how does that affect us?  At the moment of faith – God’s gift – we become transformed – we are reborn and want to live for Christ not out of fear but out of love and desire.  Our new status through grace is our new reality.  Christ becomes our all in all –  things of this world recede and we seek what cannot be seen but know to be true.  Our hope has become certain – we are becoming children of God and people of the book

C.S. Lewis writes in The Great Divorce that “There are only two kinds of people in the end:  those who say to God “Thy will be done,” and those to whom God says in the end, “Thy will be done.”  All that are in hell, choose it.”

For none of us lives to himself, and no one dies to himself.  (8) For if we live, we live to the Lord; and if we die, we die to the Lord.  Therefore, whether we live or die, we are the Lord’s. (9) For to this end Christ died and rose and lived again, that He might be Lord of both the dead and the living. 

The letter to the Romans was written by the apostle Paul. In chapter 14 of this letter Paul is addressing the question of religious liberty – Christian religious liberty. At the moment of faith in Christ Jesus as our savior we are made right with God and are transformed  into a new man/woman, sealed by the indwelling of the Holy Spirit . We are saved by faith alone in Christ alone and are no longer bound by the Mosaic laws – we are set free from man made regulations, rites, ceremonial obligations and diet.  If the Bible doesn’t speak to certain principles  – basically non essential matters – Paul is saying that the faithful are free to act out of personal conviction concerning Christian liberties. We are in faith to live righteously out of love and gratitude, not out of fear.

By Christian conviction Paul is talking about behavioral beliefs – those that guide our behavior. Basically Paul is addressing our freedom in faith to do what we should do, NOT to what we could do. And our actions should be a result of biblical knowledge and conscience.  Paul is nOT talking about practices that add or subtract from our spiritual life – he is not addressing acts identified as sin – but actions we can enjoy if we can do so in a clear conscience.

The religious liberty beliefs of the faithful discussed in chapter 14 are personal and private – they guide actions practiced before God in a mindful life style done out of a desire to please God. .  We are not to impose our beliefs on others nor are we to judge the behavior of others in such non biblical matters.

The faithful now live in Christ and they die in Christ;  we no longer live for ourselves and our pleasure -we do not die for ourselves either. Christian liberty should be referred to God and our lives spent for God’s glory.  If this is so Then any act which the faithful think will displease God should be avoided.

Owe no one anything except to love one another, for he who loves another has fulfilled the law.  (9) For the commandments, “You shall not commit adultery,”  “You shall not murder,” “You shall not steal, ” “You shall not bear false witness,” “You shall not covet,” and if there is any other commandment, are all summed up in this saying, namely, “You shall love your neighbor as yourself.”  (10) Love does no harm to a neighbor; therefore love is the fulfillment of the law. 

THe apostle Paul wrote the letter to the Romans and our verses today focus on the second part of our Lord’s great commandment; to love others as ourselves. This biblical love is not an emotional response but an act of will. We owe this perpetual debt of love because we received God’s love while we were yet sinners. The faithful are saved through Christ by the mercy and grace of god – we are not to be comformed to this evil age as the faithful have been reborn.

God’s love for us is our source and motivation for our love for others.  To love others is a process and we can never pay off This debt. ITs so difficult because we are forgiven but still of a depraved nature –  for that changed man/woman love demands sacrifice and self denial.  This love is not just an act of emotion but one of action; a commitment. We are to behave as we believe.

Paul is probably countering criticism from the Jews when he tells us what we must not do. Paul has told the faithful that the civil and ceremonial mosaic law of the Jewish nation is finished. However, the moral law of God still remains to be honored. We are to practice biblical love – to seek the highest good for those we love.  We are fulfilling God’s moral law though love.

Christians may be the only examples of God’s love in practise that some men/women ever experience – it’s a very heavy responsibility for the faithful to repay the debt of having been granted salvation by God’s free mercy and grace – through Christ Jesus.

I beseech you therefore, brethren, by  mercies of God, that you present your bodies a living sacrifice, holy, acceptable to God, which is your reasonable service.  (2) And do not be conformed to this world, but be transformed by the renewing of your mind, that you may prove what is that good and acceptable and perfect will of God. 

The apostle Paul wrote the letter to the Romans. In chapters 1 though 11 Paul dealt with foundational doctrine – the thing necessary for salvation which is righteousness through faith alone in Christ alone. In chapter 12 Paul turns to application; how man/ woman is to deal with the transformed life through free grace. At the moment of faith we are transformed and reborn – we are risen from spiritual death and must follow a path where we consecrate to God all of ourselves. We want to behave as we believe, not by terror but by choice which is dictated by our transformed souls and the indwelling Spirit.  We will want to be holy and apart from this world for God. Our minds and hearts should/will seek to know the will of God.

The commitment to know the will of God – and do it – is progressive.  As we grow in Christian life we will grow in awareness and understanding of godly living.  This process is sanctification arising from justification through faith in Christ.  We are urged by Paul “not to be conformed to this evil age”.

All have been informed by this temporary world we live in at present and which is limited and passing.  This world is man centered and apart from God – this world is hostile to God.  Now through faith we live in the light of eternity and the process of pursuit of holiness is lifelong only to be finished at death.  The thinking of the faithful has changed and things of the world recede as we grown in knowledge of God’s will and in God’s grace.  I heard of a teacher of psychology majors who would ask his class how many would get on a bus to heaven if that bus pulled up at our door right now.  I would jump right in that bus but clearly have miles to go before i sleep