A regular podcast listener from the fine city of London writes in with this question,

Hello Pastor John, my name is Laura.

I would love to know what it actually means when Paul says, quote, for me to live is

Christ in Philippians 121.

I can't seem to pinpoint a solid definition without just giving examples of what that kind

of life would look like.

How would you explain this?

What does it mean to live is Christ?

Well, there aren't many things I love to think about more than the context of Philippians

1.

And you're going to see why before we done a Christian heeding us through and through.

And it doesn't get any better than these verses and the parallels in chapter 3.

So I think in answer to Laura's question, there are two ways to define for me to live

is Christ first from the immediate context of verses 20 to 26 of chapter 1 in Philippians

and secondly from chapter 3 and you'll you'll see why both of those are so relevant.

So let's walk through it and she'll she'll see right away how this works.

It is my eager expectation and hope.

This is verse 20.

It is my eager expectation and hope that I will not be ashamed, but that with full courage

now as always Christ will be magnified.

There's his central passion in life that Christ will be magnified, shown to be magnificent

in my body, whether by life or by death.

...