“For to me, to live is Christ.”

The believer did not always live for Christ. He began to do so when God the Holy Spirit convicted him of sin, and when, by grace, he was brought to see the dying Saviour making atonement for his guilt. From the moment of the new and heavenly birth, the believer begins to live for Christ.

To the Christian, Jesus is the pearl of great price, for whom we are willing to give up everything else. He has so completely won our love that our hearts now beat for Him alone. For His glory we desire to live, and for the defence of His gospel we would be willing to die. He is the pattern of our life, and the model after which we seek to shape our character.

Paul’s words mean far more than many people realise. He did not merely say that Christ was the goal of his life—he meant that Christ was his life. As an ancient saint once said, Paul ate, drank, and slept eternal life. Jesus was his very breath—the soul of his soul, the heart of his heart, the life of his life.

Can you honestly say this, as a professing Christian? Can you truly say that for you to live is Christ? Consider your daily work—are you doing it for Christ? Or is it done chiefly for self-advancement or family gain? You may ask, “Is that really wrong?” For the Christian, it is. If he claims to live for Christ, how can he live for another ultimate purpose without committing spiritual unfaithfulness?

Many believers live out this principle to some extent, but who among us would dare to say that we have lived wholly for Christ as the apostle did? And yet, this alone is the true Christian life—its source, its strength, its pattern, and its goal—all summed up in one word: Christ Jesus.

Lord, accept me. I present myself to You, praying to live only in You and for You. Let me be like the ox that stands between the plough and the altar—ready either to work or to be sacrificed. Let my motto be: “Ready for either.”

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