The point that the Apostle Paul is pressing upon the church in Philippi is the importance of their humility. And so, in order to further drive his point home, he points to the ultimate example of humility: Jesus Christ.

If someone asked you today to give them ten ways to unite a church, what would you say? Maybe you’d start with obvious answers: strong leadership, a clear vision or mission statement, engaging programs. A church without leadership or a clear direction can aimlessly wander about, but none of those things are what Paul points to. According to Paul, humility is the key to church unity.

From his own imprisonment, Paul writes to encourage the Philippians to stay faithful and stand courageous in the face of opposition and suffering — a reality he himself knew intimately.

When life shows its frailty, when we see how quickly everything can change, we’re forced to ask: what do we count as gain? What holds weight in our estimation of a life well-lived? So many of the things we chase—comfort, influence, recognition—can vanish overnight. They can slip through our fingers like sand.

Which is why today’s famous passage from the Apostle Paul is so timely! “For to me to live is Christ, and to die is gain” (Philippians 1:21). These are radical words: in the face of real danger, real uncertainty, real mortality, Paul tells us what it means to truly live: to truly live is to live for Jesus Christ! 

That is the shocking, countercultural reality of the gospel: where the world expects defeat, the gospel often advances in greater power. Where the world sees rivalry as a threat, Paul sees Christ being lifted up. The very circumstances that should have crushed his spirit instead became reasons for his joy, because his ultimate concern was not his reputation, not his comfort, not even his freedom—it was the exaltation of Jesus’ name.

Paul’s letter to the Philippians overflows with joy, encouragement, unity, and generosity – those are the sorts of themes you wouldn’t expect from someone behind bars. Which is exactly why Philippians is so powerful! It shows us that true joy isn’t rooted in circumstances, but in Christ Himself.