Philippians 1:20 according to my earnest expectation and hope, that I will not be put to shame in anything, but that with all boldness, Christ will even now, as always, be exalted 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 am to live on in the flesh, this will mean fruitful labor for me; and I do not know which to choose. 23 But I am hard-pressed from both directions, having the desire to depart and be with Christ, for that is very much better; 24 yet to remain on in the flesh is more necessary for your sake. 25 Convinced of this, I know that I will remain and continue with you all for your progress and joy in the faith, 26 so that your proud confidence in me may abound in Christ Jesus through my coming to you again. 27 Only conduct yourselves in a manner worthy of the gospel of Christ, so that whether I come and see you or remain absent, I will hear of you that you are standing firm in one spirit, with one mind striving together for the faith of the gospel; 28 in no way alarmed by your opponents--which is a sign of destruction for them, but of salvation for you, and that too, from God. 29 For to you it has been granted for Christ's sake, not only to believe in Him, but also to suffer for His sake, 30 experiencing the same conflict which you saw in me, and now hear to be in me.

 

In 1934, John and Betty Stam were new missionaries with the China Inland Mission. Along with their 3-month-old daughter, Helen, they were serving in a small town.

But civil war had erupted nearby and the communist or "red army" forces were fighting with government forces.

The town's magistrate knew it was life threatening for any foreigners, especially missionaries, and he came to the Stam's missionary compound and urged them to flee for their lives.

Taking no chances for his wife and daughter, John arranged for Betty and their baby girl to be escorted away to safety. Before their plans could commence, the 19th Division of the Red Army had streamed over the mountains behind government troops and entered the town.

Gun shots echoed in the streets as the rebel forces began looting and killing. It wasn't long before some of them began pounding on the Mission station's front gate.

John opened it and invited the soldiers inside, asking them if they were hungry? Betty set before them tea and cake. Their courtesy meant nothing and the soldiers demanded all the money the Stams had. John handed it over.

Still, the men tied up John's hands as he pleaded for the safety of his wife and daughter. All three of them were eventually taken to a local prison where some of the prisoners were released to make room for the Stams. In the midst of all the chaos, little Helen began to cry – nothing would console her. Finally, one of the soldiers offered to kill her, since she was bothering all of the troops.

One of the prisoners who were in the process of being released asked how anyone could even think of killing an innocent baby. The soldiers turned to him and said, "Well I will allow the baby to live tonight but you will take her place." And with savage rage, he hacked that prisoner to death in the prison yard.

The Stams knew that they would certainly not be allowed to live much longer. John wrote a hasty letter to the Mission, explaining how they'd been captured and ended his note with the words, "May Christ be glorified whether by life or death."

The next day, as they were leaving, John handed the letter to the postmaster and the postmaster, a believer, asked John where he was going. He looked at this man and quietly said, "I don't know where these soldiers are going, but we are going to heaven."

That day, after a forced march of 12 miles, they arrived at the town where they stopped for the night at a wealthy land owner's home who had fled upon their arrival.

Betty was allowed to tend to her little girl; but Betty did more than that. She hurriedly fed her baby, hugged her goodbye and then wrapped her in a sleeping bag and hid her in one of the rooms of that large home. Inside the sleeping bag she placed a change of clothing and all the money she had – $10 dollars.

The next morning the young couple was led to the town square without their baby and none of the soldiers seemed to notice.

Both John and Betty's hands were tightly bound. As they were led past jeering soldiers and curious citizens who had been forced to come and watch, they were stripped of their outer garments in the tradition of common criminals being led to execution. John was barefoot, having given his socks to Betty to help keep her warm in the winter air.

The commanding officer stopped and ordered John to kneel. John and Betty exchanged a few words that went unrecorded on earth and then John knelt and as he was praying softly, a soldier flashed his sword through air and severed John's head with one vicious swing.

Bystanders reported that Betty did not scream out, but merely shivered and then fell to her knees beside her husband's body. And there, with her hands bound, as she knelt there next to him, the same sword rose and fell again, ending her life. Their baby, Helen, was found two days later, her muffled cries in that abandoned house had aroused curiosity from neighbors. They called a Chinese pastor who came and took her to his home.

Sometime later she was safely delivered to her maternal grandparents who would raise her, while also serving as missionaries in China. Later she came to the United States where she lived with her Uncle and Aunt – she would grow to serve the Lord in a variety of ways, including writing. She passed away just a few months ago.

As for her martyred parents, a small group of Christians took their bodies and buried them on a hillside nearby.

John was 27 years old . . . Betty was 28.

Their deaths would impact and inspire the evangelical world in the west. For instance, at Moody Bible Institute, 700 students immediately dedicated themselves to missionary service . . . no matter what.

Their biography would be written by the daughter-in-law of Hudson Taylor.

The courage of John and Betty Stam wasn't the first to be written into the annals of church history.

In fact, on their headstones were lines from a letter written by another martyr, lines inscribed next to their names:

John Cornelius Stam, "That Christ may be glorified whether by life or by death."

Elisabeth Scott Stam, "For me to live is Christ and to die is gain."

Like John and Betty Stam, Paul had no idea at that moment which way the Lord will arrange his future. But he wants the world to know that he isn't just delivering inspired scripture – he's delivering the very motto – the mission statement of his life.  For Paul, he plans to return to these believers, but he never will. And we know why.  The sword of the executioner will eventually flash in the sunlight and Paul's future will be faith – translated into glorious sight.

But for now, listen to the passion of his heart.

Philippians chapter 1 and verse 21. For to me to live is Christ, and to die is gain.

In other words, I don't know what God has in mind for me – but this I do know . . . if I live – it's all about Christ . . . and if I die – things will only get better.

Did you notice the personal pronoun at the beginning of this statement which makes it clear this is intensely personal?

For me!  In other words, "I don't know about you – but to me – life is Christ and dying is gain!"

There is Something Personal Here

 

Personal philosophies abound in our culture, even among those who don't think they have a personal philosophy.

There is the Epicurean philosophy

One commentator on this paragraph referred to some excavations in Carthage where among the ruins is an inscription carved by a Roman soldier. The inscription reads: To laugh, to hunt, to bathe, to game – that is life." In other words, for me to live is to hunt, to go to the public swimming pool and to party.

There is the Stoic philosophy

 

There is the humanist philosophy

There is the nothing philosophy

 

There is the religious philosophy

 

There is the Christian philosophy

 

 

 

 

 

2. There is Something Powerful Here

Faith

21 For to me, to live is Christ

To many Jesus Christ is just a name in history. An ambiguous unknown person. But to the Christian He is someone personally known. And personally known, they can never live without Him again!

29 For to you it has been granted for Christ's sake, not only to believe in Him…

 

Hope

21 For to me, to live is Christ and to die is gain. 22 But if I am to live on in the flesh, this will mean fruitful labor for me; and I do not know which to choose. 23 But I am hard-pressed from both directions, having the desire to depart and be with Christ, for that is very much better; 24 yet to remain on in the flesh is more necessary for your sake. 25 Convinced of this, I know that I will remain and continue with you all for your progress and joy in the faith, 26 so that your proud confidence in me may abound in Christ Jesus through my coming to you again.

Love

For me to live is Christ!  Something has taken away every rival philosophy or desire. Some One has taken up residence in Paul's heart and has given him such a desire to love the Lord Jesus. Whom he formally hated now he preaches!

"having the desire to depart and be with Christ, for that is very much better"

It is love for the Lord Jesus that is the reason for the change in Paul's heart.

 

3. There is Something Practical Here

First, he wants to multiply fruit

Notice verse 22. If I live in the flesh, that means fruitful labor for me.

Paul's words here translated fruitful labor is simply:  Fruitful attitudes: the attitudes of the fruit of the Spirit (Galatians 5:22-23 – love, joy, peace, patience, kindness, goodness, faithfulness, gentleness, self-control);  Fruitful actions – earlier in Philippians 1:11 Paul calls righteous deeds the fruit of righteousness;  Fruitful additions: he refers to winning converts to Christ as a spiritual harvest – a metaphor for fruitful evangelism – in Romans 1:13.

Paul anticipates one of the benefits of living a little longer to being an opportunity to reap more fruit for the glory of Christ.  And this fruit goes on into eternity because it is related to people . . . to the gospel . . . to the living, eternal Lord.

Betty Stam wrote these words sometime before her martyrdom in China, "When we consecrate ourselves to God, we think we are making a great sacrifice when we are only letting go of some little trinket . . . and when our hands are empty, He fills them with His treasures." – Betty Stam

Paul says, "Listen, one of the reasons I want to live is to get more opportunities to multiply true treasures that lasts forever."

2. To motivate growth

But to remain in the flesh – that is, to stay alive – is more necessary on your account. 25. Convinced of this, I know that I will remain and continue with you all, for your progress and joy in the faith.

In other words, I know that for the time being God has me remaining here for the sake of your progress . . .  That word progress appeared earlier in verse 12 for the progress (prokope) – the advancement – of the gospel.  It's a word that refers to cutting forward. It's the idea of is hacking your way with a machete through thick brush in the forest to make a path.  It's a word that refers to making progress against obstacles and in the face of resistance. Paul is saying, "I want you to move forward against resistance and through the thick forest of difficulties."

3. To magnify Christ

So that – he writes in verse 26 – this translates Paul's purpose clause – yes I want to live to multiply fruit and motivate growth – but here's where I'm driving . . . here's the core of my desire – notice, so that in me you may have ample cause to glory in Christ Jesus, because of my coming to you.  In other words, if Paul is allowed to live – and he will for some time yet – the Philippians will have all the more reason to praise and worship the Lord for answering their prayers in this regard.  As I studied several sites that recorded the biography of John and Betty Stam, I'm almost convinced that they must have been either reading or studying or memorizing this paragraph from the Paul's letter to the Philippians.  So much of their brief correspondence is steeped in this language; for instance, in his last letter home from China, in 1934, John Stam had written his parents, "God knows what our end is, but we have decided that, by life or death, Christ shall be magnified."

As a young woman of eighteen, just 10 years before Betty Stam would be martyred in China, she had written a prayer that would later be published throughout the western world:

Lord, I give up all my own plans and purposes All my own desires and hopes And accept Thy will for my life. I give myself, my life, my all Utterly to Thee to be Thine forever. Fill me and seal me with Thy Holy Spirit Use me as Thou wilt, send me where Thou wilt And work out Thy whole will in my life at any cost now and forever.

This poem would be copied by a young 12 year old girl into the fly leaf of her Bible – a 12 year old the world would one day know as Elizabeth Elliot. The fruit continues to multiply to this very day.

Elizabeth's husband would become one more martyr in the annals of church history. A likeminded man who once wrote of his commitment: He is no fool who gives up what he cannot keep, to gain what he cannot lose.  

Which is another way of saying with Paul, "For to me to live is Christ, and to die, is gain." Warren Wiersbe writes, to the average person, Jesus Christ is a misty figure, who lived centuries ago. But as they watch a believer's life, that believer acts as a telescope – bringing Jesus Christ so much closer . . . making Him so much nearer.

4. To Manage Relationships

Only conduct yourselves in a manner worthy of the gospel of Christ. There was a note smuggled out of Romania while under Communist Regime; it read, "We do not pray to be better Christians but that we may be the only kind of Christian God meant us to be" – faithful.  Live in a manner worthy of the gospel of Christ!!

5. To Model Courage

27 Only conduct yourselves in a manner worthy of the gospel of Christ, so that whether I come and see you or remain absent, I will hear of you that you are standing firm in one spirit, with one mind striving together for the faith of the gospel; 28 in no way alarmed by your opponents--which is a sign of destruction for them, but of salvation for you, and that too, from God. 29 For to you it has been granted for Christ's sake, not only to believe in Him, but also to suffer for His sake, 30 experiencing the same conflict which you saw in me, and now hear to be in me.

I will not be at all ashamed. Paul's word here for courage can be understood as bold speech – forthrightness in speech.

Stand firm

United

Courageous (not alarmed by your opponents).

Chet Bitterman – a Wycliffe Bible Translator who was abducted in Bogota, Colombia. They demanded a ransom as well as a promised that all the Wycliffe missionaries leave Colombia within 30 days. Wycliffe of course refused both, an all their missionaries are aware that bribes or ransoms are not be paid – which would end up endangering every missionary. In a note Chet was able to send to his wife he wrote about the potential ministry he might have among these soldiers. He added, "Remember Paul and the Praetorian guard" in Philippians 1 – maybe God will give me the same opportunity with these who are guarding me.

48 days after his abduction, his life was ended by a single bullet to his heart. Heaven alone has recorded the impact of his life and death.

Not long ago, according to information smuggled out of North Korea, several families were herded together and their children taken from them to be hung until they died unless their parents recanted. The parents refused to publically deny Christ and as their children were hung these adults began to sing together through their tears, the hymn text; "More love, O Christ, to Thee, more love to thee."

That's Paul's prayer – notice verse 20b again – that I will not be at all ashamed, but that with full courage – boldness – now as always, Christ will be honored in my body whether by life or by death.

 

Luke 21: 10 Then He continued by saying to them, "Nation will rise against nation and kingdom against kingdom,11 and there will be great earthquakes, and in various places plagues and famines; and there will be terrors and great signs from heaven. 12 "But before all these things, they will lay their hands on you and will persecute you, delivering you to the synagogues and prisons, bringing you before kings and governors for My name's sake. 13 "It will lead to an opportunity for your testimony. 14 "So make up your minds not to prepare beforehand to defend yourselves;15 for I will give you utterance and wisdom which none of your opponents will be able to resist or refute. 16 "But you will be betrayed even by parents and brothers and relatives and friends, and they will put some of you to death, 17 and you will be hated by all because of My name. 18 "Yet not a hair of your head will perish. 19 "By your endurance you will gain your lives."