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“Deliverer Is Emancipator! (D.I.E)”

Ramesh C. Reddy
Publisher

SCRIPTURE:
“For to me, to LIVE is Christ and to die is gain.” (Philippians 1:21)

Approach Question:
What do you consider a gain in life?

Observations: 
I asked myself what two things do I learn about Paul from here?
1. To live is Christ
2. To DIE is gain

I asked myself the significance of Paul's response to the Philippians?
I found Paul’s response to be very positive because whatever way he looked at it, he was optimistic that it would turn out for good. It is that much more meaningful when I recalled that Paul wrote these words while chained in prison. Yet, his outlook looked positive. Today I decided to focus on Point 2:

Interpretation:
I asked myself what could 'to DIE is gain' mean?
What came to my mind was that dying for Paul meant being with Christ in Heaven. That was exciting for Paul. It shows when Paul emphasized 'to DIE is gain', he was not afraid of dying for believing in Jesus Christ as His Master. As a slave to Christ, He was willing to DIE for the Master.

Implications:
I asked myself what are the implications for my own life?
The purpose of today's devotional in my life was to show me that to DIE for Christ is a gain in the Kingdom of God.

HOW GOSPEL GIVES ME TESTIMONY REGARDING D.I.E:

Yesterday, Pastor Josh reminded me the importance of being willing to die for my wife as Christ died for the church. I was reminded that dying to ourselves is a gain when that gain actually blesses others especially my precious wife Chandraleela. This cannot and will not happen unless I choose to live for Christ first and foremost always. When I choose to live for Christ then dying becomes a second nature because my focus would be 'how do I love my wife' as Jesus loved the church.  The answer is that Jesus was willing to die for you and me because of his love for us so that we can be blessed with Salvation. As a husband, I am called to love my wife as Christ loved the church. Practically, that means a lot of times to die literally or figuratively to myself for the betterment of my wife. When that happens, 'to die is gain', When I die to myself, I am living for Christ. When I put my wife's needs first, I am loving the Lord too because I am dying to self. What a radical concept. Thank you Jesus!

There is no gain to DIE in sin.  It is so easy to spiritually DIE even when I am alive if I continue to give in to the things of the world to the point that the ways of God become desensitized in me.

 The ways of God become densesitized in me if I don't die to selfishness, so selfless living for Christ is possible!

The ways of God become densensitized in me if I don't die to unforgiveness no matter how I have been shamed, hurt, betrayed, spit on, etc, so forgiveness of the person is possible as I live for Christ.

The ways of God become desensitized in me if I don't die to hatred, bitterness, etc no matter how I have been wronged terribly so the love of Christ can permeate through me as I live for Christ. 

As I choose to live for Christ, no matter how much I am dying on the inside, the love of Christ will bring the spirit alive. Thank you Jesus!

I am so thankful to Jesus when I do wrong, my conscience bothers me so much afterwards. For me that is the Spirit of the Living God convicting me to see that I chose the wrong path. But it is also the Spirit of the Living God restoring me fully by the Blood of the Lamb, so I am not stuck in my sinful ways. I see spiritually dying is no gain but to DIE to self, living for Christ has the ultimate gain. This is what Paul understood and strived for. This is what Jesus Christ wants me to strive for too, to understand 'to DIE is gain' when it involves my focus on Jesus Christ. I need the Holy Spirit's help for I falter so many times.

I am so thankful to Jesus that the words that Jesus spoke to the adulterous woman came to me when I have gone my own way and done my own things: "Has no one condemned you, neither do I, GO AND SIN NO MORE!"

Wow! I know when I live for Christ, it will become a reality and 'to DIE is gain' because I would have died living for Christ when that time comes. I thank the Lord for that opportunity. None of us know when we will DIE, so when I DIE, I want my last act to be an act where I am living for Christ. For that to happen, I need the Lord's help to live for Christ 24-7, so in death too, I can be with Christ forever and have a new glorious body! Praise the Lord! This also means those I leave behind can say with confidence, he lived for Christ in words and deeds.

I ask you now dear friend, why D.I.E for Christ?
When we DIE for Christ, we can have the gain that Paul was confident of. If life were just the kind of existentialism that Frederick Nietzche believed in without an after-life, Paul would not have mentioned it to be gain. This is something that Frederick Nietzche never understood. His philosophy was based on ‘God is dead’ rather than ‘God is living’. Paul was a philosopher in his own way and he understood more about life and death and the benefits of dying when people have Christ as their Master. That is why he could boldly state, ‘To DIE is gain’.

Knowing God is living, we can have that gain too when we have Christ in our lives. Christ is living and when we DIE we can be with Him eternally forever.  He wants to be our Savior who saves us, atones for our sins, visits us when we have been victimized, inspires us, openly offers ownership, and receives those redeemed readily.

But, for 'to DIE is gain' to become a reality in our lives, 'to live is Christ' must also become a reality. We cannot have one without the other. Living for Christ and with Christ in this fallen world is what makes you and I ready for that gain. It is a fallen world, where we will be hurt harshly, shamed severely, wounded worstly, betrayed badly. It is then our true character is displayed!

Will it be a character, displaying Christ's compassion or Satan's sinisterness?

My prayer is to display Christ's compassion as I live for Christ!

It starts with Christ and not giving into the temptations and allures of this world that will trap us. Satan will make everything look so appealing or make us feel justified why we cannot love, forgive, etc, just as Satan lured Adam & Eve to sin by eating the forbidden fruit.

When we rationalize or put ourselves in a position that will cause us to sin, we are actually giving into sin already. Once rationalization begins, it begins with the flesh and rarely ever with the Spirit of the Living God, so naturally our tendency is to give in unless Christ is so part of our lives that we don't do any action without Christ's signature. That is what you and I need to aim for so we can attain gain by dying for Christ.

What a privilege you and I can have to daily DIE for Christ by living for Christ!

After what Jesus Christ did for us on the Cross of Calvary, is this too much to ask?

I hope not! I pray everyday we can live our lives being prepared to DIE for Christ. Help me Lord Jesus! We need the Holy Spirit's help so when we DIE in our bodies, we can still be alive in Christ as we would have lived our lives for Him in this world. Then, even in death we will have gain, because we will be with our loving Master! Praise the Lord!

May you and I DIE to ourselves that we may gain Christ even now as we live! We can be assured of that because Jesus Christ already paid the ultimate sacrifice for us by ransoming us with His precious blood, coming back to life on the third day to save! Praise the Lord!

May you experience the meaning of life through Christ and understand gain of dying in Christ!

"Deliverer Is Emancipator! (D.I.E)"/"Why D.I.E for Christ?"

Savior!
By Ramesh C. Reddy

Savior saves sinners
Allowing atonement always
Valiantly visiting victimized
Immanuel imparts inspiration
Openly offering ownership
Receiving redeemed readily!

PRAYER:
Dear Lord Jesus, I want to thank you for being our Savior and saving us sinners. You Oh Lord became the atonement for us sinners now and forever. We thank you for valiantly visiting humanity that has been victimized by the infection of sin. We thank you for being our Immanuel who has imparted your inspiration in our lives through your Word and openly offering us ownership into your Kingdom receiving the redeemed readily. We thank you that we are redeemed because of the price you paid for us on the cross and our submission to you as we lay all our sins at the cross and ask for your forgiveness. Thank you for your forgiveness of our sins and coming back to life to save us as we acknowledge what you have done for us and believe in our heart that you were raised from the dead and as we confess that you are Lord. Oh Lord Jesus, thank you for teaching me about dying for myself in this body otherwise I can die spiritually and that's the worst sort of death. I don't want to die spiritually but will without your help in my life. Thanks for saving me and restoring me. Thank you for helping me live my life for you as I depend on you. I need you Jesus. Help me Lord to remember always to 'Die for Christ is gain' that I can be an example in word and deed. In life and death, I pray that you will be the center of our lives so both outcomes can be a gain than a loss as your servant and apostle Paul saw it. Help us to be the fisherman you want us to be by imitating your healthy lifestyle and expecting your mission to be answered through your servants now as we preach and proclaim the Gospel in word and deed through you our Lord and Savior Jesus Christ. Thank you for hearing us and answering us. We pray this in the Name of the Father, Son, and Holy Spirit! Amen!

Philippians 1:21: Why L.I.V.E your life?"   By Ramesh C. Reddy (Jan 27, 20, 10:08 a.m)

Philippians 1:20: "Where do you need to have C.O.U.R.A.G.E in life?"   By Ramesh C. Reddy (Jan 22, 20, 10:20 a.m)

Philippians 1:19: "Who do you C.A.L.L often in life to intercede for others?"   By Ramesh C. Reddy (Jan 21, 20, 10:36 a.m)

Philippians 1:19: "What reason do you have to R.E.J.O.I.C.E in life?"   By Ramesh C. Reddy (Jan 20, 20, 07:11 a.m)

Philippians 1:16-18: "How are your M.O.T.I.V.E.S in life?"   By Ramesh C. Reddy (Jan 18, 20, 08:01 a.m)

Philippians 1:12-15: "What have your C.H.A.I.N.S done to others in your life?"   By Ramesh C. Reddy (Jan 16, 20, 11:50 p.m)

Philippians 1:12: "How can you feel S.P.E.C.I.A.L when things are going so wrong in your life?"   By Ramesh C. Reddy (Jan 15, 20, 2:14 p.m)

Philippians 1:9-11: "What is your L.O.V.I.N.G response based on?" By Ramesh C. Reddy (Jan 14, 20, 6:51 a.m)

Philippians 1:7-8: "How can your A.F.F.E.C.T.I.O.N grow towards others in life?" By Ramesh C. Reddy (Jan 13, 20, 11:00 a.m)

Philippians 1:7-8: "Why can you only be saved by G.R.A.C.E alone?" By Ramesh C. Reddy (Jan 13, 20, 10:51 a.m)

Philippians 1:3-6: "Why be C.O.N.F.I.D.E.N.T in the Lord?" By Ramesh C. Reddy (Jan 08, 20, 09:44 a.m)

Philippians 1:3-5: "How can you attain a P.A.R.T.N.E.R.S.H.I.P in the Gospel?" By Ramesh C. Reddy (Jan 08, 20, 09:44 a.m)

Philippians 1:3: "How will others R.E.A.C.T towards God when they remember you?" By Ramesh C. Reddy (Jan 07, 20, 10:07 a.m)

Philippians 1:2: "When do you B.L.E.S.S others in life?" By Ramesh C. Reddy (Jan 06, 20, 11:10 a.m)

Philippians 1:1: "Why bother to let others T.R.A.I.N you when you are already a leader?" By Ramesh C. Reddy (Jan 04, 20, 11:55 a.m)

Philippians 1:1: "Why should you believe you are H.O.L.Y instead of a sinner?" By Ramesh C. Reddy (Jan 03, 20, 9:53 a.m)

Philippians 1:1: "Who will you be a S.E.R.V.AN.T to in life?" By Ramesh C. Reddy (Jan 02, 20, 6:55 pm)

"What will your P.R.E.S.E.N.T look like in 2020?" By Ramesh C. Reddy (Jan 01, 20, 1:13 pm)