A Life Worth Living
Introduction
‘In the future, scientists may be able to prolong life, but will it be worth living?’ wrote Nigel Hawkes in The Times.
Apparently, one Oxford professor claims it may soon be possible to prolong many people’s lives until the age of 115. But Hawkes rightly asks, ‘Will it be worth living?’ An increased lifespan is of little value unless it is for a life worth living.
The apostle Paul did not see the prolonging of life as a major objective: ‘For to me, to live is Christ and to die is gain’ (Philippians 1:21). Indeed, he regarded death as something of even greater worth. Yet for him, Jesus had made his life profoundly worth living.
Proverbs 23:29-24:4
Saying 19
29 Who has woe? Who has sorrow?
Who has strife? Who has complaints?
Who has needless bruises? Who has bloodshot eyes?
30 Those who linger over wine,
who go to sample bowls of mixed wine.
31 Do not gaze at wine when it is red,
when it sparkles in the cup,
when it goes down smoothly!
32 In the end it bites like a snake
and poisons like a viper.
33 Your eyes will see strange sights,
and your mind will imagine confusing things.
34 You will be like one sleeping on the high seas,
lying on top of the rigging.
35 “They hit me,” you will say, “but I’m not hurt!
They beat me, but I don’t feel it!
When will I wake up
so I can find another drink?”
Saying 20
24 Do not envy the wicked,
do not desire their company;
2 for their hearts plot violence,
and their lips talk about making trouble.
Saying 21
3 By wisdom a house is built,
and through understanding it is established;
4 through knowledge its rooms are filled
with rare and beautiful treasures.
Commentary
Live in a relationship with God
Another Times columnist Bernard Levin spoke of how there is a hole inside each of us. However much you try to fill it with food, drink, relationships, possessions, ‘it aches’. You were created for a relationship with God through Jesus Christ. Without that relationship we ache.
People try to fill this hole with different things. For some, it is alcohol, and although there is nothing wrong with drinking wine, it does not satisfy the deep inner thirst we have in our hearts.
It looks so attractive ‘when it sparkles in the cup, when it goes down smoothly!’ (23:31). However, if we follow this path and overindulge, ‘in the end it bites like a snake and poisons like a viper’ (v.32). The writer describes the effects of drunkenness with great vividness: the hangover, splitting headache, queasy stomach, seeing double, slurred speech (vv.34–35, MSG). It leads to sorrow, strife, complaints, needless bruises and bloodshot eyes (v.29).
By contrast, the writer speaks of the blessings of wisdom and knowledge: intelligence, strategic planning and a lot of good counsel (24:3–4, MSG). Where can we find such wisdom and knowledge? The apostle Paul spoke of knowing Christ ‘in whom are hidden all the treasures of wisdom and knowledge’ (Colossians 2:2–3).
Prayer
Philippians 1:1-26
1 Paul and Timothy, servants of Christ Jesus,
To all God’s holy people in Christ Jesus at Philippi, together with the overseers and deacons:
2 Grace and peace to you from God our Father and the Lord Jesus Christ.
Thanksgiving and Prayer
3 I thank my God every time I remember you. 4 In all my prayers for all of you, I always pray with joy 5 because of your partnership in the gospel from the first day until now, 6 being confident of this, that he who began a good work in you will carry it on to completion until the day of Christ Jesus.
7 It is right for me to feel this way about all of you, since I have you in my heart and, whether I am in chains or defending and confirming the gospel, all of you share in God’s grace with me. 8 God can testify how I long for all of you with the affection of Christ Jesus.
9 And this is my prayer: that your love may abound more and more in knowledge and depth of insight, 10 so that you may be able to discern what is best and may be pure and blameless for the day of Christ, 11 filled with the fruit of righteousness that comes through Jesus Christ—to the glory and praise of God.
Paul’s Chains Advance the Gospel
12 Now I want you to know, brothers and sisters, that what has happened to me has actually served to advance the gospel. 13 As a result, it has become clear throughout the whole palace guard and to everyone else that I am in chains for Christ. 14 And because of my chains, most of the brothers and sisters have become confident in the Lord and dare all the more to proclaim the gospel without fear.
15 It is true that some preach Christ out of envy and rivalry, but others out of goodwill. 16 The latter do so out of love, knowing that I am put here for the defense of the gospel. 17 The former preach Christ out of selfish ambition, not sincerely, supposing that they can stir up trouble for me while I am in chains. 18 But what does it matter? The important thing is that in every way, whether from false motives or true, Christ is preached. And because of this I rejoice.
Yes, and I will continue to rejoice, 19 for I know that through your prayers and God’s provision of the Spirit of Jesus Christ what has happened to me will turn out for my deliverance. 20 I eagerly expect and hope that I will in no way be ashamed, but will have sufficient courage so that now as always Christ will 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 If I am to go on living in the body, this will mean fruitful labour for me. Yet what shall I choose? I do not know! 23 I am torn between the two: I desire to depart and be with Christ, which is better by far; 24 but it is more necessary for you that I remain in the body. 25 Convinced of this, I know that I will remain, and I will continue with all of you for your progress and joy in the faith, 26 so that through my being with you again your boasting in Christ Jesus will abound on account of me.
Commentary
Make a difference to the lives of others
Do you wish your circumstances were different?
If you are facing major challenges or difficulties, be encouraged by the fact that you can be useful in the midst of your struggles. God can work through you in ways you might not expect.
When Paul wrote this letter he was under house arrest in Rome, attached to a Roman soldier by a chain that was three feet long. He was imprisoned in very bad conditions, awaiting trial and possible execution. Yet, he believed that his life in Christ meant ‘fruitful labour’ for him (v.22).
When Paul says, ‘I have you in my heart’ (v.7), he is expressing his deep love for the people of Philippi. He has already spoken of their ‘partnership in the gospel’ (v.5) and now he speaks of sharing God’s grace with them (v.7). There is such a close bond between those who work together for Jesus Christ. There is an even closer bond when one is responsible for the conversion of the others. Paul says that he longs for all of them ‘with the affection of Christ Jesus’ (v.8).
In an age of almost unparalleled opportunity and choice, so many people are unduly anxious about missing their destiny or taking a wrong step. But you can have confidence that because God began the good work in you, he will complete it (v.6). God always finishes what he starts.
None of us are there yet. You are a work in progress. Paul’s prayer for the Philippians was that they might be even more fruitful:
Grow in love
Pray for others and for yourself that your ‘love will flourish and that you will not only love much but well’ (v.9, MSG).
Grow in knowledge
Pray not simply for growth in love, but that your ‘love may abound more and more in knowledge and depth of insight, so that you may be able to discern what is best’ (vv.9–10). Love is to be more than an emotional experience; ‘sincere and intelligent, not sentimental gush’ (v.10, MSG).
Grow in holiness
Paul prayed that they ‘may be pure and blameless’ (v.10). The word for ‘pure’ describes an inner purity in which even our motives are unmixed. The word for ‘blameless’ means without giving offence and refers more to the outer way of life. Pray, like Paul, that you may be holy both inwardly and outwardly – ‘making Jesus Christ attractive to all’ (v.11, MSG). As Dietrich Bonhoeffer put it, ‘Your life as a Christian should make non-believers question their disbelief in God.’
Paul could bear his chains because they gave him an opportunity to preach the gospel and to encourage others to ‘speak the word of God more courageously and fearlessly’ (v.14).
Don’t be concerned about other people’s motives for preaching the gospel: ‘Some preach Christ out of envy and rivalry’ and ‘selfish ambition’ (vv.15,17). Others do it out of love (v.16). However, Paul didn’t seem to think it mattered very much as long as Christ was preached (vv.17–18). Don’t criticise other Christians who are preaching the gospel even if you don’t like their style or you question their motives. Be glad that they are proclaiming Jesus.
Paul’s whole life was centred on Christ. His desire was for Christ to be exalted in his body, ‘whether by life or by death’ (v.20). He felt himself ‘torn between the two’ (v.23). In many ways, he desired ‘to depart and be with Christ, which is better by far’ (v.23).
The saintly Prebendary John Collins was vicar of HTB from 1980–1985. When his wife Diana died on 16 July 2013 John wrote to me, ‘I am thankful that we had fifty-eight glorious years together – getting better and better! Although strokes are horrible and death is an enemy… like St Paul, for many years she had longed “to be with Christ, which is far better”. I am deeply thankful, therefore… that she was not afraid, because she knew where she was going and her faith in Christ’s promises never wavered.’
Although Paul was longing to be with Christ, part of him also wanted to stay alive because he knew it would ‘mean fruitful labour’ (v.22). His desire was to see the Philippians progress in their faith and their joy in Christ Jesus overflow (v.26).
Prayer
Zephaniah 1:1-3:20
1 The word of the Lord that came to Zephaniah son of Cushi, the son of Gedaliah, the son of Amariah, the son of Hezekiah, during the reign of Josiah son of Amon king of Judah:
Judgment on the Whole Earth in the Day of the Lord
2 “I will sweep away everything
from the face of the earth,”
declares the Lord.
3 “I will sweep away both man and beast;
I will sweep away the birds in the sky
and the fish in the sea—
and the idols that cause the wicked to stumble.”
“When I destroy all mankind
on the face of the earth,”
declares the Lord,
4 “I will stretch out my hand against Judah
and against all who live in Jerusalem.
I will destroy every remnant of Baal worship in this place,
the very names of the idolatrous priests —
5 those who bow down on the roofs
to worship the starry host,
those who bow down and swear by the Lord
and who also swear by Molek,
6 those who turn back from following the Lord
and neither seek the Lord nor inquire of him.”
7 Be silent before the Sovereign Lord,
for the day of the Lord is near.
The Lord has prepared a sacrifice;
he has consecrated those he has invited.
8 “On the day of the Lord’s sacrifice
I will punish the officials
and the king’s sons
and all those clad
in foreign clothes.
9 On that day I will punish
all who avoid stepping on the threshold,
who fill the temple of their gods
with violence and deceit.
10 “On that day, ”
declares the Lord,
“a cry will go up from the Fish Gate,
wailing from the New Quarter,
and a loud crash from the hills.
11 Wail, you who live in the market district;
all your merchants will be wiped out,
all who trade with silver will be destroyed.
12 At that time I will search Jerusalem with lamps
and punish those who are complacent,
who are like wine left on its dregs,
who think, ‘The Lord will do nothing,
either good or bad.’
13 Their wealth will be plundered,
their houses demolished.
Though they build houses,
they will not live in them;
though they plant vineyards,
they will not drink the wine.”
14 The great day of the Lord is near —
near and coming quickly.
The cry on the day of the Lord is bitter;
the Mighty Warrior shouts his battle cry.
15 That day will be a day of wrath—
a day of distress and anguish,
a day of trouble and ruin,
a day of darkness and gloom,
a day of clouds and blackness —
16 a day of trumpet and battle cry
against the fortified cities
and against the corner towers.
17 “I will bring such distress on all people
that they will grope about like those who are blind,
because they have sinned against the Lord.
Their blood will be poured out like dust
and their entrails like dung.
18 Neither their silver nor their gold
will be able to save them
on the day of the Lord’s wrath.”
In the fire of his jealousy
the whole earth will be consumed,
for he will make a sudden end
of all who live on the earth.
Judah and Jerusalem Judged Along With the Nations
Judah Summoned to Repent
2 Gather together, gather yourselves together,
you shameful nation,
2 before the decree takes effect
and that day passes like windblown chaff,
before the Lord’s fierce anger
comes upon you,
before the day of the Lord’s wrath
comes upon you.
3 Seek the Lord, all you humble of the land,
you who do what he commands.
Seek righteousness, seek humility;
perhaps you will be sheltered
on the day of the Lord’s anger.
Philistia
4 Gaza will be abandoned
and Ashkelon left in ruins.
At midday Ashdod will be emptied
and Ekron uprooted.
5 Woe to you who live by the sea,
you Kerethite people;
the word of the Lord is against you,
Canaan, land of the Philistines.
He says, “I will destroy you,
and none will be left.”
6 The land by the sea will become pastures
having wells for shepherds
and sheepfolds for flocks.
7 That land will belong
to the remnant of the people of Judah;
there they will find pasture.
In the evening they will lie down
in the houses of Ashkelon.
The Lord their God will care for them;
he will restore their fortunes.
Moab and Ammon
8 “I have heard the insults of Moab
and the taunts of the Ammonites,
who insulted my people
and made threats against their land.
9 Therefore, as surely as I live,”
declares the Lord Almighty,
the God of Israel,
“surely Moab will become like Sodom,
the Ammonites like Gomorrah—
a place of weeds and salt pits,
a wasteland forever.
The remnant of my people will plunder them;
the survivors of my nation will inherit their land. ”
10 This is what they will get in return for their pride,
for insulting and mocking
the people of the Lord Almighty.
11 The Lord will be awesome to them
when he destroys all the gods of the earth.
Distant nations will bow down to him,
all of them in their own lands.
Cush
12 “You Cushites, too,
will be slain by my sword. ”
Assyria
13 He will stretch out his hand against the north
and destroy Assyria,
leaving Nineveh utterly desolate
and dry as the desert.
14 Flocks and herds will lie down there,
creatures of every kind.
The desert owl and the screech owl
will roost on her columns.
Their hooting will echo through the windows,
rubble will fill the doorways,
the beams of cedar will be exposed.
15 This is the city of revelry
that lived in safety.
She said to herself,
“I am the one! And there is none besides me.”
What a ruin she has become,
a lair for wild beasts!
All who pass by her scoff
and shake their fists.
Jerusalem
3 Woe to the city of oppressors,
rebellious and defiled!
2 She obeys no one,
she accepts no correction.
She does not trust in the Lord,
she does not draw near to her God.
3 Her officials within her
are roaring lions;
her rulers are evening wolves,
who leave nothing for the morning.
4 Her prophets are unprincipled;
they are treacherous people.
Her priests profane the sanctuary
and do violence to the law.
5 The Lord within her is righteous;
he does no wrong.
Morning by morning he dispenses his justice,
and every new day he does not fail,
yet the unrighteous know no shame.
Jerusalem Remains Unrepentant
6 “I have destroyed nations;
their strongholds are demolished.
I have left their streets deserted,
with no one passing through.
Their cities are laid waste;
they are deserted and empty.
7 Of Jerusalem I thought,
‘Surely you will fear me
and accept correction!’
Then her place of refuge would not be destroyed,
nor all my punishments come upon her.
But they were still eager
to act corruptly in all they did.
8 Therefore wait for me,”
declares the Lord,
“for the day I will stand up to testify.
I have decided to assemble the nations,
to gather the kingdoms
and to pour out my wrath on them—
all my fierce anger.
The whole world will be consumed
by the fire of my jealous anger.
Restoration of Israel’s Remnant
9 “Then I will purify the lips of the peoples,
that all of them may call on the name of the Lord
and serve him shoulder to shoulder.
10 From beyond the rivers of Cush
my worshipers, my scattered people,
will bring me offerings.
11 On that day you, Jerusalem, will not be put to shame
for all the wrongs you have done to me,
because I will remove from you
your arrogant boasters.
Never again will you be haughty
on my holy hill.
12 But I will leave within you
the meek and humble.
The remnant of Israel
will trust in the name of the Lord.
13 They will do no wrong;
they will tell no lies.
A deceitful tongue
will not be found in their mouths.
They will eat and lie down
and no one will make them afraid. ”
14 Sing, Daughter Zion;
shout aloud, Israel!
Be glad and rejoice with all your heart,
Daughter Jerusalem!
15 The Lord has taken away your punishment,
he has turned back your enemy.
The Lord, the King of Israel, is with you;
never again will you fear any harm.
16 On that day
they will say to Jerusalem,
“Do not fear, Zion;
do not let your hands hang limp.
17 The Lord your God is with you,
the Mighty Warrior who saves.
He will take great delight in you;
in his love he will no longer rebuke you,
but will rejoice over you with singing.”
18 “I will remove from you
all who mourn over the loss of your appointed festivals,
which is a burden and reproach for you.
19 At that time I will deal
with all who oppressed you.
I will rescue the lame;
I will gather the exiles.
I will give them praise and honour
in every land where they have suffered shame.
20 At that time I will gather you;
at that time I will bring you home.
I will give you honour and praise
among all the peoples of the earth
when I restore your fortunes
before your very eyes,”
says the Lord.
Commentary
Experience God’s love for you
Do you realise how much and how deeply God loves you? No matter what happens in this life God loves you. Not only does he love you, he takes great delight in you. In fact, he sings over you with joy (3:17).
The theme of Zephaniah is ‘the great day of the Lord’ (1:14). This was the day that the people of God were anticipating. In popular thinking, this was the day that they expected Israel to be blessed. Zephaniah’s message was that it is not simply going to be a day of blessing, but it will also be a day of judgment.
He urged repentance. Sin leads to judgment. But God loves us and longs to be merciful and to forgive: ‘Seek the Lord, all you humble of the land, you who do what he commands. Seek righteousness, seek humility; perhaps you will be sheltered on the day of the Lord’s anger’ (2:3).
He foresaw that a remnant, who are ‘meek and humble, who trust in the name of the Lord’, will survive (3:12). He foresaw that God would again bless his people, ‘The Lord your God is with you, he is mighty to save. He will take great delight in you, he will quiet you with his love, he will rejoice over you with singing’ (v.17).
When Jesus announced the kingdom of God, he was proclaiming that the day of the Lord had broken into history. One day, when Jesus returns, there will indeed be a day of judgment and reckoning. However, some aspects of the day of the Lord can also be experienced right now in Christ. You can know God saving you, delighting in you, quieting you with his love and rejoicing over you with singing right now. You can know this, despite the reality of God’s judgment, because, in Christ, ‘the Lord has taken away your punishment’ (v.15).
For those who are in Christ, the promises of the Lord in Zephaniah are fulfilled in you. As Cardinal Raniero Cantalamessa writes, ‘Everything that God does and says in the Bible is love, even God’s anger is nothing but love. God is love!’ And that makes life worth living.
Prayer
Pippa adds
Zephaniah 3:17
‘The Lord your God is with you, he is mighty to save. He will take great delight in you, he will quiet you with his love, he will rejoice over you with singing.’
When my siblings and I were very little and we were crying at night, because we were frightened of something, my father would come in and pick us up individually and carry us around, And he would sing to us, ‘Daddy’s got you now. Daddy’s got you now...’ I still remember the song and the sense of safety being in my father’s arms.
Verse of the Day
Zephaniah 3:17
‘The Lord your God is with you,
he is mighty to save.
He will take great delight in you,
he will quiet you with his love,
he will rejoice over you with singing’
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References
Raniero Cantalamessa, Life in Christ (Liturgical Press, 2002), p.7.
Unless otherwise stated, Scripture quotations taken from the Holy Bible, New International Version Anglicised, Copyright © 1979, 1984, 2011 Biblica, formerly International Bible Society. Used by permission of Hodder & Stoughton Publishers, an Hachette UK company. All rights reserved. ‘NIV’ is a registered trademark of Biblica. UK trademark number 1448790.
Scripture marked (MSG) taken from The Message. Copyright © 1993, 1994, 1995, 1996, 2000, 2001, 2002. Used by permission of NavPress Publishing Group.