There was a kid who went to Sunday school at a new church. Afterward, his parents asked how it went. "Oh, it was good," he said. Then they asked how he liked his teacher. He paused and said, "Well, she must have been Jesus' grandmother, because she couldn't stop talking about Him."

I like that. Paul the apostle was kind of the same way. We could believe he was related to Jesus because that's the only person he talked about. In Philippians 1:21, he wrote: "For me, to live is Christ, and to die is gain." That seemed to be Paul's motivation throughout his life. It's also one of the most famous verses in the Bible.

Take that statement and make it your own: "For me, to live is ___ and to die is ___. " The only word you could put in the first blank for "gain" to make sense would be "Christ."

If you were to say, "For me, to live is wealth," you have to say, "to die is loss," because you cannot take your wealth with you. You'll leave it all behind one day. Or if you were to say, "For me, to live is fame and status," then you'd again have to say, "to die is loss," because you'll lose it all when you die.

The only word you could place there that brings gain is Christ. That’s why this was the pinnacle statement of Paul's life.

Jesus said, "I am the resurrection and the life. He who believes in Me, though he may die, he shall live. And whoever lives and believes in Me shall never die" (John 11:25-26). Paul lived and breathed that.

Paul was in prison, not knowing whether he was going to live or die. He had decided, "If I live, I'll live for Christ. If I die, I'll live with Christ." Either way, life was in the equation.

Later, he was arrested again and brought to Rome. He was eventually beheaded. One moment he was preaching Christ. In the next, he was with Christ.

Paul was never afraid. He knew his ultimate future all along. As long as he lived, he preached Christ. If they killed him, he would be with Him. Either way, Paul won. Either way, he would be delivered. Either way, he would rejoice. He was confident in the hope that he would have life in Christ no matter what.

You cannot predict your future circumstances, except for one thing: You will spend eternity in heaven or in hell. I can predict that accurately for myself, because I believe in Jesus Christ. I don't believe in my own good works—I trust in His finished work. Unequivocally, with no doubts at all, I'm going to heaven.

Paul's life motto should be ours, too. "For me, to live is Christ, and to die is gain." We don't put our trust in ourselves, our goodness, or our merits. We trust deeply in Jesus Christ by turning from our sin and trusting Jesus as our Savior.

Jesus conquered death. He rose from the grave. And He still changes lives. As believers in Jesus Christ, this is the promise in which we can anchor our faith.