Section 3
better to live Him while we are on earth. Proba bly you have thanked the Lord for His presence, but have you ever thanked Him for the expe rience of living Him? It is easy for us to thank the Lord for the sweetness and loveliness of His presence. Many have the habit of doing this. Sometimes when I am about to utter such a thanksgiving to the Lord, I have the conviction within that I am simply following an Old Testa ment practice. I am then reminded of my need to live Christ. First Corinthians 6:17 says, "He who is joined to the Lord is one spirit." We are one spirit with the Lord not only that we may enjoy His presence, but even more that we may live Him.
There certainly is a difference in Philippians 1:21 between living Christ and gaining a greater degree of His presence. I can testify that my pref erence is to live Christ and not just to gain a greater degree of His presence.
FRUIT FROM WORK
In Philippians 1:22 Paul goes on to say, "But if to live in the flesh, this to me is fruit from work, and what I shall choose I cannot tell." Paul's use of the word fruit indicates that his work was actu ally his living. When Paul wrote to the Philippians,