Let's be honest, most of the time when we think about death, we view it as loss. In fact that's often how we express death, as the "loss of life." But when Paul used the word "gain," it's clear that he believed that death was just the opposite of "loss" - the word he used means that he actually thought that death was profitable.

Paul wrote these words while he was in a prison in Rome - they were addressed to the Christians in Philippi. Some of his first readers of this Epistle remembered that ten years earlier, when Paul first visited their city, he was at that time also put in jail, but was delivered miraculously by an earthquake. Now in Rome, there was no immediate release, and Paul was facing an uncertain future - he may not come out of this alive. In spite of this depressing prospect, Paul expresses great joy in the midst of his suffering. If he gets to live, that will be good, for it will allow him to continue his work of preaching the Gospel, but he will be no less joyful if his sentence is death. In fact, Paul is very clear in affirming that death would be a better outcome, because that would signal the beginning of a wonderful eternal life in the presence of Christ. Upside down and backwards.

Paul goes on to acknowledge that in fact death does bring loss, but not for the person who died, but for those left behind. In this letter, he says, "it is more necessary for you that I remain in the body." At first this may almost sound arrogant - Paul had a high view of himself, he believed that his life had value, and that the world in general, and the members of the church in particular would be the losers if he were to die - theirs would be the loss, his would be the gain.

A few years later the day did come when Paul would leave his friends for the last time. Then he was in another church in another city, and these people who loved him so dearly would never see his face again. When they heard that, they wept as they hugged and kissed him while he made his way to the shore to board the boat to sail east.

On his way to Jerusalem, he stopped at another city where a prophet had correctly predicted that if Paul stuck with his plans to go to Jerusalem, he would be taken prisoner again. The members of the church there pleaded with Paul not to go, and this is what he answered, "Why are you weeping and breaking my heart? I am ready not only to be bound, but also to die in Jerusalem for the name of the Lord Jesus." (Acts 21:13)

At a much earlier time, Paul had acknowledged that grief was real, that when someone dies there is a sadness, not for them, but for the ones left behind. However, he quickly added that Christians do not "grieve like the rest of men, who have no hope." (I Thessalonians 4:13) Theirs would be grief with hope.

Hope is like an antibiotic for the despair of death. Hope is the sure knowledge that the person who has died believing in Christ is now very much alive in His presence, and is filled, as the Bible says, "with joy unspeakable." They haven't lost anything worth keeping, but they have gained something that can never be taken away.

Yes, we are saddened by the death of our loved ones, but we are not sad for them. Do you remember what Jesus said to the people that lined the roadway that led Him to Calvary, the place where he would be crucified? He said, "weep not for me, but weep for yourselves, and for your children." (Luke 23:28) We would say the same today, don't weep for Marie, but weep for yourselves. Why? Because you and I must plod on in this dark, sinful, hurtful world. But not Marie. We will endure sickness and pain, abuse and shame. But not Marie. We will grow weary and come close to despair, we will be maligned and dismissed. But not Marie. Don't weep for her, weep for yourselves. We are still poor, she is rich. We are fearful, she is secure. We lose, she gains.

"To die is gain." Many would say, "Upside down and backwards."

But not everyone, for surely there are others, many others here today that, by faith, agree with the Apostle. For these people there is no fear of death, and when their time comes they will gladly enter into their own glorious future. The question that needs to be asked is, are you among this group? Are you certain that there is truth in Paul's words, "To die is gain"? Does death provide a promise of prosperity? or does it foster fear of the future?

Yes, it appears that with spiritual matters there is a reversal of what we naturally expect.

First are last, the greatest are the littlest, cling to life and lose it, and, "To Die Is Gain."