To Live Is Christ to Die Is Gain

by Matt Chandler, Jared C. Wilson

Using Paul's radical letter to the Philippians as his road map, Matt Chandler forsakes the trendy to invite readers into authentic Christian maturity. The short book of Philippians is one of the most quoted in the Bible, yet Paul wrote it not for the popular sound bites, but to paint a picture of a mature Christian faith. While many give their lives to Jesus, few then go on to live a life of truly vibrant faith. In this disruptively inspiring book, Chandler offers tangible ways to develop a faith of pursuing, chasing, knowing, and loving Jesus. Because if we clean up our lives but don't get Jesus, we've lost! So let the goal be Him. To live is Christ, to die is gain—this is the message of the letter. Therefore, our lives should be lived to Him, through Him, for Him, with Him, about Him—everything should be about Jesus.

Genres: Christian, Christian Living, Theology, Nonfiction, Christianity, Faith, Religion

228 pages, Kindle Edition

First published January 1, 2013

About the author

Librarian Note: There is more than one author in the Goodreads database with this name.

Matt Chandler is the lead pastor of The Village Church, a multi-campus church in the Dallas metroplex of over 10,000 people. His sermons are among the topselling (free) podcasts on itunes and he speaks at conferences worldwide. Prior to accepting the pastorate at The Village, Matt had a vibrant itinerant ministry for over ten years where he spoke to hundreds of thousands of people in America and abroad about the glory of God and beauty of Jesus. He lives in Texas with his wife, Lauren, and their three children: Audrey, Reid and Norah.

Reviews

[Barnabas Piper · Rating 2 out of 5]

I love Matt's preaching. I love some of the studies that have come from his messages. This book was just chaotic, though. I had a really hard time tracking the point he was making in any chapter and no chapter really fed into the next. Lots of true stuff and good nuggets, but lost in the chaos.

[Glen · Rating 5 out of 5]

Disclaimer: I don't usually review books about Theology. While I am well acquainted with the Bible, I am not a theologian and do not care to debate people on the 'finer' points of what they believe and what I believe, especially from the Reformed stance.

That being said, I felt this book, which was well written by a favorite author, Matt Chandler, deserves the attention of our elders as a possible church-wide read on the book of Philippians. Matt did a extremely good job bringing Philippians alive for me. Looking at the notes I made, there was a lot pointed out that I had never noticed and connections that I have never considered. He contrasts Paul's teaching in the Philippians with the other books Paul wrote in the New Testament, especially Acts.

You will come away with a little more understanding. The book isn't 'high' Church and written so that your understanding is enhanced. Certainly not a waste of money and a decent addition to your Theological library.

[Adam Smith · Rating 4 out of 5]

Analysis

I think the best description of this book is that it is like a collection of sermons on the Book of Philippians. Each sermon has been polished into a well-crafted chapter. The quality of Chandler's writing is high. He is a skilled communicator; both spoken and written. The book flows well and has points of penetrating introspection. Interspersed are personal stories that tie in well to the thought of each chapter. This helps lighten the mood of an otherwise serious book.

As far as I can tell Chandler covers the entire book of Philippians. He doesn't quite get to the level of every single verse, but he comes close. This book could easily be turned into a non-technical commentary suitable for personal Bible study.

I think what Matt accomplishes in this book is that he challenges the reader. I felt challenged anyway. I realized how far short I come to God's holy standards. Chandler emphasizes a grace fueled striving for godliness. It comes across as positive and not burdensome. The requirement of relying on God's grace is emphasized over and over in the book.

The chapters break down this way:


Chapter Chapter Title Chapter Highlights
Ch. 1 - Odd Beginnings -He introduces Paul and the early converts/leaders in Phillipi
Ch. 2 - The Worthy Life - The worthy life; a life lived well
Ch. 3 - The One God Exalts - The virtue of humility; examples from the gospels
Ch. 4 - What the Humble Seek - Serving others
Ch. 5 - The Passionate Pursuit - Our affection for Jesus
Ch. 6 - Owned - God's ownership of us; the world; God's presence with us; he will not abandon us
Ch. 7 - Never Satisfied - Cultivating a holy discontent
Ch. 8 - Centering on the Gospel - Where our true allegiances lie; keeping our focus on the gospel
Ch. 9 - Rejoice? - Reconciliation; unity; forgiveness; rejoicing no matter what
Ch. 10 - No worries - Dealing with worry; learning to trust in God
Ch. 11 - Christ is All - Being satisfied with less; pitfalls of materialism; generosity; suffering well; dealing with opposition
Ch. 12 - True Contentment - Learning to be satisfied in Christ no matter what; true happiness; realizing our riches in Christ

Recommendation

I would certainly recommend this book. I found it to be encouraging and certainly challenging at points. It covers Philippians quite well. If you are studying Philippians in a small group or listening to it in a sermon series, this book would be an important supplement to your study.

[Kris · Rating 4 out of 5]

Not the most memorable theology book. But I did particularly enjoy the last few chapters. Good reminders and assurances, with Law and Gospel sprinkled throughout. He ends on a word of Law, and I wish he would have ended with Gospel promises.

I am curious what Jared C. Wilson's contributions were. His name is on the cover, but it isn't clear what he wrote/contributed.

[Nick · Rating 3 out of 5]

I have been reading this book in conjunction with watching the video series upon which it is based. As a matter of fact, some sentences are word for word the same. Let me just say that as a lesson series this material is really good. Chandler is very engaging and offers up a lot of solid teaching. However, it loses somehing in book form.

This book is not a mere transcription of the DVD series--it has been expanded. Possibly by Jared C. Wilson. Actually I'm not quite sure what role Wilson had to play in the writing of this book because it's always written in Chandler's voice. The content was good but I'm not a huge fan of writing that sounds exactly like informal conversation. I like well crafted sentences rather than sentence fragments.

Aside from this criticism, Matt Chandler did encourage me in my walk with Christ. Many things he said (mostly from the dvd series) will stick with me.

[Rebekah · Rating 5 out of 5]

"Circumstances don't matter. 'To live is Christ, to die is gain.' The message of Philippians is that life is lived for Him, to Him, through Him, with Him, about Him, and in Him. That's where Paul goes once again. As in Romans 16, he cannot help but exult, can't help but sing! 'To our God and Father be glory forever and ever. Amen.' (Phil. 4:20)
Rejoice, rejoice, rejoice. God is big enough, beautiful enough, sustaining enough in any circumstance. Wherever you are, He is with you, always."

If you want a study on Philippians that goes from the background of the letter to the Truth seeping from depth, then I highly recommend reading this book.

[Courtney · Rating 5 out of 5]

This was a great book. Takes a look at Philippians as a case study, both studying it in context and applying to the life of the reader.

[Dan Curnutt · Rating 5 out of 5]

Matt Chandler gives us a very good commentary on the book of Philippians. Based on one of his sermon series he takes his sermons and notes and expands on them to deliver a very readable commentary on Paul's letter to the Philippians.

What I appreciate about Chandler's writing is that the book is very readable for both the lay person and the preaching pastor. It gives excellent insight through good illustrations and his obvious passion for communicating God's truths to his congregation.

We are doing a series on Philippians and recommended this book to our congregation. Many are reading it along with our series and the book has enhanced the congregations understanding of Paul's letter.

Thank you Matt for a very good application oriented take on Philippians

[Charlie Bailey · Rating 5 out of 5]

Dang this book was so good. I would describe it as a commentary on Philippians, a collection of Matt chandlers sermons, a study of Paul, and an overview of the gospel. A few takeaways:
-I need to learn to think of “taking up my cross” as remembering the gospel. Understanding that my sin is debt hanging over my head that I can do nothing about, causes me shame and sorrow, yet in the end Jesus will say “I have covered that, he is mine”
-when thinking of confession, in christs grace there is security and freedom to own our struggles. Confession will always end in pointing others to the cross
-My aim in life should be to be like Christ. Not like others. our righteousness does not lie simply in being better than others
-we must approach God with ownership of our spiritual bankruptcy, emptying ourselves before him so that we are humbled and in awe. Then, Christ is faithful to exalt us.
Definitely would recommend reading this👍

[Matthew Skarsten · Rating 5 out of 5]

Chandler takes a deep dive into a well known book and explores it in a relatable real way. A great reminder for those desiring to walk deeper and more content with God

[Melanie · Rating 5 out of 5]

I really enjoyed this book. I learned so much and was at times very convicted. The main idea of living in Christ was so powerful. I was especially encouraged to focus on the things in my life that draw me closer to the Lord.

[Jerry Rehkemper · Rating 4 out of 5]

It gave me a great insight on St. Paul with the Philippians. It has increased my knowledge of Bible.

[Spencer R · Rating 3 out of 5]

You can read the (much) fuller review on SpoiledMilks (8/4/13)

Chandler wrote this book "to invite readers into authentic Christian maturity,” and looks at some of Paul's themes in Philippians, a letter written to help grow one to maturity, unity, and contentment in Christ

The Chocolate Milk
The book really began opening up on chapter 4. Ch 4 is about showing humility to a world that wants to show off. Yet do we follow God for a nice earthly mansion, or because of who He is and what He's done? The life of humility is based on the cross of Christ.

Ch 5 was about yearning for a relationship with Christ over trying to be good for Him. Chandler tries to do away with living to be a better person over knowing God. "It's the difference between obeying to be accepted and obeying because we are accepted" (78).

Chandler advocates for being content in Christ and discontent in our imperfect selves. Strive for perfection to get stronger in our weaknesses (prayer, studying, evangelism, serving, etc), knowing God will use us despite our weaknesses.

Chandler's book is theologically sound. His points and arguments come from Scripture, his examples are interesting and to the point, and he's level-headed with common sense.

The Spoiled Milk
A mere few times Chandler doesn’t explain the cultural context which would help with the application.

In Ch 5, Chandler says the dogs from Philippians 3 are those who say, "I'm not as bad as I was when I was in college. I'm not as bad as I was when I first got married. I'm not as bad as you" (53). They want to think and say those things for their superior spiritual/moral goodness. It would have been more helpful for Chandler to have said who the dogs were and then applied it to the reader's life. Instead, he mentions the dogs and then jumps to applying it to the reader's life. The "dogs" are a bunch of pro-foreskin-cutting Judaizers. How does this relate to me? They think circumcision is met with God's approval. Now I can relate them with the "I'm not as bad as I was when..." mentality.

This book would be geared more toward any member of the church, especially youth and college age. 


[Thanks to Netgalley.com and David C. Cook for allowing me a free copy to read and review! The words expressed above are my own opinions of the book. Page numbers are from the Adobe Digital Editions version.]

[Tung · Rating 4 out of 5]

Disclaimer: my second favorite book in the Bible is Paul’s letter to the Philippians and my life verse is Phil. 3:8, so I’m predisposed to like the content of this book. Matt Chandler is the pastor of a TX megachurch, and a frequent speaker at national conferences. And with good reason: he’s a gifted preacher – that is, he is engaging, conveys Biblical truth in a relatable and easy-to-understand manner, and is passionate about everything he preaches on. This book is essentially Chandler’s exposition of the entirety of Philippians. And yes, it is engaging, easy-to-understand, and full of Chandler’s passion for Christ. It feels as if Chandler strung together whatever number of sermons he preached at his church in a sermon series on Philippians. Chandler doesn’t bring out anything from the text that is unique, but his take is honest and clear and to the point. Recommended for anyone looking for an exposition of Philippians; or for believers looking for an encouraging and/or inspiring perspective on the goal of the Christian life.

[Matt Crawford · Rating 5 out of 5]

This book is simple yet I felt a conflict inside of me. The main themes include rejoicing and contentment. Maybe I should mention that it is a brief exposition or walking through of the Book if Philippians. So of course those are the themes. I also read it with Chandler’s voice and mannerisms in my head. It’s like a bunch of mini sermons. It all leads up to true contentment. There is a gospel presentation in it but the audience is obviously those who have been in the faith for some time. If you want to be more mature in the faith or feeling stagnant then I definitely recommend it. Mark it up and read multiple times!

[Nathan Schneider · Rating 5 out of 5]

There are some books that are fun to read. Because of Chandler's unique and forthright style of writing, I found this book enjoyable and challenging. This book was a balance between a commentary and a book on Christian living. Very helpful. Joy. Humility. Maturity.

[Josiah DeGraaf · Rating 5 out of 5]

Excellent, excellent book. Chandler goes through the book of Philippians sequentially and pastorally explains how we ought to be driven time and time again back toward Christ in our lives here on earth. One of those books I wished many times I was reading in paperback and not digitally so that I could underline and take notes in it. It helped that I was reading this book at a time when I really need to hear and be reminded of the message that Chandler powerfully made here. Anyways, there were so many helpful parts of this book, it would be difficult to list any one place in particular that impacted me. But taken as a whole, this was a really helpful book that did a really good job of setting our Christian lives in perspective and reminding me of the importance of laying everything down for the glory of Christ.

Rating: 4.5 Stars (excellent).

[treylovesbooks · Rating 4 out of 5]

“The message of Philippians is that life is lived for Him, to Him, through Him, with Him, about Him, and in Him.”

A great book written about one of my favorite books. Matt Chandler goes verse by verse through the book of Philippians, but it reads fresher and more applicable than just a commentary. Chandler uses personal anecdotes and illustrations to make sense of an already very applicable book of the Bible, fleshing out concepts such as spiritual maturity, fostering humility, and living out contentment in all things.

“Rejoice, rejoice, rejoice. God is big enough, beautiful enough, strong enough, lovely enough, perfect enough, sustaining enough in any circumstance. Wherever you are, He is with you, always.”

[Sydney Pell · Rating 3 out of 5]

I think I had too high of expectations for this book. It wasn’t bad at all but I had super high hopes. It wasn’t what I expected it to be - I thought it would be more exegetical but it wasn’t. it feels like you’re sitting at a coffee shop with Matty Chandy and he’s just yapping about Philippians and everything else he can think of that relates which is not a bad thing, just different than what I thought it would be. That being said, I think it was kinda hard personally for my brain to track his train of thought and I had to reread some parts to fully understand the point he was making. But they were good and sweet points. I did feel convicted and encouraged in my walk with the Lord which is good. Three stars i probably would recommend this book

[Nathan Hildenbrandt · Rating 4 out of 5]

I love Matt Chandler, particularly his preaching. I did find, however, that his preaching style translates poorly to writing. His ideas often feel somewhat disjointed, and I was hoping to get a more unified picture of some of the themes found within Philippians. To read this as a book you may be somewhat discouraged. To read this as a collection of short essays on principles from Philippians is perhaps a better way of looking at it.

[Rachel · Rating 5 out of 5]

This is like a collection of sermons on Philippians. There are continuous themes throughout, but I enjoyed taking this slowly and reading it chapter by chapter. Matt writes exactly how he preaches and so if you’re familiar with that you’ll enjoy reading his voice. Would recommend as a companion for deeper study of the book of Philippians

[Susan · Rating 5 out of 5]

I read this book, watched the accompanying DVD and discussed it with a Bible study group. We all agreed that it was one of the most instructive studies we have done.

In particular the chapter about rejoicing in the Lord even when life is not at a peak moment was very meaningful.

[Jake Gill · Rating 3 out of 5]

Honestly, most of the book is just filler with maybe 3 chapters worth remembering. I loved the later chapters on contentment and an earlier one finding what spurs on our affections for the Lord and doing those things intentionally! Great motivation and good thoughts to ponder on.

[Anna Jo Sigmundik · Rating 5 out of 5]

This book was very life giving. Matt Chandler encourages Christians to live like Christ as he weaves in the narrative of Paul’s ministry and walks you through the book of Philippians. Really enjoyed this!

[Jackie Eason · Rating 5 out of 5]

Excellent resource if you are studying Philippians. He ties in a lot of the concepts from other books as well, especially a lot of Paul's life and other writings.

[Carrie Daws · Rating 4 out of 5]

A personable look at the book of Philippians. Rather than a verse-by-verse deep dive, Matt Chandler covers the overall themes as well as key and more difficult passages. This would be an excellent choice for someone who wants to know more about contentment and rejoicing at all times.

[Andy Febrico Bintoro · Rating 4 out of 5]

Learning from Paul and many other characters in the Bible, how they devoted themselves for the calling.

[Cale Fauver · Rating 4 out of 5]

I miss this version of Matt Chandler.

[Marinda Wise · Rating 5 out of 5]

So many great nuggets of truth in here.

[Gabrielle Marshall · Rating 5 out of 5]

changed my life