“My eager expectation and hope is that I will not be ashamed about anything, but that now as always, with all courage, Christ will be honored in my body, whether by life or by death.”

Philippians 1:20

As we continue to walk along with Paul as he corresponds with his friends in Philippi, we now come to an extremely interesting and thought-provoking verse. Paul states clearly that his desire is to honor Christ in everything – in life and in death. What an absolutely staggering statement.

Let’s begin by asking ourselves a serious question: have I ever been ashamed of my relationship with the Lord Jesus Christ? Has there ever been a time in my Christian life when I was given the opportunity to share a word of testimony, or give a presentation of the Gospel of Jesus Christ, or be a source of ministry or encouragement to someone in need, but allowed that opportunity to pass by because of being ashamed of my Lord? Perhaps I was in the presence of non-believers, people who were antagonistic to the claims of Christ, and I allowed their presence to intimidate me because I was ashamed to let them know I was a Christian. Perhaps I gave in to peer pressure, wanting to be accepted by the crowd, so I kept my relationship with Christ a well-hidden secret.

Paul’s desire was a lofty one, indeed. He states that it was his eager expectation and hope that his Savior would be honored through his life and his death. The following excerpt was copied from “The Bible Exposition Commentary”. “

I read about a devoted believer who was arrested for his faith and condemned to be burned at the stake. The night before the execution, he wondered if he would have enough grace to become a human torch; so he tested his courage by putting his finger into the flame of the candle. Of course, it burned him and he pulled his hand back in pain. He was certain that he would never be able to face martyrdom without failing. But the next day, God gave him the grace he needed, and he had a joyful and triumphant witness before his enemies.

Warren Wiersbe

Extreme circumstances; extreme measures; extreme faith; extreme witness. Life offers us many opportunities to bring glory to our Lord. Most of them will not put us into positions of danger. Rather, most will come through the daily occurrences of life. On the job; in the classroom; in the neighborhood; in the home. Everyday life is the arena in which most opportunities to glorify Christ will come.

However, there are those in other parts of the world who experience extreme dangers daily simply because they strive to represent Christ in a very anti-Christian environment. Their lives are in danger constantly simply because they bear witness to Jesus Christ.

And, let’s face it, with the ever-changing spiritual climate of the United States, the day may very well come when we, too, face increasing displays of antagonism against those who identify themselves as Christians. Are we settled enough in our relationship with the Lord that we are willing to suffer for the cause of Christ? Are we willing to witness for Him in life and in death?

Our ultimate purpose in life is to bring glory to Jesus. Let’s reevaluate our commitment, and renew our desire to be the best witness possible. He died for us; let’s live for Him. Therefore, as Jesus said:

“Let your light shine before others so that they might see your good words and give glory to your Father in heaven.”

Matthew 5:16