…it is my eager expectation and hope that I will not be at all ashamed, but that with full courage now as always Christ will be honored in my body, whether by life or by death.
Philippians 1:19-30
A 2nd Century Roman emperor is quoting as saying, “the true worth of a man is to be measured by the objects he pursues…” Though this emperor reigned long after the Apostle Paul, these words are quite applicable to the apostle. Even today, our estimation of individuals’ lives is related to the ends for which they worked, not how much money they made, nor the education they acquired, nor the sizes of their families, nor anything else. Biblically speaking, men and women are honored only if the glory of God is their highest goal. Ultimately, the only life that is well lived is one in which we have feared the Lord and sought to keep His commandments. If God’s own glory is the chief goal of our Creator (He is the most worthy Being in the universe), then the only goal that can identify us in any sense as worthy is the aim of glorifying God in all things. There can be little doubt that Paul understood this and lived his life for the honor and glory of Christ, his chief end. Paul explains, in our verses today, that he sought for Jesus to be honored in his body, whether in life or in death. Paul understood that only God knows the future completely, and, so, it was his hope that Jesus would be honored and glorified regardless of how things turn out. This notion of hope is the biblical use of the term, which refers to a settled conviction about what will certainly happen in the future. Paul knew that Christ would definitely be glorified whether his trial ended in his release or resulted in his execution. In either scenario, Paul’s conviction was that he would not be ashamed. When Christ returns to judge the living and the dead, He will make it clear to all creation that we are righteous in Him and thereby worthy to enjoy the presence of His glory forever. One evidence that we are truly in Christ is that we make the glory of the triune God our chief end in life. As we pursue His glory and seek to lovingly obey Him in all things, we can be sure that we have been declared righteous in Him by faith alone and that all of creation will know that we are His on the last day. That vindication will be sweet indeed as we enjoy His blessed presence forever.
Source: S C Ball February 14, 2024
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