Philippians 1:20
According to my earnest expectation and my hope, that in nothing I shall be ashamed, but that with all boldness, as always, so now also Christ shall be magnified in my body, whether it be by life, or by death.
Paul wrote this epistle while in prison, at a time of great suspense and uncertainty, humanly speaking, regarding the issue of his trial. After all the troubles and tribulations, Paul was still secure in his faith, and confident that Christ would still be magnified in him. He speaks as if he’s already won the battle, and knows that no matter what happens to him, God will be glorified. You can tell that his confidence isn’t tied to a guaranteed outcome but to a guaranteed presence: Christ with him, in him, and through him.
This brings to mind the words of Jesus during Saul’s calling in Acts 9:15-16; But the Lord said unto him, go thy way: for he is a chosen vessel unto me, to bear my name before the Gentiles, and kings, and the children of Israel: For I will shew him how great things he must suffer for my name’s sake.
You as a chosen vessel, temple of the Holy Spirit and the very body of Christ, let your life resound with His Glory, make it count for Him. In every season, whether joy or trial, let your posture be: Christ be magnified in me, so He may be seen, known, trusted, and loved as the greatest treasure of all. In John 12:27-28, Jesus, fully aware of the suffering He was about to endure, cried out: “Now my soul is troubled, and what shall I say? ‘Father, save me from this hour’? No, it was for this very reason I came to this hour. Father, glorify your name!” Then a voice came from heaven, “I have glorified it, and will glorify it again.”
From our opening scripture, Paul is in prison and yet he speaks of a triumphant life in Christ, declaring that Christ will be magnified in his body whether in life or in death. The glory of Christ isn’t limited by our weaknesses. His glory does not shrink back in the face of frailty, no, it rises. It does not blend in, it transforms hearts, stirs, and always stands out. Just as the cloud of glory filled the temple so intensely that the priests could not stand to minister (2 Chronicles 5:14), His presence announces itself with weight and wonder.
Christ’s presence in you is not passive; it is alive and active, meant to be exalted everywhere you go.
Even in death, His glory is not diminished. Reminds of the Prophet Elisha, whose bones brought life to another dead man (2 Kings 13:21). Yet Elisha did not have Christ dwelling within him. But you do. With Christ alive in you, radiating His full glory, imagine the power you carry. If lifeless bones could raise the dead without Christ, how much more can Christ, the resurrection and the life, accomplish through you? It is no longer I that lives, but Christ lives in me, Paul declared in Galatians 2:20.
Romans 8:10-11 says but if Christ is in you, then even though your body is subject to death because of sin, the Spirit gives life because of righteousness. And if the Spirit of him who raised Jesus from the dead is living in you, he who raised Christ from the dead will also give life to your mortal bodies because of his Spirit who lives in you.
God has brought you to this very hour for a reason, you are not an echo; you are His chosen voice. Today, choose to manifest Him. Spend time meditating and sharing about his finished works (His word), as you do this, He reveals more of Himself. The boldness comes from your communion with Him. It does not matter how you feel or what giant you are facing, His power is actively working in you now. Your body, your soul, your spirit all are vitalized to carry and pour out life wherever you go. Therefore, be bold, for Christ has already gone ahead of you. A life infused with Christ does not shrink back in the face of turmoil; it stands firm, unshaken and radiates His glory.
Prophetic Utterance:
Every day, I look forward to revealing the life of Christ in me. I walk in boldness, knowing that I am the sweet fragrance of Christ, a living expression of His grace and power. Now thanks be unto God, who always causes me to triumph in Christ, and manifests the savour of his knowledge through me in every place I go to.
Guiding text:
Colossians 1:26- 27
²⁶Even the mystery which hath been hid from ages and from generations, but now is made manifest to his saints: ²⁷To whom God would make known what the riches of the glory of this mystery among the gentiles is, which is Christ in you, the hope of glory.