Christ Will Be Exalted

Song 5-8; Philippians 1

“I eagerly expect and hope that I will in no way be ashamed but will have sufficient courage so that now as always Christ will be exalted in my body, whether by life or by death. For to me, to live is Christ and to die is gain.”

Philippians 1:20, 21

Is Christ being exalted in our bodies?

Paul’s context was imprisonment for the Gospel and the threat of death. Our western context is frequently a consumer church model and a culture of self-indulgence and entertainment. In Paul’s test, he testified that in either his death or life, Christ would be exalted. In saying that, Paul was declaring that he lived dead-to-self and alive-to-Christ. The shame that Paul referred to was the temptation to in any way deny Christ to alleviate his suffering or sentence. Instead, Paul was choosing to deny self and willingly offer his body as a living sacrifice for the sake of the Gospel. This capacity for martyrdom marked the early Church and explosively expanded their witness.

What marks our lives and the Church today?

“Lord Jesus, you are my life. I offer you my body, for your glory.”