Do Others See Christ in You? (Philippians 1:20–21)
Philippians 1:20-21, 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. For to me to live is Christ, and to die is gain. Paul’s earnest expectation and hope was to magnify Christ. His focus was entirely on Christ and zero upon himself. Paul’s desire was to magnify Christ in his body whether by life, or death. He wanted to live as Christ desired him to live, and if he had to die for Christ, then so be it. Paul wanted to live so people could see Christ in his life. Paul was determined to "magnify" Jesus Christ in his body. This word "magnify" means "to exalt, to praise, glorify, to make great, or enlarge." As Christians, we are to magnify the Lord. We can magnify Him to an unbelieving world where He is so often minimized, mocked and misrepresented. We can glorify Him in the presence of those who are blind to His glory. We can demonstrate His grace to those who have never seen it, or known it. People wonder what the purpose of life is today and what they are here for. The Christian knows the answer to those questions. We have a purpose for living and that purpose is to glorify Christ and live for Him, not self, glory or fame. A group of prospectors set out from Bannock, Montana in search of gold. They went through many hardships and several of the men died. Defeated, discouraged and downhearted, the prospectors sought to make their way back to the capital city. On one occasion as they rode to a creek side, one of the men casually picked up a little stone from the creek bed. He called to his buddy for a hammer and upon cracking the rock, he said, "It looks as though there may be gold here. We have struck it!" They made their way back to Bannock and vowed not to breathe a word concerning this gold strike. They secretively set about re-equipping themselves with supplies for another prospecting trip. But when they got ready to go back, 300 men followed them. Who had told on them? No one spoke a word. Their beaming faces betrayed the secret! Can others see Jesus in you? When you got saved, you got a greater treasure than ten thousand mountains of gold. Like those old prospectors, we should be beaming because Jesus is on the inside! If He is there, He should be visible in our lives. Prayer, Lord, as I think of the men and women You have used to speak Your truth into my life, I am overwhelmed by the weight of my heritage of faith. So many have faithfully delivered to me! Forgive me for falling short in passing it on. Renew my commitment to taking advantage of opportunities to share Your Gospel with others. Thank You for the grace in Jesus that strengthens me. In Jesus’ name, amen. If this post in any way, has blessed you, please share this website and its articles with others: www.fellowshipbaptistcarrabelle.com
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AuthorDr. Blackman is passionate about helping others grow in the grace of the Lord. His devotions are centered on how to grow closer to the Lord through a personal relationship with Christ. Archives
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