‘My earnest expectation and hope’
[Philippians 1:20-26]
We live with hope. We cannot live without hope. Because we have hope, we eat, drink and work with anticipation. The hope that some of us have is hoping that ‘it will get better' and strive to overcome the current adversity and painful environment. Others are enduring their lives with the expectation that "I will be able to succeed someday," and endure, persevere and fight the current difficult reality. There is hope for something in us, so we are enduring day by day. If this hope in us dies, we are actually living a dead life even though we are alive. If the hope in us will be cut off, then how will you respond?
In today's text Philippians 1:20-21, Paul wrote to the saints in the Philippian Church: “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.” What was Paul’s earnest expectation and hope? If we sum it up in one word, it was to exalt Christ in his body, whether by life or by death (v. 20). What does it mean by Christ will be exalted in his body? Here, the Greek word for ‘to be exalted’ means 'to be magnified’ (Park Yun-sun). In other words, the eager expectation and hope of Paul was to magnify Christ in his body. Then, if Paul desperately wanted to magnify Christ in his body, what supposed to happen to Paul's body? Shouldn’t it get smaller? To understand this statement a little easier, for example, Paul's name should be made smaller and lower, so that the name of Jesus Christ could grow and become greater. A more biblical example is what John the Baptist said in John 3:30 – “He must become greater; I must become less” (NIV) [“He must increase, but I must decrease” (NASB)]. This reminds me the words of verse 3 of the hymn “Call’d of God, We Honor the Call”: “.Hon-or, glo-ry, pow-er and praise, Lord, to You, You on-ly are due! Shame and scorn and cross You car-ried; Grant us grace to car-ry them too, With-out name or fame, but, oh, Lord, Joy and thanks, to serve be-fore You With-out name or fame, but, oh, Lord, Joy and thanks, to serve be-fore You! A-men.”
Indeed, Paul served the Lord with thanksgiving. How can we know it? We can know this if we look at 1 Timothy 1:12-14: “I thank Christ Jesus our Lord, who has given me strength, that he considered me faithful, appointing me to his service. Even though I was once a blasphemer and a persecutor and a violent man, I was shown mercy because I acted in ignorance and unbelief. The grace of our Lord was poured out on me abundantly, along with the faith and love that are in Christ Jesus.” Paul couldn’t help but thanked Christ Jesus because the Lord showed him mercy and grace abundantly and appointed him to be the apostle to the Gentiles even though he was the blasphemer, the persecutor, the violent man and the worst sinner. That was why Paul served the Lord in thanksgiving. He wanted to preach only the gospel of the Lord Jesus Christ. Look at 1 Corinthians 1:17 – “For Christ did not send me to baptize, but to preach the gospel--not with words of human wisdom, lest the cross of Christ be emptied of its power.” Because he did not regard his life as a precious thing to end the work of witnessing the gospel of the grace of God, which is His mission to him, he continued to preach the gospel of Jesus Christ in the midst of all his troubles and suffering (Acts 20:24). For him, his life mission of preaching the gospel, which was the Lord’s calling to him, was more important than his own life. So when Paul was writing this letter to the saints of the Philippian church and said that although he himself was locked up in prison because of the gospel of Jesus Christ, he wanted the saints in the Philippian church to know that because of his imprisonment, there was the progress of the gospel (Phil. 1:12). Also, he wrote and told them he rejoiced because even though he was abound in prison, the gospel of Jesus Christ couldn’t be abound and actually was preached so that there was the progress of the gospel. Then in verse 20, Paul told them what his earnest hope and expectation was. That was to exalt Christ in his body. Paul's earnest expectation and hope was not to be ashamed of anything, but to have sufficient courage to preach the gospel of Jesus Christ (v. 20). He believed that this was the Lord’s mission that was given to him and that faithfully fulfilling that mission would exalt Christ. To what extent did Paul want to exalt Christ was that he wanted to do so whether by life or by death (v. 20). The reason he so desperately wanted it was because for to him, to live was Christ and to die was gain (v. 21). Since to live was for Christ and to die is gain, Paul didn’t spare his life but gave it all to the Lord’s calling in proclaiming the gospel of Jesus Christ boldly so that He might be exalted.
Do you believe that preaching the gospel of Jesus Christ is more valuable than your life? If you believe so, do you think it is good to die in preaching the gospel of Jesus Christ, which is more precious than your life? Do you believe that since to live is Christ to die in Christ is beneficial? If you believe so, you will give all your life in preaching the gospel of the Lord Jesus Christ so that Christ will be exalted. In fact, Paul desired to depart and be with Christ (v. 23). He was torn between the two (v. 23). What are those two? They are “living in the body” (v. 22) and “to depart and be with Christ” (v. 23). Haven’t you been in this situation in which you are torn between these two? Haven’t you ever been in this situation in which you need to live in this earth and fulfill the Lord’s mission even though you want to go to heaven and be with Christ? Of course, I don’t believe that the Lord will call us from this earth until we have completed the mission that the Lord has given us. Sometimes, however, when we find it too hard and painful to fulfill our mission, we sometimes feel that we want to be called by the Lord to heaven quickly. Especially when we think about the truth “He will wipe every tear from their eyes. There will be no more death or mourning or crying or pain, for the old order of things has passed away” (Rev. 21:4) our hearts are more eager to go to heaven because there is too much sorrow, pain and deaths in this earth. Paul didn’t know what to choose between living in the earth and being away from this world and being with Christ (Phil. 1:22-23). If he thought only for himself, he wanted to leave the world and be with Christ which was much better than living in the earth in the flesh (v. 23). But Paul knew that it was more necessary for him that he remained in the body for the sake of the Philippian church saints (v. 24). Why was it necessary for Paul to remain in the body for their sake? It was because Paul's presence was for them "for their progress and joy in the faith" (v. 25).
Every time I think about this, I am more convinced that we Christians should have a clear purpose for life. What is the purpose of our existence? It is only to glorify God and enjoy Him forever (Westminster Shor Catechism Question 1). Then, how can we glorify God and enjoy Him forever? It is, just like Jesus, obeying God's will until death (Phil. 2:8). For Paul, he didn’t spare his life in witnessing the gospel of God's grace, the mission he received from the Lord. So even though he was in prison, he rejoiced (v. 18) because his imprisonment actually turned out for the greater progress of the gospel (v. 12). He told the Philippian church saints that it was more necessary for him to remain on in the flesh for their sake (v. 24) and he was convinced that he would remain and continue with them all for their progress and joy in the faith (v. 25). And the purpose was “so that your proud confidence in me may abound in Christ Jesus through my coming to you again” (v. 26). In other words, Paul went to Philippi and was with the saints in the Philippian church, so that their proud confidence in Paul might about in Christ Jesus (v. 26). While in prison, Paul rejoiced to hear that there was progress in the gospel, and he wanted the saints of the Philippian church also to rejoice over Paul. This joy was the joy of the progress of the gospel of Jesus Christ, and the joy of the progress of the faith of the Philippian church saints. I hope and pray that this joy is with us as well.
The Scripture Acts 4:12 clearly states: “Salvation is found in no one else, for there is no other name under heaven given to men by which we must be saved.” That was why Paul wanted to preach the gospel of Jesus Christ. To what extent he wanted to preach the gospel, he said in 1 Corinthians 9:16 – “Yet when I preach the gospel, I cannot boast, for I am compelled to preach. Woe to me if I do not preach the gospel!” Paul had nothing to boast about. He only wanted to boast the Lord Jesus Christ. He only wanted to and compelled to preach the gospel of Christ. And he said “Woe to me if I do not preach the gospel.” Why did he so desperately want to preach the gospel? Why did he devote his life for the progress of the gospel? It was because he wanted to be faithful in fulfilling the mission that he received from the Lord so that always Christ be exalted in his body, whether by life of by death (Phil. 1:20). I hope and pray that all of us can be faithful to the mission of preaching the gospel, so that we may be living in exalting Christ whether we live or die.
“My Jesus, as Thou wilt! All shall be well for me; Each changing future scene
I gladly trust with Thee. Straight to my home above I travel calmly on;
And sing, in life or death, My Lord, Thy will be done. A-men.”
(Hymn “My Jesus as Thou Wilt, verse 3).