Philippians 1:18-21
18 What then? Only that in every way, whether in pretense or in truth, Christ is preached; and in this I rejoice, yes, and will rejoice.
19 For I know that this will turn out for my deliverance through your prayer and the supply of the Spirit of Jesus Christ,
20 according to my earnest expectation and hope that in nothing I shall be ashamed, but with all boldness, as always, so now also Christ will be magnified in my body, whether by life or by death.
21 For to me, to live is Christ, and to die is gain.
When I read these words of Paul, they make me long for the same attitude to be manifested in my own life too. I can talk the talk with the best of them, and maybe on the surface at least, it may appear that I walk the walk. But with hand on my heart, I could not confidently and boldly make the statement Paul makes above, and truly mean it from the heart.
I pray that the Holy Spirit does a work in my heart to make that type of belief I long for, to be that which is truly on display in my life. As much as I cherish my family and those dear to me, and the creature comforts that the Lord has graciously bestowed upon me, I long for sincerity of heart to consider those things as nothing before Him. Even my health, and every moment I live and breathe; how I long to truly let go of it for His glory alone.
Yet in all this longing, can I say that I am anywhere near my goal? Unfortunately not. However what I do have in my favour is the life surrendered by my Lord and Saviour, whose redeeming blood has purchased my own redemption before a Holy and Righteous God, who has sworn to judge the sin of this world in His Wrath. In Him my life is hidden, and His righteousness has been astoundingly credited to my own account.
So does this mean I should quit being concerned about my sincerity of heart concerning surrendering to my God? Shame on me if I ever stop doing so in this lifetime, for what else do I have to offer in thanksgiving for all that He has done for me, apart from the wretch that I am? Yet at the same time, I have no need to be anxious and worried about my lack, for the Lord has given me His own life as my own, and taken my sin upon Himself as if it were His own, nailing it to the Cross of Calvary and covering it with His own blood.
When I look at the life of the apostle Paul, from whose lips came the title of this article, and then I look at my own pathetic attempt to live a life holy unto the Lord, I am ashamed of myself. But by the faith that Christ has placed within me as a gift, and because of His magnificent grace and mercy, I am clothed with the same righteous clothing as the apostle Paul Himself, no more and no less. And out of an eternally grateful heart, I will endeavour to follow his example, and others like him, who were completely surrendered to the service of God, and to the preaching of the Gospel of Jesus Christ crucified and risen again.
What more can I say regarding this life here on earth, or how I should live it for His glory? One thing I do, is remember that I have a sure and confident hope in Christ, that gives me great and glorious promises of that which is to come. And though it is true that the thought of pain, suffering, and mortal death can at times strike me with fear, I have absolutely no doubt at all that when the chips are down, and I am called to take a final stand, even if similarly extreme to that taken by some of the early believers; the Holy Spirit within me will keep me standing until the bitter end, and once again it will have nothing to do with me, and everything to do with Him.
I know full well what it means when Scripture tells us such things as, “it is impossible to please God without faith” and “the righteous shall live by faith”, for it is all about what someone else has done, and has absolutely nothing at all to do with what I have done. For pity’s sake, I was unable to even choose of my own accord to follow Him in the first place! How on earth could I place any hope or expectation in being able to measure up to His righteous standards? Instead I will glory in all that Christ has accomplished on my behalf, patiently and eagerly awaiting the promise of Heaven that is sure to come.
Colossians 3:1-4
1 If then you were raised with Christ, seek those things which are above, where Christ is, sitting at the right hand of God.
2 Set your mind on things above, not on things on the earth.
3 For you died, and your life is hidden with Christ in God.
4 When Christ who is our life appears, then you also will appear with Him in glory.
Sourced from: HeartCry!
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