Advent: That Christ be Seen as Great

“For I fully expect and hope that I will never be ashamed, but that I will continue to be bold for Christ, as I have been in the past. And I trust that my life will bring honor to Christ, whether I live or die. For to me, living means living for Christ, and dying is even better.” (Philippians 1:20–21NLT)

 It is my eager expectation and hope that...as always Christ will be honored, [shown to be great,] in my body, whether by life or by death.   For to me to live is Christ, and to die is gain.  (Phil 1:20-21)

Paul is teaching us that his great, consuming, passion in life is Jesus.  In all that he does, that God would be glorified in him, that in all of his life Jesus would be seen as great!

Paul's Advent of the soul came when he encountered Jesus on the road to Damascus.  Once you have encountered Christ, repented, and come to Him by faith...He becomes your great passion in life and everything changes.  Paul goes from attempting to destroy the Church to being able to say,  “I do all things for the sake of the gospel, that I may become a fellow partaker of it.” (1 Corinthians 9:23)

I long for Jesus, and the good and glorious news about who He is and what He has done, to be the consuming passion of my life!  This is why you and I were created...to glorify God through Jesus Christ!  That Jesus would be seen as great "whether by life or by death."  My prayer is that I can say with Paul, “to me to live is Christ and to die is gain.” (21)

Paul unpacks this in Phil 3:8, “I count everything as loss because of the surpassing worth of knowing Christ Jesus my Lord.” Jesus is more precious, more satisfying than all that life in this world has to offer. “I count everything as loss because of the surpassing worth of knowing Christ Jesus my Lord.”  

“No one lights a lamp and then covers it with a bowl or hides it under a bed. A lamp is placed on a stand, where its light can be seen by all who enter the house.” (Luke 8:16)

Following the Advent of your soul, once Jesus has lit your lamp, your greatest joy is fulfilled in allowing that glorious light to shine!  This little light of mine...“so that no one can criticize you. Live clean, innocent lives as children of God, shining like bright lights in a world full of crooked and perverse people.” (Philippians 2:15, NLT)

Pursuing intimacy with Jesus...longing that HE would be seen as great in my life whether by life or by death.   For to me to live is Christ, and to die is gain.