To live is Christ and to die is gain / Philippians Bible Study (Part 3) Chapter 1:18-27
Christ should be magnified in our lives; He must be glorified in our speech, and also, in the very circumstances in which we find ourselves. When you are in hardship, sickness and distress, our prayer should be that Christ be magnified. I echo that very strongly. When I was in prison in 1972-3, I was praying, seeking that God would work a miracle through my release so great, He would be glorified by the very evidence. Prime Minister Harold Wilson came to rescue me; it was headline news and brought tremendous Glory to God because it opened doors to the Gospel all over the world – people wanting to know my phenomenal testimony. 'For I know that this will turn out for my deliverance through your prayer and the supply of the Spirit of Jesus Christ, 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. For to me, to live is Christ, and to die is gain' (Philippians 1:19-21).