Philippians 1:20 “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.”
In this context, Paul would have been “ashamed” if his “faith” had turned out to be in vain. A vain “faith” is a “faith” without “substance” or “evidence” (Hebrews 11:1) that it is certainly true. Everything around us is subject to fail us, but the Spirit of God dwelling within us declares to us that the Lord cannot possibly fail us, neither can His Word fail us. To have an “earnest expectation and … hope” is to know and believe God and His Holy Word. This “earnest expectation and … hope” empowers us to stand tall, even in the midst of life’s most severe storms. It empowers us to stand upon and declare our “faith” even when it is socially unpopular. It empowered Paul to remain “bold” even as he endured persecution and daily looked in the face of death because he would not alter or deny his “faith”. When he was severely persecuted and imprisoned, “Christ” was “magnified in” his suffering “body” because he would not recant his “faith”. He knew that he would soon die a martyr’s “death”, and he knew that even in his “death” “Christ” would be “magnified in” his dying “body” because he would not recant his “faith”. In his suffering “life” and in his “death”, “Christ” was “magnified” because his faithfulness to the Lord and his endurance greatly encouraged others who were suffering similar perils. Even today, all manner of tribulations, trials, troubles, and heart breaks plague the Children of God, but our “earnest expectation and … hope” remains sure and strong in our hearts and minds; for we “know that” our “redeemer liveth” “Whom” we “shall see for” ourselves, “and” our “eyes shall behold, and not another” (Job 19:25-27)! Therefore, we will not be “ashamed” of our “faith”, but by the grace and mercy of our Almighty God, we will remain “bold” in believing and living and declaring the Truth of our God.