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. 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.
Whether by life or by death, Christ is to be magnified. A life magnifies Him by revealing Christ to others, and a death magnifies Him by displaying the power of His grace and drawing people to Him. Trust in the peace of the Lord makes a person willing either to live or to die, accepting either outcome. To magnify Christ means that self is hidden and lost to view while Christ is seen.
Good works are done through the grace and power of the Holy Spirit, so they bring glory to Christ rather than to the one doing them. This holds for prayers, duties, benevolence, and self-denial, which are not to become a cause for self-praise but are to lead to praise and thanksgiving to God. This aim is advanced as people grow in faith and adaptability and cooperate with the Holy Spirit through determined effort. The verse expresses self-sacrificing love that gives all and labors and suffers for the salvation of others.