Former Blackout Artist

“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.” – Philippians 1:20

These are powerful words from a man who, at any moment, might learn that he is being sentenced to death. There isn’t the slightest hint of worry or fear in his words. In fact, he lives with sincerity and courage, two attributes that the gospel writer Luke reminds us that Paul always had; even in his infamous life prior to the life-changing encounter he had that day with Jesus on the road to Damascus.

As I read the opening remarks in his letter to the Philippians, I wonder if perhaps Paul’s thoughts were a reflection of the sincerity and courage he witnessed in another man decades earlier; the boldness of an early follower of Jesus that he had personally sentenced to death by stoning for his faith in Christ, making him the very first Christian martyr.

As Stephen stood on trial before the high priests that day 19 years earlier, he wasn’t intimidated. When he addressed the religious authorities, he spoke with sincerity, conviction and courage. There was no shame in Stephen’s words as he gave his persecutors their historically accurate accounting of self-righteousness and sin against God, going all the way back to their ancestor Abraham in the Old Testament.

“You stubborn people! Must you resist the Holy Spirit? That’s what your ancestors did, and so do you! You deliberately disobeyed God’s law, even though you received it from the hands of angels!” (Stephen, in Acts 7)

The Bible tells us that Stephen’s accusers that day drug him out of the city, took off their coats and laid them at the feet of non other than Saul (Paul) himself, and began stoning him to death.

And now, nearly 20 years later, the tables had prophetically turned. After being beaten and persecuted for his own professed faith in Christ, it is Paul courageously sharing his faith in Christ in prison, while awaiting his trial and possible death by stoning.

“I will continue to be bold for Christ, as I have been in the past,” Paul writes, “and I trust that my life will bring honor to Christ, whether I live or die.”

May we follow both Stephen’s and Paul’s example and never be ashamed of the gospel, but instead may we boldly and fearlessly proclaim it to the world around us. And may we trust that God will use our lives to bring glory to His name, in life and death.

Heavenly Father, we thank you for the life and example of the apostle Paul. Help us to follow in his footsteps, as we seek to live lives dedicated to You. Give us boldness and courage to proclaim the gospel message, and may our lives bring honor and glory to You. In Jesus’ name, we pray. Amen.