2 Corinthians 2: 14 But thanks be to God! For
in union with Christ we are always led by God as prisoners in Christ's victory
procession. God uses us to make the knowledge about Christ spread everywhere
like a sweet fragrance. 15 For we are like a sweet-smelling incense
offered by Christ to God, which spreads among those who are being saved and
those who are being lost. 16 For those who are being lost, it is a
deadly stench that kills; but for those who are being saved, it is a fragrance
that brings life. Who, then, is capable for such a task? 17 We are not like so many
others, who handle God's message as if it were cheap merchandise; but because
God has sent us, we speak with sincerity in his presence, as servants of Christ.
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“This stinks!” was
my exclamation as I took out the garbage as a teen. On my trek to the garbage
cans, the heavy bag broke, leaving a wake of rotting eggshells, festering meat
and putrid vegetables. My exclamation was not a description, rather it was a
cry of frustration. It was freezing cold, dark and I wanted to be in bed.
Instead, now I had to shovel up filth on a task I didn’t want to do in the
first place!
- I have said “This stinks” when I felt something was not fair.
- I have said “This stinks” when I did not like what was going on around me.
- I have said “This stinks” when I thought someone was trying to dupe me or make me do something they should be doing!
Paul exclaims “Thanks
be to GOD!” as he describes his “prisoner” relationship with JESUS. He knew the
world would not choose a lifestyle that would follow JESUS, rather it seeks to
indulge in its pleasures as a prize. He gives two fragrances; one that is sweet
smelling and one that stinks. Both smells are assigned to what JESUS did.
My Observations
- GOD wants me to view what HE did for me as a gift to be thankful for.
- GOD wants me to see opportunity in being in union with JESUS.
- GOD wants me to treat HIS message as precious versus a set of rules that seem to be a barrier to my “fun.”
Assigning a
fragrance to JESUS is done daily. I mean, when I choose to blatantly sin, I am
saying “YOUR rule stinks” to GOD. Fortunately, GOD overlooks my sins when I
recognize I need JESUS in my life to forgive me of all my sins. What JESUS did
for me is amazing!
This is a “sweet-smelling
incense” to me because I am truly forgiven. I place my life as a “prisoner” to
JESUS, looking away from a life of indulgence to that of handling GOD’s message
as precious. I am grateful it is not “my” message that saves people, rather the
message of JESUS being raised from the dead that should be a sweet-smell to
people.
Challenge
- Have you ever assigned a smell to a task or action of a person?
- What smell did the writer assign to JESUS?
- Do you find yourself in a battle to “live for CHRIST?”
- Will you become a sweet-smelling fragrance to GOD by spreading the life-bringing message of JESUS to anyone who will hear you today?
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