Pastor’s Pen Pulpit

August 7, 2005

“VICTORIOUS IN YOUR WITNESS”

II Corinthians 2:14-16

But thanks be to God, who always leads us in His triumph in Christ, and manifests through us the sweet aroma of the knowledge of Him in every place. For we are a fragrance of Christ to God among those who are being saved and among those who are perishing; to the one an aroma from death to death, to the other an aroma from life to life. And who is adequate for these things?

We Christians have been called to be witnesses to the non-Christian. The wonderful thing about this high calling is you are never a failure in your witness. We are always victorious in Christ (v. 14). In this victory there is the sweet aroma of His presence in every place we find ourselves.

To those who are being saved, we are a fragrance. They see in the victorious Christian a sweet fragrance of the Savior and they are drawn to Him by that fragrance present in the obedient believer (vv. 15, 16b). How many believers will be in Heaven because you were obedient to Christ down here in the presence of those who hunger and thirst after righteousness?

But not everyone will come to Christ through your testimony. Are you a failure then? Not at all. Look at verse 15b. We are also a fragrance of Christ to those who are perishing. We give off an aroma of death to this group. What does this mean? It means that there are some who have no intention at all of submitting their lives to Jesus Christ. They are set against Him. The aroma we give off to one group is life. To that other group that same aroma is death. That is why some people are so uncomfortable around the Spirit-filled Christian. They smell death - their death. Do we understand these things? Paul asks who is adequate for these things. That’s just the way things are and this is where faith comes in.

So you are never a failure. Jesus is the great example of this principle. His presence drew multitudes to Himself. He said, “If I be lifted up I will draw all men unto me (John 12:32).” He did just that. Some submitted and followed Him as disciples. Others turned away. Yet both groups made a decision. One group to follow Him in life. The other group to turn away from Him in death. Yet He was always successful and so are you.

The decision is not up to you to make. Your job and my job is to remain close to Him and draw from His strength day by day. God bless.

Love to you all,