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Good Wednesday morning June 26 to you friends,
Today we’re looking closely together at 2 Corinthians chapter 2.
May I invite us to back up a few verses and begin in chapter 1:21. “Now it is God who makes both us and you stand firm in Christ. He anointed us, set His seal of ownership on us, and put His Spirit in our hearts as a deposit, guaranteeing what is to come.” Oh my what a great statement!
Paul often calls his readers to ‘stand firm in Christ’. Why? Well, in 1 Corinthians 10:13 he had told them temptations of all kinds will certainly come, but stand firm, and God will provide a way of escape.
To the Ephesian Christians, Paul warned that the devil is a scheming enemy but with the armor of God we can stand firm against any spiritual attack.
To the Christians in Philippi, Paul wrote about anxiety and worry attacking our hearts, but we can rejoice and pray with thanksgiving and a peace that passes all understanding will guard our hearts and minds in Christ Jesus.
Paul personally experienced daily challenges, demanding that he ‘stand firm’ on his trust in Jesus, and he knew it would be the same for us.
Notice in this verse, Paul gives us three good sources of strength for standing firm in our battles.
First… Do you see the phrase: “He anointed us…” Throughout the Bible, an anointing of oil was used for the purpose of designating something or someone for very special use. Moses anointed the Ark of the Covenant and all the special worship artifacts, as they assembled the Tabernacle for the first time (Exodus 40). Samuel anointed young David to be the future king of Israel (1 Samuel 16). Paul reminds us, that when we trusted Jesus to save us, God ‘set us apart‘, He anointed us, as special for His use, for His glory. Do you feel special today my friends? I wonder what special things God has planned for you and me today?
Secondly, God “…set His seal of ownership on us…” (1:22). This is powerful. Seals in Paul’s day were very significant. Seals on legal documents, seals on business deals. Remember the seal placed on the tomb of Jesus? A seal was a distinguishing ark that identified authority and an official transaction. Seals were like the mark of a branding iron on cattle or even on a slave. I wonder what you think when you see tattoos? May I suggest from now on, every time you see a tattoo, think of the mark God has placed on you, and thank God! Paul tells us all Christians bear an invisible Spiritual seal, that God Himself has placed on us, when we were redeemed, purchased by the blood of Jesus.
But if the seal is invisible, who sees it? Ah my friends, it is invisible to human eyes, but not to spiritual eyes. Those of the Spiritual world who see such ‘invisible’ things would be, God the Father, Jesus the Son, the Holy Spirit and all the angels… both the holy angels in heaven and the fallen angels, the demons with Satan. It’s a powerful concept my friends. God has placed His seal of ownership on us who are redeemed by Jesus’ blood, and everywhere we go, the entire Spirit world sees that seal. To the Holy world it’s a cause of great celebration. To the evil world, a cause of anger, for they have lost their ownership of you and me! Praise God!
The third statement in this verse is “…put His Spirit in our hearts as a deposit, guaranteeing what is to come.” God’s Holy Spirit, alive and well in us, my friends, is God’s guarantee that we are His, set apart for His special use, and that we, His people, will spend eternity with Him in His presence. That verse should be one of great encouragement as we face each new day.
Please note in the opening verses of chapter 2, Paul speaks of the pain he suffered, as he wrote his first letter to the Christians in Corinth. In it, he dealt with some very difficult issues, and he used strong language in correcting them. But he did so because of his great love for them, and his desire to see them living victorious Christian lives. Do you have anyone who loves you so much they’ll speak hard truth to you, in hopes of seeing you find spiritual victory, and live a Spirit filled, God honoring life?
Now in Chapter 2 vs. 13 it tells us Paul did not stay too long in Troas, even though God had provided an open door for ministry, and people were responding. He moved on, further into Macedonia, re-visiting his friends in Philippi, Thessalonica and Berea. He was searching for Titus, who would bring him news of how the Christians in Corinth responded to his first letter.
As Paul traveled from place to place, it seems he imagined himself in a great parade. When I read these verses I think of the New Years Day Rose Bowl parade. Millions of flowers are used to decorate the floats, as you know. I’ve never been there, but I can imagine the sensory overload as the floats slowly pass by, displaying the magnificent beauty of God’s creative genius in flowers, and oh the fragrances! It must be almost more than eyes and noses can handle!
Paul writes “But thanks be to God, who always leads us in triumphal procession in Christ, and through us spreads everywhere the fragrance of the knowledge of Him.” (2 Cor. 2:14). Do you see it my friends? You and me, and all Christians around the world, a parade of the magnificent work of God. A triumphal procession, because each of us is the living evidence of Jesus’ victory over Satan and His rescue from Satan’s choke hold. A fragrant procession as we spread the wonderful good news of Jesus to our world. We should be a delight to the eyes, ears, noses of the world…right? If I haven’t told you lately, friends, you are a great delight to Dawn and me!
Now look very closely at what Paul writes next:
* 15 “For we are to God, the aroma of Christ, among those who being saved and those who are perishing.”
* 16 “To the one [those who are perishing] we are the smell of death; to the other [those who are born again] the fragrance of life.”
Now think deeply about that. Paul is saying, as you and I walk the journey of our normal, everyday lives, we give off a ‘spiritual odor, a fragrance’…everyone does! If you have been redeemed by Jesus’ death and resurrection, in the nostrils of God you are a sweet aroma, ‘the fragrance of life’, like a Rose Bowl parade float with 50,000 roses and orchids and other fragrant, LIVING, beautiful flowers, He has created for His glory. And would you also agree that, joyful, peaceful, gentle, kind, compassionate, loving Christians simply bring a wonderful fragrance of Christ to all of us, everywhere they go, at all times? Go ahead sniff…right now. What do you smell? Roses or maybe burnt toast?
Listen… to the other fragrance option in that verse.. “the smell of death”. Paul is calling us to imagine, that as God’s eyes roam across the face of our planet, everywhere He looks, God sees huge masses of humanity, who are walking death. They may not realize it, but not only are their bodies decaying as they age, but their souls and spirits are dead in their sinful nature (Ephes. 2:1-10). They have no spiritual life…even if they are devout worshipers of idols or false religions. They are dying in their sin and bound for an eternity apart from God… and that grieves God. Does it grieve us?
I love airports…do you? Orlando airport is especially beautiful…but what fascinates me are the people. Millions of people every year come through that airport, from all over the world. Sometimes I stand by an escalator and watch the flow of humanity. If I can find a dual escalator track, one going up and one going down from the same place…that is ideal for me to stand right there…and ponder, and pray. Can you imagine what I’m thinking about as I watch thousands of people, some going up, some going down? That’s Right… you guessed it. Paul’s parade of people, some on their way to heaven and great rejoicing anticipating they’ll soon see Jesus, and some on their way down, to an eternity apart from God to tormenting anguish beyond our comprehension.
I invite us all to stand there in our imaginations and read 2 Corinthians 2… and be prepared, for tears to fill your eyes, and two very different fragrances to fill your nostrils. First… tears of joy as you think of those dear loved ones you know who are with Jesus right now… what will they experience today? How many thousands more will step into heaven today?
But also allow the Holy Spirit to speak to your heart and mind about the other escalator with many of our friends and neighbors and even extended family…going the opposite direction. . .
Oh Jesus…help us see our world with your eyes. . .
Pastor Doug Anderson 262.441.8785
“Let us run with perseverance the race marked out for us, with our eyes fixed on Jesus…” (Heb. 12:1,2)
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