Thanks Be to God Who Always Leads Us in Triumph!!

“Now thanks be to God who always leads us in triumph in Christ, and through us diffuses the fragrance of His knowledge in every place.” ~ 2 Corinthians 2:14, NKJV

Paul writes this verse in the context of sharing the gospel. As he explains, believers are the fragrance of Christ “among those who are being saved and among those who are perishing.” (vs. 15) As homes of the Holy Spirit, believers carry God Himself with them wherever they go. They're Christians - little Christs - who, even in their worst moments, cannot help but be different from the rest of the world (though sometimes that difference is simply that their sin will make them more miserable than unbeliever's sin ultimately would). To the one (those being saved) believers are the fragrance of life leading to life, because the life-giving Holy Spirit can be sensed in us. But to the other (those who are perishing), believers are the aroma of death leading to death, because that same Spirit of truth convicts him of his sin and reminds him of the “bad news” - man deserves death - without that person ever allowing the Spirit time to tell him the good news: Jesus Christ died in man's place so that we could be forgiven and live forever. “And who is sufficient for these things?” Paul asks (vs. 16). What believer is sufficient to be Christ in the world? The answer is none! No one is sufficient! No human can handle a mission that important or that huge! But God can handle it. God is sufficient. And it His sufficiency that works in us, not our own insufficiency. That's why I love the verse 14 (above). Paul gives thanks to the God who always leads us in triumph in Christ! He actually uses the word ”always.” I know I am not always triumphant. In fact, I know I'm more often defeated than I am victorious. I know I fail. I know I fall down (constantly). That's okay. I want the Spirit to win more battles in my life, but as the Lord accomplishes that in me, I also rest in the knowledge that the war is won. Christ won it on the cross two thousand years ago. His victory is my triumph, because He fought on my behalf. Am I sufficient? Am I triumphant? Certainly not! - as Paul would say. But Jesus is both, and Jesus is in me. Thanks be to God indeed.

by Rebecca...