In 2 Corinthians 2:14-17, we read that despite the resistance and persecution of people, Paul and the other apostles/disciples of Jesus Christ were thankful to God, Who always caused them to triumph in Christ and made manifest the savour of His knowledge through them in every place. They were a sweet savour of Christ unto God and everywhere they came, they spread the savour of the knowledge of Christ. But the savour of Christ was not a sweet savour and a savour of life to everyone. To some people, the savour of Christ was a sweet savour unto life and to some people, the savour of Christ was a savour of death unto death. What does this mean?
The savour of Christ is a savour of death to them that perish
Now thanks be unto God, which always causes us to triumph in Christ, and makes manifest the savour of His knowledge by us in every place. For we are unto God a sweet savour of Christ, in them that are saved, and in them that perish: To the one we are the savour of death unto death; and to the other the savour of life unto life. And who is sufficient for these things? For we are not as many, which corrupt the word of God: but as of sincerity, but as of God, in the sight of God speak we in Christ (2 Corinthians 2:14-17)
Because to those, who belonged to the world and loved the world and were enemies of God, Paul and the others were a savour of death. Because the truth; the knowledge of Christ, which they preached called the people to repentance and a change of life. The message they preached meant the death of their flesh and not everyone wanted to hear that message, because many loved the world and their flesh.
But Paul and the others didn’t adulterate the words of God and didn’t adjust the message of Christ in order to be accepted and loved by people.
They didn’t use the Word of God for personal gain to enrich themselves.
They didn’t compromise no matter what, but they remained faithful to God and kept preaching the truth of Christ, which was a hard message for many people and caused angriness, hatred, resistance, and persecution.
But they had laid down their own lives and were not ashamed of the gospel. They didn’t love their own lives, but they loved God above all and their neighbors as themselves, and therefore they stayed faithful to God and kept preaching Jesus Christ and didn’t give up but persevered.
And so they spread, the sweet savour of Christ on earth and were to them, who would perish a savour of death unto death, but for those, who were saved and would be saved a savour of life unto life.
The savour of Christ on earth
I beseech you therefore, brethren, by the mercies of God, that ye present your bodies a living sacrifice, holy, acceptable unto God, which is your reasonable service (Romans 12:1)
Be ye therefore followers of God, as dear children; And walk in love, as Christ also hath loved us, and hath given Himself for us an offering and a sacrifice to God for a sweetsmelling savour (Ephesians 5:1-2)
Those, who are born again in Christ and belong to Him and are not ashamed of the gospel of Jesus Christ and still preach the true Jesus Christ; the unadulterated Word, are still the savour of Christ on earth unto God and unto all man. But not all man will appreciate the savour of Christ.
They, who have died in Christ and are dead to the world, but alive unto God and spread the knowledge of Christ, shall be a savour of death to those, who belong to the world and live in darkness as enemies of God and the cross and love the world, the darkness, and love doing the works of the flesh and are not willing to repent.
Therefore, they that are carnal and live after the flesh can’t be in their presence, because they can’t stand the savour of Christ and therefore they shall do everything they can to avoid them.
Because they don’t want to be confronted with the fact that the works they do (the works of the flesh) are evil. They don’t want to be confronted with their sins and unrighteousness and don’t want to be confronted with the righteousness of God and judgment, but they want to live undisturbed after the lusts and desires of the flesh in darkness.
The savour of Christ is a savour of life to them that are saved and will be saved
But to those, who are saved and belong to God and to those, who will be saved, to those they, who spread the knowledge of Christ, shall be a savour of life unto eternal life.
To them the preaching of the knowledge of Christ means salvation, by the blood of Jesus Christ, and deliverance of sin and death through faith and regeneration in Him; the death of the flesh and the resurrection of the spirit from the dead. They shall rejoice in the unadulterated words of God.
Therefore let us never bow for the desires and lusts of carnal man and compromise with the world and adjust and adulterate the words of God, but let us stay faithful to God and preach the unadulterated Word of God, so that we remain a sweet savour of Christ unto God.
And although we will be a savour of death unto those who perish, unto those who are saved and belong to God and unto those, who will be saved we will be a sweet savour of life unto eternal life.
‘Be the salt of the earth’
