The Smell of the Gospel of Christ Oozes from Believers.

2 Corinthians 2:12-17

Click for a description of the mark of the beast.
Click for a description of the image of the beast.

• It’s disturbing to not be able to see those we feel love for.
• The smell of the Gospel of Christ oozes from His followers.
• Some smell death from the Gospel and others smell life.
• Followers of Jesus Christ have a sincere belief and are not selling snake oil.

It’s disturbing to not be able to see those we feel love for.

“Furthermore, when I came to Troas to preach Christ’s gospel, and a door was opened to me by the Lord, I had no rest in my spirit, because I did not find Titus my brother; but taking my leave of them, I departed for Macedonia.” 2 Corinthians 2:12-13 As a follower of Christ, we experience joy when a door opens to us to share the Gospel of Christ and there is added joy when we expect to meet a fellow Believer in the process. However, it’s very disappointing when the one person we were hoping to see is not there.

In today’s world, it’s common that for one reason or another that we are not able to meet up with other followers of Christ. Those who live and govern by the beast that gives them what to say and do towards others and to think and feel about others do not want us to have the joy of fellowship with other Believers. In the process, they fill the sharing of the Gospel with heartache and thorns and every type of verbal and non-verbal barriers. The best thing to do, after they make their rejection of Christ Jesus known, is to walk away from them.

The smell of the Gospel of Christ oozes from His followers.

“Now thanks be to God who always leads us in triumph in Christ, and through us manifests the fragrance of His knowledge in every place.” 2 Corinthians 2:14 There is victory in Christ despite the fact that our thoughts, feelings, and emotions are filled with heartache by the beast that has power over physiology. Our thoughts and feelings are inflicted. Those who live for the beast are hostile to we who shun the beast and live for Jesus Christ. The victory we have in Christ is the triumph over sin and the ability to ooze out the smell of the Gospel, through the Holy Spirit, wherever we go. I continue to wear my hat that displays the name of JESUS, and wear my t-shirt that says, “Normal Isn’t Coming Back, Jesus Is.”

Some smell death from the Gospel and others smell life.

“For we are to God the fragrance of Christ among those who are being saved and among those who are perishing.” 2 Corinthians 2:15 God sees Jesus Christ in us, and through us comes His message of Salvation, which is, “For God so loved the world that He gave His only begotten Son, that whoever believes in Him should not perish but have everlasting life.” John 3:16 That verse is the fragrance oozing forth from us.

“To the one we are the aroma of death leading to death, and to the other the aroma of life leading to life. And who is sufficient for these things? ” 2 Corinthians 2:16 To those who live by the power of darkness through the beast, we smell like death because they are perishing in the sin of rejecting Jesus. They detest us and smell the sentence of death against them, and they make it a practice to eliminate Christianity. To those who receive Jesus Christ, we smell like life which leads to spiritual life in the Holy Spirit and leads to eternal life.

For we who are being saved, the perfume of the Holy Spirit has a sweet smell and leads us to a better life, eternal life. But for people who are lost, it has a bad smell and leads them to a horrible death, eternal Hell. How can we know if we have the Holy Spirit? If we do not speak against Jesus Christ and say that He is Lord then we have the Holy Spirit, “Therefore I make known to you that no one speaking by the Spirit of God calls Jesus accursed, and no one can say that Jesus is Lord except by the Holy Spirit.” 1 Corinthians 12:3

“And this is the condemnation, that the light has come into the world, and men loved darkness rather than light, because their deeds were evil.” John 3:19

Followers of Jesus Christ have a sincere belief and are not selling snake oil.

“For we are not, as so many, peddling the word of God; but as of sincerity, but as from God, we speak in the sight of God in Christ.” 2 Corinthians 2:17 The fallen churches and ministers of today have discarded the Gospel of Jesus Christ, but they are using the manmade churches and the microphone for their own benefit. They are like peddlers selling snake oil. As followers of Jesus Christ, we are sincere about the need for the remission of sin through Jesus Christ and the inheritance of eternal life we have in the New Jerusalem. We ask for nothing in return relating to money and possessions. We bring the Gospel message in the sight of God and in Jesus Christ.

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“….to you who do not hold to her teaching and have not learned Satan’s so-called deep secrets,
‘I will not impose any other burden on you, except to hold on to what you have until I come.’
“I am coming soon. 
Hold on to what you have, so that no one will take your crown.’”
Revelation 2:24-25, 3:11