Out of my control!

Read: 2 Corinthians 2:15–17

15 For we are the aroma of Christ to God among those who are being saved and among those who are perishing, 16 to one a fragrance from death to death, to the other a fragrance from life to life. Who is sufficient for these things? 17 For we are not, like so many, peddlers of God's word, but as men of sincerity, as commissioned by God, in the sight of God we speak in Christ.

A few weeks ago, I had lunch with Kerry Wilson. We met at a place he wanted me to try. As he ordered, he asked for a pizza with pepperonis (good start) and mushrooms! Why did he have to ruin a good thing with fungus? Who would ever choose this?

Just like certain foods (mushrooms, cilantro, oysters) are either loved or hated, we must understand that when we talk about our faith, the same visceral reaction is likely. Paul says, to some we are the fragrance of life and to others the fragrance of death.

Here is the point you need to remember: You cannot control how someone responds.
You can’t do it in your emails at work, your Christmas plans with family, or your neighbors’ thoughts about your yard. You cannot control what others think.

Your job is to be the fragrance. Some will be attracted to it while others are repelled by it. Think about the perfume counter. We have all smelled a spray of perfume that is off-putting yet still sells for hundreds of dollars.

We cannot control the response, but we can control our living out the message. The simple way I like to say it is this: You are called to share, not save, because you cannot save! God changes hearts; you simply point to God!

Maybe you are struggling today with the way you are seen by others, avoided by others, or chastised by others. Reflect on how much energy you spend trying to control how people respond to your faith. God calls you to faithfulness, not universal approval.

The Aroma of Christ

Read: 2 Corinthians 2:14–16

14 But thanks be to God, who in Christ always leads us in triumphal procession, and through us spreads the fragrance of the knowledge of him everywhere. 15 For we are the aroma of Christ to God among those who are being saved and among those who are perishing, 16 to one a fragrance from death to death, to the other a fragrance from life to life. Who is sufficient for these things?

Smells are hard to hide.
You know what I am talking about.
We have all done it.
Some of us still think it is funny.

Paul is using this word picture of Christians as the “aroma of Christ” to help us understand that we are carrying a hard-to-hide message with us. Belief in the truth that Jesus lived, died, and rose from the dead should permeate the air around us as we cannot help but speak about what we have seen and heard.

Sadly, I am not always carrying a fragrance that aligns with the message and mission of God. I give off bitterness, jealousy, greed, and arrogance. I am short-tempered, slow to listen, serving self and not others. I choose laughs over lifting others up. I talk sports multitudes more than I talk spiritual truths.

You are giving off an aroma!
What is that aroma?

Reflect on what your life “smells like” spiritually.
What attitudes, habits, words, or reactions are spreading from your life into others?

Transformation Takes Time

Read: 2 Corinthians 3:18

18 And we all, with unveiled face, beholding the glory of the Lord, are being transformed into the same image from one degree of glory to another. For this comes from the Lord who is the Spirit.

You cannot stay the same.
You are constantly changing…for better or worse.

This is the point Paul is making. When the Holy Spirit dwells with those who believe in Jesus as Savior and Lord, they are being transformed day by day.

Think back to a moment 5, 10, or 20 years ago that was extremely challenging or stressful to endure but may now feel like only a momentary blip in your day today.

We can see growth in our lives. We expect growth in our attitude, careers, and skill sets…. But do we expect growth in our spiritual lives?

Can you see evidence of ways that God is changing you?
 Are you more prayerful?
 Compassionate?
 Forgiving?
 Loving?

If the Holy Spirit is in you, it is working on you. The Spirit wants to mold and shape you to be more like Jesus. Can you feel that?

Transformation is slow. It doesn’t happen overnight or in an instant, but as we look back from where we have been, I hope you can see that you are not the same.

A New Hope

Read: 2 Corinthians 3:7–11

7 Now if the ministry of death, carved in letters on stone, came with such glory that the Israelites could not gaze at Moses' face because of its glory, which was being brought to an end, 8 will not the ministry of the Spirit have even more glory? 9 For if there was glory in the ministry of condemnation, the ministry of righteousness must far exceed it in glory. 10 Indeed, in this case, what once had glory has come to have no glory at all, because of the glory that surpasses it. 11 For if what was being brought to an end came with glory, much more will what is permanent have glory.

In today’s verses, Paul contrasts the ministry of condemnation vs. the ministry of righteousness. A better way to understand this is the Ministry of the Law vs. the Ministry of Faith.

The law showed us the right way to live. It gave us the rules and regulations to obey and honor God. The problem is not with the law, but with us. While we know what sin is, we cannot will ourselves to be sinless.

That is the rub. The Law revealed sin but could not rescue sinners.

But thanks be to God for the ministry of righteousness that comes through Jesus. In this new era, we live with an understanding of sin, not simply because we are given a rule book, but because we are given the Holy Spirit that teaches, corrects, and helps! The law was only able to condemn. Through faith and the power of the Holy Spirit, not only can we be rescued from sins committed, but we are also equipped to combat the sin that tempts us.

Reflect on whether your relationship with God feels driven more by guilt and fear (remnants of the law) or by freedom and transformation (effects of the Holy Spirit).

Completely Insufficient

Read: 2 Corinthians 3:4–6

4 Such is the confidence that we have through Christ toward God. 5 Not that we are sufficient in ourselves to claim anything as coming from us, but our sufficiency is from God, 6 who has made us sufficient to be ministers of a new covenant, not of the letter but of the Spirit. For the letter kills, but the Spirit gives life.

“Our sufficiency is from God.”

On Sunday, I preached a message titled “Completely Insufficient.”
That is the last thing we ever want to admit. We spend our days proving our worth and value. We want to show we are not dumb, useless, or to be forgotten. We want to matter, and we strive to make ourselves matter.

Paul had every right to claim what he had accomplished and achieved. He had a resume that outshined any of his contemporaries, yet he says honestly, “My sufficiency is from God!”

In essence, Paul is stating, “Who I am is who God has made me.” I did not garner, gain, or grab hold of this opportunity on my own. God called me. God placed me. God uses me. Only through Him am I anything.

Take a moment and consider how exhausting it is to constantly try to prove yourself worthy, capable, or impressive. How much of your day is an attempt to prove your worth or worthiness? On the flip side, how much anxiety do you carry every day worrying if you are good enough or good enough in the eyes of others?

What would change if you truly believed that your sufficiency in life comes from God?
What pressure would be relieved?
What freedom would be found?

Hear this today: Your sufficiency does not rest in what you accomplish, attain, or achieve. Your sufficiency is not based on how good, kind, holy, pretty, or perfect you are.

Your sufficiency is from God. You are loved because He loves you, not because you are lovable!