A FEELING OF FUTILITY!

Saturday, March 2, 2019

 A FEELING OF FUTILITY!

2 Cor 2:14-16

14 Now thanks be unto God, which always causeth us to triumph in Christ, and maketh manifest the savour of his knowledge by us in every place.

15 For we are unto God a sweet savour of Christ, in them that are saved, and in them that perish:

16 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?

           Paul acknowledged that the same gospel which saved some damned others. He uses an illustration of the Roman army returning from a victorious campaign. As the pagan Roman priests burned incense along the way the aroma was a sweet smell of victory to some but a smell of death to the captives. They were on their way to the arena to be killed by beasts for sport.

           In near despair, Paul asks: “And who is sufficient for these things?” I have felt the same way at times. Our calling and our desire is that our gospel herald a sweet aroma but, for those who reject the good news, we have made their lives more miserable by pointing out their doom.

           Moreover, the gospel may save a man but his past sins may have scarred him and marred him. He limps along wearing those scars like a badge and a warning to others. While his soul is saved and secure he awaits “the redemption of the body” (Romans 8:23)

Jude 22-23

22 And of some have compassion, making a difference:

23 And others save with fear, pulling them out of the fire; hating even the garment spotted by the flesh.

Lord, some are so near hell as to smell of smoke! Give me a heart of compassion and let me rely on the sufficiency of Christ. AMEN