The Whole Point of Victory
2 Corinthians 2:14-16 But thanks be to God, who always leads us in victory through Christ. God uses us to spread his knowledge everywhere like a sweet-smelling perfume. Our offering to God is to be the perfume of Christ that goes out to those who are being saved and to those who are being lost. To those who are being lost, this perfume smells like death, and it brings them death. But to those who are being saved, it has the sweet smell of life, and it brings them life.
We all love that word “victory”. It’s about winning – success, glory, recognition. Who doesn’t want to live a life of victory over their circumstances, crashing through all the obstacles to the finishing line?
And so when we set about looking at the victorious life that God promises us through Jesus, it’s all too easy to get the wrong idea. Because if we look at it from our worldly perspective, God’s victory in our lives equals the success that the world tells us we should have.
Yeah, you deserve it! You’ve worked hard – pamper yourself!
A lot of the advertising tells exactly that story to peddle their wares, playing on our desire for worldly success and recognition. But that’s not what God means when He talks about the victory we have through Jesus.
2 Corinthians 2:14-16 But thanks be to God, who always leads us in victory through Christ. God uses us to spread his knowledge everywhere like a sweet-smelling perfume. Our offering to God is to be the perfume of Christ that goes out to those who are being saved and to those who are being lost. To those who are being lost, this perfume smells like death, and it brings them death. But to those who are being saved, it has the sweet smell of life, and it brings them life.
The purpose of Christ’s victory in our lives isn’t that we should become popular winners, but that we should show Jesus to the world in the most wonderous way, through our sacrifice and humility. No, not everyone will appreciate it. To some it will be a perfume, to others a stench. But live out His humble victory anyway.
That’s God’s Word. Fresh … for you … today.
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