A Sweet Perfume

Posted on by korgrocker

“But thank God! He has made us his captives and continues to lead us along in Christ’s triumphal procession. Now he uses us to spread the knowledge of Christ everywhere, like a sweet perfume. Our lives are a Christ-like fragrance rising up to God. But this fragrance is perceived differently by those who are being saved and by those who are perishing. To those who are perishing, we are a dreadful smell of death and doom. But to those who are being saved, we are a life-giving perfume. And who is adequate for such a task as this?”
2 Corinthians 2:14-16 NLT

In the days of the Roman Empire, victory parades were commonplace. A Roman general and his soldiers would return to their base city, march through the streets, parade their captured enemies, and burn incense. So, the crowds lining the streets would see and smell the victory. Paul often used the analogies of his experiences of the Roman army and soldiers in his letters. In Ephesians 6, written while in prison awaiting trial, he used the analogy of the Roman soldiers guarding him, relating the separate pieces of their armour to the spiritual armour we have as believers. So we read about the belt of truth that secures the rest of the armour and protects against lies. The breastplate of righteousness protects the heart and soul through God’s righteousness. Then we have the Shoes of the Gospel of Peace, which provide stability and readiness through the Good News about Jesus. There is a shield of faith, a large shield used to extinguish the “fiery darts” of the enemy, his lies and accusations. The helmet of salvation protects the mind and thoughts, and the only offensive weapon, the sword of the Spirit, represents the Word of God. Ever since, Paul’s helpful analogy has been a strength and support for believers everywhere and ever since. 

So, we pilgrims are caught up in a victory parade, but not as the victorious soldiers but as captives of Christ. Surely that is what we are, because we have been “captured” from the enemy, and rescued from the domain of evil and sin. Imagine the scene in Heaven, where our souls will be paraded before angels, as the saved ones, those who have believed in Jesus here on earth, and have been rescued from the kingdom of darkness, and brought into God’s Kingdom of Light. 

The victorious procession was also marked by the burning of incense, producing a sweet smell as the captives marched past. As we pilgrims “march” around society, getting on with our lives, what sort of smell do we leave behind in people’s nostrils? The word ”smell” is an analogy for the impression we leave on others. This is where things can get challenging, because we’ve all experienced relief when an objectionable person leaves our company. That loud-mouthed bigot. That person who is intent on sharing their own particular Godless and warped ideology. That person in the office who is always sharing smutty stories or gossiping about their colleagues. They leave a bad smell in people’s intellectual nostrils when they leave. 

I got into a lift the other day, and there was a strong residual smell of perfume lingering behind. The person who left it there was probably totally unaware of this, but it serves as a reminder that we, too, will leave a smell behind. Will it be a nasty odour that discredits Jesus, or will it be a “Christ-like fragrance rising up to God”? We Christians can turn out to be objectionable to unbelievers around because of the way we portray ourselves and the way we present what we believe. “Objectionable” Christians are generally defined by actions or beliefs that are perceived as hypocritical, harmful, intolerant, or unloving by critics, secular observers, and sometimes other Christians. These examples often centre on behaviour that violates the perceived core tenets of Christianity (such as love and compassion) or on extreme, dogmatic stances. Ouch!

Paul wrote that the fragrance we leave is the “dreadful smell of death and doom” to those who are heading for a lost eternity. But those people who are unbelievers, with their resistance to the Gospel and Jesus’ message of eternal life, will just bat away the thoughts of salvation, even if they are still lingering in their spiritual nostrils. Not for them the wonderful fragrance of Jesus. As we come into contact with those around us, do we leave a nice smell, a fragrance that lingers and brings a touch of Heaven into their lives? Or do we leave nothing worthy of note from the encounter, smell or otherwise? It is a challenge for all of us pilgrims, because one day we will be asked to account for the times when we used the wrong perfume.

Dear Heavenly Father. We want to leave the right impression on those around us, because when they see us, they must see Jesus. If we’re doing anything wrong, or nothing at all, to create a nice perfume, please point out to us the error of our ways. For Jesus’ sake. Amen.

Understanding the Sting of Death: A Biblical Perspective

Posted on by korgrocker

“”O death, where is your victory? O death, where is your sting?” For sin is the sting that results in death, and the law gives sin its power. But thank God! He gives us victory over sin and death through our Lord Jesus Christ.”
1 Corinthians 15:55-57 NLT

What is the “sting of death”? Perhaps we can consider the analogy of a scorpion or a bee. A bee is frightening because of its stinger; if the stinger is removed, the bee can still buzz around, but it can no longer truly harm us. The Bible teaches that death only has a sting because of sin. Without sin, death would not be a punishment or a source of spiritual “poison”—it would simply be a transition.

Paul wrote, “the law gives sin its power”, This means the Law (God’s moral standards) highlights our sin, making the “sting” feel even sharper because we realise we have fallen short of those standards. But to which law was Paul referring? Usually, when we refer to the Jews and the Old Testament, the “law” we have in mind is the Mosaic Law, as found in Exodus 20, and all the rules and regulations found in the Torah, the first five books of the Old Testament. Human beings love structure, such as that contained in the Law, because otherwise a lawless existence results. Imagine the chaos if there were no laws in our society, and everyone behaved as they saw fit. Because of sin, society would very quickly disintegrate. Moses gave the Israelites God’s Law, as revealed to him on Mount Sinai, as a covenant, to reveal His holy character, set them apart as His chosen people, teach them righteousness, reveal their inability to save themselves, and guide them in worship and daily life. An unbeliever is justly condemned in God’s sight by the Law that was given to His servant Moses. But what about those who are not Jews? Paul wrote about them in Romans 2:14-15, “Even Gentiles, who do not have God’s written law, show that they know his law when they instinctively obey it, even without having heard it. They demonstrate that God’s law is written in their hearts, for their own conscience and thoughts either accuse them or tell them they are doing right”. Jesus Himself said this about the Law, “Don’t misunderstand why I have come. I did not come to abolish the law of Moses or the writings of the prophets. No, I came to accomplish their purpose. I tell you the truth, until heaven and earth disappear, not even the smallest detail of God’s law will disappear until its purpose is achieved” (Matthew 5:17-18). 

The problem with the Law is that even when it is in place, no one can keep it in a way that fulfils God’s requirements. All it does is expose the sin that is ingrained within us. Jesus exposed the intent of the Law when He taught, “You have heard that our ancestors were told, ‘You must not murder. If you commit murder, you are subject to judgment’” (Matthew 5:21). The Pharisees were very good at keeping the outward aspects of the Law, and in this case claimed a tick in the “do not murder” box. But Jesus pricked their righteous bubble when He said, “But I say, if you are even angry with someone, you are subject to judgment! If you call someone an idiot, you are in danger of being brought before the court. And if you curse someone, you are in danger of the fires of hell” (Matthew 5:22). In Matthew 5:20 Jesus said, “But I warn you—unless your righteousness is better than the righteousness of the teachers of religious law and the Pharisees, you will never enter the Kingdom of Heaven!”

Paul wrote that “the law gives sin its power” and regardless of the law, human beings, Jews or otherwise, can never be good enough to meet God’s standard on their own. We all know the verse in Romans 3:23, “For everyone has sinned; we all fall short of God’s glorious standard”. But rather than leave us in a hopeless situation, God sent His Son, Jesus, to take on the punishment for sin that we deserve. Paul wrote, “He gives us victory over sin and death through our Lord Jesus Christ.” God’s plan was for mankind to be reconciled to God. Jesus took on Himself our sins and gave us His righteousness so that we can truly be God’s children, able to enter His presence.

This is exciting for us pilgrims because we have the assurance that one day we can enter Heaven, crossing the Great Divide free from the sting of sin and death. We lived a life that started when we responded to God’s call and repented of our sins, believing in our wonderful Saviour. A quote from “Gotquestions.org”, “Christ became the end of the Law by virtue of what He did on earth through His sinless life and His sacrifice on the cross. So, the Law no longer has any bearing over us because its demands have been fully met in the Lord Jesus Christ. Faith in Christ, who satisfied the righteous demands of the Law, restores us into a pleasing relationship with God and keeps us there. No longer under the penalty of the Law, we now live under the law of grace in the love of God”. 

“O death, where is your victory? O death, where is your sting?“

The sting of sin and death no longer appears in the hearts and minds of us pilgrims. Can we feel the flood of God’s love and grace pouring over us? Can we truly claim that the “things of earth go strangely dim, in the light of His glory and grace”? According to what we believe, Jesus took the “sting” (the penalty of sin) upon himself. Because Jesus rose from the dead, death is viewed as a defeated enemy. It may still happen physically, but its “poison” (eternal separation from God) is gone. Forever.

Father God. We thank You that we never die but instead transition from this life into eternal life, where we will be in Your presence. “O death, where is your victory? O death, where is your sting?” Amen.

Jesus is Coming

Posted on by korgrocker

“The next day, the news that Jesus was on the way to Jerusalem swept through the city. A large crowd of Passover visitors took palm branches and went down the road to meet him. They shouted, “Praise God! Blessings on the one who comes in the name of the Lord! Hail to the King of Israel!””
John 12:12-13 NLT

The Pharisees’ worst nightmare was happening before their eyes. A large crowd of people, in Jerusalem for the Passover festival, somehow heard that Jesus was on His way. So they decided to go out to welcome Him, and they started shouting out, “Hosanna” and “Hail to the King of Israel”. They ripped palm branches off the trees to use to amplify their excitement about the coming of Jesus. If Jesus was indeed the coming King, where would that leave the religious leaders, the Pharisees, and all the other religious leaders? Their whole way of life would disappear and leave them without influence and authority. 

We pilgrims look back over the account of the first Palm Sunday and wonder what it must have been like. As usual, John’s account in his Gospel was a bit sparse on details, but the film makers have many times tried to portray their interpretation of Jesus’ entry into Jerusalem. As we try and imagine the events, the personal details, the atmosphere, superimposing our own limited understanding of first Century Jewish society, we can get a glimpse of the excitement and expectations of the people. They were extremely fed up with being occupied by yet another foreign power. Here was the coming King. Surely He would resolve their problems. 

The people were in Jerusalem for the Passover festival, and the Passover Psalms would have been foremost in their minds. They quoted from Psalm 118 when they cried out, “Blessings on the one who comes in the name of the Lord!” Many of the people had been in Jerusalem for previous Passovers but they had never experienced one like this. Gripped by excitement they shouted and waved the palm branches. What a time that must have been, welcoming their King and Messiah. 

We pilgrims today look forward to the second coming of Jesus. Through the Holy Spirit the Apostle John wrote down amazing visions and from these we have a few hints of the events that will lead up to it. We see a series of events and natural happenings that Jesus called the birth pangs of the coming age. Wars, rumours of wars, earthquakes, famine and more beside. The clock towards the Day of the Lord started ticking on the day Luke wrote about in Acts 1:9, when Jesus was taken up into the clouds, His ascension into Heaven. So the question for us believers is, are we ready? Will we be waving metaphorical palm branches welcoming Jesus to this world? Or will we be like the Pharisees, dreading the loss of our worldly lives and wealth? Jesus said, “However, no one knows the day or hour when these things will happen, not even the angels in heaven or the Son himself. Only the Father knows” (Matthew 24:36). So we will be ready for when He comes, won’t we?

Dear Father God. We have so much to look forward to. As we sit in Your presence, worshipping at Your feet, we perhaps feel a sense of excitement about what is to come. And we ready ourselves to welcome the victorious King, Jesus. Amen.

Christ’s Love

Posted on by korgrocker

“Can anything ever separate us from Christ’s love? Does it mean he no longer loves us if we have trouble or calamity, or are persecuted, or hungry, or destitute, or in danger, or threatened with death? (As the Scriptures say, “For your sake we are killed every day; we are being slaughtered like sheep.”) No, despite all these things, overwhelming victory is ours through Christ, who loved us.”
Romans 8:35-37 NLT

Paul muses for a while on how much Jesus loves him. He runs through in his mind all the circumstances that he has experienced on his long and often tedious missionary journeys. The abuse he has suffered. The privations forced upon him. The insults hurled against him. The beatings and stoning. Even shipwrecks. The list is endless, seemingly. And he ponders for a moment, wondering if all the negative experiences that have come his ways mean that Christ has deserted him. Do we feel the same sometimes? Do we think God doesn’t love us anymore when we experience difficulties? Do we feel God has deserted us when the prayers for a sick loved one seemingly go unanswered? Or when there is too much month left at the end of the money? Has Jesus left us when we have a road traffic accident, or when we get fired from our job?

We pilgrims are natural human beings, predominantly living a life embedded in the here and now. Most of our thoughts are focused on the natural and physical circumstances in which we live. The food we eat. How we feel. The clothes we wear. But we live in a world where all of this is badly affected by sin. So it should be of no surprise to us when we feel sometimes that the world around us is a hostile and loveless place. Paul, though, had even more reason than us to feel aggrieved by his circumstances. But he could then make that extraordinary statement, “No, despite all these things, overwhelming victory is ours through Christ, who loved us.” An amazing conclusion. Paul had learnt the practice of lifting his eyes. Instead of guddling around in the mud and the mire of life, he had embraced what the Psalmist wrote in Psalm 40:2-3, “He lifted me out of the pit of despair, out of the mud and the mire. He set my feet on solid ground and steadied me as I walked along. He has given me a new song to sing, a hymn of praise to our God. Many will see what he has done and be amazed. They will put their trust in the Lord”. 

Paul had learnt that his altitude was established by his attitude. As he lifted his eyes to Heaven, he could imagine Jesus there, cheering him on. Heavenly reassurance that all was well. His legacy in Heaven was safe. Lack of love on earth did not mean God didn’t love him anymore. We Christians have many challenges in life. I can look back and see on several occasions, with deep gratitude within me, how God protected me from life’s difficulties and circumstances. But there were times when He didn’t. But He still loved me. And He still does today. And I can still stand assured on the solid Rock who is Christ, with an assurance that regardless of what life throws at me, God is still on His throne in Heaven and Jesus is sitting at His right hand pleading for me. 

We pilgrims are all walking our own paths to the promised land. Some roads will take us through difficult terrain, with apparently insurmountable obstacles in the way. But God is there with us, always helping, always loving, always holding our hands. And we can sing with many of our brothers and sisters, who may be experienced troubles, “a hymn of praise to our God”. 

Heavenly Father. We do indeed sing a hymn of praise to You today. Your love for us is boundless. And we declare with Paul that victory through Christ is ours. In Jesus’ name. Amen.

Death No More

Posted on by korgrocker

“Then death and the grave were thrown into the lake of fire. This lake of fire is the second death. And anyone whose name was not found recorded in the Book of Life was thrown into the lake of fire.
Revelation‬ ‭20:14-15‬ ‭NLT

The lake of fire is filling up. We already have the devil, the beast and the false prophet sent there. Now we find out that death and the grave have been thrown in there as well. How do we picture death? A man wearing a monk’s habit with a hood covering his head, and carrying an old fashioned scythe? You know, the “Grim Reaper” that accompanies jokes about men catching a cold? But however we imagine the concept, or state, we call “death”, it is far more serious and significant than that. And the fact that “death” was to be no more restores God’s original order back to His creation.

When mankind was created, his sinless state meant that he would have the opportunity to live forever. In Genesis 2:9b we read, ” …. In the middle of the garden he [God] placed the tree of life and the tree of the knowledge of good and evil.” And in Genesis 3:22 we read, “Then the Lord God said, “Look, the human beings have become like us, knowing both good and evil. What if they reach out, take fruit from the tree of life, and eat it? Then they will live forever!”” The sin Adam and Eve committed resulted in them being cut off from the fruit of the tree that would provide eternal life. The result of that sin was mankind’s eventual physical death. So death was spawned in Eden through what has become to be known as the fall of man. And now death was being eliminated and consigned to the fiery lake. 

Now that death was, well, dead, there was no more use for the grave. Obvious really. No dead bodies, so no need for graves. So the entity John saw, the grave,  ended up in the fiery lake as well. So in our minds we have perhaps conjured up our own images of the Grim Reaper and a gravestone flying through the air and disappearing below the surface of the lake full of burning sulphur. 

It is a strange concept for us pilgrims that one day we will be resurrected and will live forever. In God’s company as He originally wanted. But some people in society cannot wait until they die. They find life so hard that they just have had enough. Sadly, some accelerate the process and end their own lives unnaturally. And we also have the frequent debate promoting euthanasia for those suffering from incurable or debilitating diseases. In the forefront of the news just now is the sad story of a poor girl in her early teens who committed suicide, her mental health challenges exacerbated by negative social media posts. The debate around the length and quality of our lives seems constant. But Jesus came to give us life, both here in this physical realm, and forever in the age to come. In John 10:10 we read, “The thief’s purpose is to steal and kill and destroy. My [Jesus] purpose is to give them a rich and satisfying life.” Regardless of our circumstances, we can enjoy a wonderful life with Jesus.

So one day there will be no death. All those who have chosen to live God’s way, in a loving relationship with Him, will transition from this life to eternal life in Heaven. In a conversation with Martha, the sister of Lazarus, Jesus said to her, “ … I am the resurrection and the life. Anyone who believes in me will live, even after dying. Everyone who lives in me and believes in me will never ever die. Do you believe this, Martha?” Jesus came to this life, walking the highways and byways of the Palestinian countryside telling people about God’s wonderful Kingdom. He healed the sick. He raised the dead. To Jesus, death was no obstacle. Paul wrote to his followers some comforting words about death. We read in 1 Corinthians 15:53-55, “For our dying bodies must be transformed into bodies that will never die; our mortal bodies must be transformed into immortal bodies. Then, when our dying bodies have been transformed into bodies that will never die, this Scripture will be fulfilled: “Death is swallowed up in victory. O death, where is your victory? O death, where is your sting?”” Paul ends this section with these words, “But thank God! He gives us victory over sin and death through our Lord Jesus Christ.” That was why Jesus came. And through Him we really do have the victory that will enable us to once again enjoy eating from the Tree of Life.

Dear Heavenly Father. Once again we fall to our knees in worship. You are the living God, the true Life. How wonderful You are. Amen.

Victory

Posted on by korgrocker

“Sing a new song to the Lord, 
     for He has done wonderful deeds. 
His right hand has won a mighty victory; 
   His holy arm has shown his saving power! 
Shout to the Lord, all the earth; 
    break out in praise and sing for joy! 
Let the sea and everything in it shout His praise! 
    Let the earth and all living things join in. 
Let the rivers clap their hands in glee! 
    Let the hills sing out their songs of joy 
    before the Lord, 
for He is coming to judge the earth. 
    He will judge the world with justice, 
    and the nations with fairness.”
‭‭Psalms‬ ‭98:1, 4, 7-9‬ ‭NLT‬‬

Another tremendous Psalm of joy and praise. Reading it, I get the impression that there has been a victory after a battle, and the Psalmist is giving God the credit, mentioning His “mighty deeds”, “mighty victory” and “saving power”. In those earlier days in Israel’s history, there was constant friction between the Jews and their neighbours. I suppose it hasn’t changed much today.

But I also get the impression that the Psalmist, probably reflecting national thought, expected this to be perhaps the first, or another, skirmish in what he hoped would be the process of God judging and passing sentence on the hapless neighbouring countries in that war-torn region on our planet. The Jews had an expectation that God would ultimately deal with the political situation in Palestine and fulfil His promise of driving out the nations that were populating their “promised land”.

We also have skirmishes in our lives. We have a “promised land” in the Kingdom of God, and although, as Christians, we are already populating it, we are still having problems with the  “neighbours”. Our sins encroach on our inheritance. The enemy, the devil, is doing his best to stop us settling into our new life in God. Secular society ostracises those who stray away from the herd, taking the moral high ground, adopting counter-cultural ways, challenging belief systems. But we look to God for salvation, for a new life free from sin and the devil and all things bad. We can thank God for the small victories in our pilgrimage through life. We can praise and worship the Lord Almighty, the God who graciously loves us, who supports us, who picks us up when we fall, and beckons us on to the new Jerusalem, just over the horizon of our consciousness. 

I’m overwhelmed by God’s grace this morning. As Christians we worship a God who is not a remote and distant deity, only interacting with His people on a whim, when He feels like it. We worship a God who so loved us that He actually came to this planet. God’s Son, Jesus, took on human flesh, and lived amongst us. He was part of a family. He worked for a living. He had such compassion on His fellow countrymen that He worked tirelessly amongst them, healing, teaching, loving. He felt the rejection of being counter-cultural, challenging the value systems and beliefs of His day. And He died for us, taking on our sins at Calvary. Through love He paid the ultimate price so that we could one day not only see the new Jerusalem in the distance, but one day live there with Him. What grace! What love! In this season of Advent, let us anew praise and worship the Lord “who has done wonderful deeds”.