August 20, 2024 -- II Corinthians 2:14 -- The Fragrance of Jesus

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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.
II Corinthians 2:14 ESV

Recently I came across a sentence, a quotation from Thomas Watson (1620 - 1686) which reads: “Till sin be bitter, Christ will not be sweet”. Sin is attractive to the wayward heart precisely because of its false promises of sweet, guilty pleasures. However, the fact is sin leads to death. Sin has about it the stench of death.

Many of you know I work in prisons and also with those on parole. So many of the men and women on parole are heavily addicted to drugs, or live in shelters where many of the shelter client use drugs. Currently what is popular is something nick-named the “zombie drug”. Users have a characteristic bent forward position. Frozen like statues at a 45 degree angle or more! They will sway slightly, or standing, bent over, will sleep. Yet, when they wake up they crave more the drug that gives them a rush and then gives them sleep that makes them forget whatever it is that haunts them..

It is easy to react and say, “I’d never do that”. Okay. What is the stench of death that grips you? Addiction to shopping or uncontrolled impulse buying? Porn? Gossip? Anger? Laziness? Cheating on your taxes? Harboring ill-will against others? Meddling in other people’s business? Sin, whatever it is, makes you spiritually bent over just as much as those who have ingested the zombie drug. You are taking in what is bitter and displacing the sweetness of Jesus.

Until your sins are bitter to you, hateful and repulsive, you will dabble in them and not have a proper taste and appetite for the things of Jesus. Sins must be recognized as sin.

  • Pray for the great power of the Holy Spirit to show you the consequences of your sins and how spiritually bent over you really are.

  • Ask the Spirit to make the Word sweet to your taste so that you hunger for more. (Don't be surprised if this takes time! You have trained your tastes for what is bitter and evil, sweetness of taste will take some time to acquire).

  • Spend time with Christians whose walk with God is inspiring to you. As you do so, your life too will be irresistibly attractive to others around you—those who are yet bent over in the zombie state of sin.

  • Spread the sweet knowledge of Jesus to all so that they truly will be freed from their chains and sins.

Father in heaven blessed be Your Name. God of all healing power, break the chains addiction  and the dedication to sin that is gripping this land. Pour out Your Holy Spirit upon Your people so that sin will be most bitter and Jesus will be sweet to the mind and heart of all who believe. Amen.

https://youtu.be/iYpYofs8Xp4?si=dwHuMXfo4lZpCUu5 “May the Fragrance”

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