Sue J Love
Loyal
- Joined
- Mar 27, 2015
- Messages
- 5,176
2 Corinthians 2:14-17 NKJV
“14Now thanks be to God who always leads us in triumph in Christ, and through us diffuses the fragrance of His knowledge in every place. 15For we are to God the fragrance of Christ among those who are being saved and among those who are perishing. 16To the one we are the aroma of death leading to death, and to the other the aroma of life leading to life. And who is sufficient for these things? 17For we are not, as so many, peddling the word of God; but as of sincerity, but as from God, we speak in the sight of God in Christ.”
In Christ
What does it mean to be “in Christ”? It means that by God-persuaded and God-gifted faith in Jesus Christ we have denied self, died with him to sin, and we have been reborn of the Spirit to now walk (in conduct) in newness of life in Him, no longer to live as slaves to sin, but now as servants of the Lord, in walks of surrender to God, in obedience to his commands, in holy living, by the grace of God, in the power of God, and in submission to God. We have left our sinful lifestyles behind us to follow the leading of Christ.
So, what does it mean to be led by God in triumph in Christ? Well, because of what Jesus Christ did for us on that cross in putting our sins to death with him, by God-persuaded faith in him we can now walk in victory over sin and self and the flesh. We are no longer living under sin’s control. Might we still sin sometimes? It is possible (1 John 2:1-2). But Jesus set us free from the control of sin over our lives so that we can now walk in victory over darkness and in the light of his truth and righteousness, as God designed for us.
Sharing Christ
Jesus Christ did not save us from our addiction to sin so that we could go on living life for ourselves, doing whatever we want to do, without regard for what he has planned for our lives. He saved us and he called us to himself and to his service so that we would now live for him and do his will. And his will for all of us is that we would obey him in being who he called us to be, and in doing what he commands, and in going where he sends us in sharing with the people the message of our salvation from sin via Jesus Christ.
But we must make certain that the “gospel” we have received and that we are sharing with others is the one taught by Jesus and by his New Testament apostles in the correct biblical context, and that we are not spreading lies we have heard and believed because we did not test what we heard against the Scriptures. For Jesus taught that to come to him we must deny self, take up our cross daily (die daily to sin and to self) and follow him in obedience wherever he leads us in doing whatever he commands that we must do.
Fragrance of Christ
The fragrance of Christ is both the knowledge of Christ and who he is and what he did and how he lived, and it is the gospel of our salvation. And we, as Christ’s followers, are also to be that “fragrance of Christ” who represent him in how we live our lives, and in the words that we speak, and in our attitudes and actions and responses to the trials of life. And this is not saying that we will be perfect as he was perfect, but that we are to be a reflection of him. We are to be Jesus, in a sense, to the people of the world.
And so how we behave, and how we live, and not just the words that we speak, will either speak Jesus, or they will speak flesh to the people. But if our words and our attitudes and behaviors reflect Christ, and not the lusts of the flesh and of the eyes and the pride of life, then to those who are being saved (progressive salvation), we will be the aroma of life leading to life. But to those who are still living in sin, ignoring God and his commands, we will be the aroma of death leading to death, for we speak truth to the people.
Not Peddling
“For we are not, as so many, peddling the word of God; but as of sincerity, but as from God, we speak in the sight of God in Christ.” 2 Corinthians 2:17
Peddling has to do with marketing, but it also has to do with adulterating. And this is sadly what so many are doing today in so many gatherings of what are called “churches.” They are marketing the church and the gospel to the world, and so they are adulterating both the truth of who the church is and what the gospel of our salvation is in order to grow their numbers, and for personal gain. So they remove from the gospel the foundations of the message to make it less offensive and more appealing to the ungodly.
But Jesus Christ taught that to come to him we must deny self, take up our cross daily (die daily to sin), and follow (obey) him. For if we hold on to living in sin and for self, we will lose our lives for eternity. But if we deny self, die daily to sin, by the Spirit, and we walk in obedience to our Lord and to his commands, in his power, then we have eternal life with God. For not everyone who calls him “Lord” will enter the kingdom of heaven, but the one DOING (obeying) the will of God (see Luke 9:23-26; Matthew 7:21-23).
So, be those who speak and who live the truth of God’s Word and who do not compromise with the world so that the world will like you more.
[Matthew 7:13-14,21-23; Luke 9:23-26; John 10:27-30; Acts 26:18; Romans 1:18-32; Romans 2:5-10; Romans 3:23; Romans 6:1-23; Romans 8:1-14; Romans 12:1-2; 1 Corinthians 6:9-10,19-20; 1 Corinthians 10:1-22; 2 Corinthians 5:10,15,21; Galatians 5:16-24; Ephesians 2:8-10; Ephesians 4:17-32; Ephesians 5:3-6; Titus 2:11-14; Hebrews 3:1-19; Hebrews 4:1-13; Hebrews 10:19-39; Hebrews 12:1-2; 1 Peter 2:24; 1 John 1:1-10; 1 John 2:1-6; 1 John 3:4-10; Revelation 2:1-29; Revelation 3:1-22]
As the Deer
By Martin J. Nystrom
Based off Psalm 42:1
As the deer panteth for the water
So my soul longeth after You
You alone are my heart's desire
And I long to worship You
You alone are my strength, my shield
To You alone may my spirit yield
You alone are my heart's desire
And I long to worship You
Caution: This link may contain ads
Triumph in Christ
An Original Work / June 17, 2026
Christ’s Free Servant, Sue J Love
“14Now thanks be to God who always leads us in triumph in Christ, and through us diffuses the fragrance of His knowledge in every place. 15For we are to God the fragrance of Christ among those who are being saved and among those who are perishing. 16To the one we are the aroma of death leading to death, and to the other the aroma of life leading to life. And who is sufficient for these things? 17For we are not, as so many, peddling the word of God; but as of sincerity, but as from God, we speak in the sight of God in Christ.”
In Christ
What does it mean to be “in Christ”? It means that by God-persuaded and God-gifted faith in Jesus Christ we have denied self, died with him to sin, and we have been reborn of the Spirit to now walk (in conduct) in newness of life in Him, no longer to live as slaves to sin, but now as servants of the Lord, in walks of surrender to God, in obedience to his commands, in holy living, by the grace of God, in the power of God, and in submission to God. We have left our sinful lifestyles behind us to follow the leading of Christ.
So, what does it mean to be led by God in triumph in Christ? Well, because of what Jesus Christ did for us on that cross in putting our sins to death with him, by God-persuaded faith in him we can now walk in victory over sin and self and the flesh. We are no longer living under sin’s control. Might we still sin sometimes? It is possible (1 John 2:1-2). But Jesus set us free from the control of sin over our lives so that we can now walk in victory over darkness and in the light of his truth and righteousness, as God designed for us.
Sharing Christ
Jesus Christ did not save us from our addiction to sin so that we could go on living life for ourselves, doing whatever we want to do, without regard for what he has planned for our lives. He saved us and he called us to himself and to his service so that we would now live for him and do his will. And his will for all of us is that we would obey him in being who he called us to be, and in doing what he commands, and in going where he sends us in sharing with the people the message of our salvation from sin via Jesus Christ.
But we must make certain that the “gospel” we have received and that we are sharing with others is the one taught by Jesus and by his New Testament apostles in the correct biblical context, and that we are not spreading lies we have heard and believed because we did not test what we heard against the Scriptures. For Jesus taught that to come to him we must deny self, take up our cross daily (die daily to sin and to self) and follow him in obedience wherever he leads us in doing whatever he commands that we must do.
Fragrance of Christ
The fragrance of Christ is both the knowledge of Christ and who he is and what he did and how he lived, and it is the gospel of our salvation. And we, as Christ’s followers, are also to be that “fragrance of Christ” who represent him in how we live our lives, and in the words that we speak, and in our attitudes and actions and responses to the trials of life. And this is not saying that we will be perfect as he was perfect, but that we are to be a reflection of him. We are to be Jesus, in a sense, to the people of the world.
And so how we behave, and how we live, and not just the words that we speak, will either speak Jesus, or they will speak flesh to the people. But if our words and our attitudes and behaviors reflect Christ, and not the lusts of the flesh and of the eyes and the pride of life, then to those who are being saved (progressive salvation), we will be the aroma of life leading to life. But to those who are still living in sin, ignoring God and his commands, we will be the aroma of death leading to death, for we speak truth to the people.
Not Peddling
“For we are not, as so many, peddling the word of God; but as of sincerity, but as from God, we speak in the sight of God in Christ.” 2 Corinthians 2:17
Peddling has to do with marketing, but it also has to do with adulterating. And this is sadly what so many are doing today in so many gatherings of what are called “churches.” They are marketing the church and the gospel to the world, and so they are adulterating both the truth of who the church is and what the gospel of our salvation is in order to grow their numbers, and for personal gain. So they remove from the gospel the foundations of the message to make it less offensive and more appealing to the ungodly.
But Jesus Christ taught that to come to him we must deny self, take up our cross daily (die daily to sin), and follow (obey) him. For if we hold on to living in sin and for self, we will lose our lives for eternity. But if we deny self, die daily to sin, by the Spirit, and we walk in obedience to our Lord and to his commands, in his power, then we have eternal life with God. For not everyone who calls him “Lord” will enter the kingdom of heaven, but the one DOING (obeying) the will of God (see Luke 9:23-26; Matthew 7:21-23).
So, be those who speak and who live the truth of God’s Word and who do not compromise with the world so that the world will like you more.
[Matthew 7:13-14,21-23; Luke 9:23-26; John 10:27-30; Acts 26:18; Romans 1:18-32; Romans 2:5-10; Romans 3:23; Romans 6:1-23; Romans 8:1-14; Romans 12:1-2; 1 Corinthians 6:9-10,19-20; 1 Corinthians 10:1-22; 2 Corinthians 5:10,15,21; Galatians 5:16-24; Ephesians 2:8-10; Ephesians 4:17-32; Ephesians 5:3-6; Titus 2:11-14; Hebrews 3:1-19; Hebrews 4:1-13; Hebrews 10:19-39; Hebrews 12:1-2; 1 Peter 2:24; 1 John 1:1-10; 1 John 2:1-6; 1 John 3:4-10; Revelation 2:1-29; Revelation 3:1-22]
As the Deer
By Martin J. Nystrom
Based off Psalm 42:1
As the deer panteth for the water
So my soul longeth after You
You alone are my heart's desire
And I long to worship You
You alone are my strength, my shield
To You alone may my spirit yield
You alone are my heart's desire
And I long to worship You
Caution: This link may contain ads
Triumph in Christ
An Original Work / June 17, 2026
Christ’s Free Servant, Sue J Love
