“15 For we are the aroma of Christ to God among those who are being saved
and among those who are perishing, 16 to one a
fragrance from death to death, to the other a fragrance from life to life.”[1] The one gospel of Jesus Christ has one
aroma that sets it apart. However, to those who have no regard for Jesus, it
smells to them as the stench of death; while, at the same time, to those who
love Jesus, this is the fragrance of life itself.
“Then will appear in heaven the sign of the
Son of Man, and then all the tribes of the earth will mourn, and they will see
the Son of Man coming on the clouds of heaven with power and great glory. And he
will send out his angels with a loud trumpet call, and they will gather his
elect from the four winds, from one end of heaven to the other.”[2] When Jesus comes, after “this gospel of the kingdom will be proclaimed throughout the
whole world as a testimony to all nations”,[3] those who rejected him will mourn the sight of his coming, for it
will bring the condemnation God has promised, while those who welcomed him, and
are waiting for his coming, will rejoice as they are gathered to be with the
Lord forever.
“Then the King will say to those on his
right, ‘Come, you who are blessed by my Father, inherit the kingdom prepared
for you from the foundation of the world.”[4] Those who came to Christ because he was to them the fragrance
of life, who are gathered up to be with him forever, will be invited to come
into the home Jesus has prepared for all his brothers. That will be the
greatest joy the human soul has ever experienced.
“Then he will say to those on his left, ‘Depart
from me, you cursed, into the eternal fire prepared for the devil and his
angels.’”[5] Those who thought that the gospel of Jesus Christ was the stench of
death, who refused the great salvation that was offered to them, will receive
what they wanted, utter and complete separation from the presence of Jesus Christ
forever. Instead, they will be given the just reward for their sin.
CONCLUSION:
Test your smelling-mechanism. If hearing the good news of Jesus Christ smells
like the stench of death to you, plead with the living God to give you a new
heart in Jesus’ name, and that same aroma will become to you the very fragrance
of life.
From
my heart,
Monte
© 2013 Monte Vigh ~ Box 517,
Merritt, BC, V1K 1B8 ~ in2freedom@gmail.com
Unless otherwise noted,
Scriptures are from the English Standard Version (The Holy Bible, English
Standard Version Copyright © 2001 by Crossway Bibles, a division of Good
News Publishers.)
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