Our Civil War sought to reunite the country, who’s animosity towards one another rose to such a hight that families turned against one another. In the middle of the war, as President Lincoln stood at the battlefield of Gettysburg, he gave his famous speech. Most of us have probably heard the opening, “Four score and seven years ago…” But it’s the second half of the speech that gives the whole, weight.
Lincoln proclaimed, “But, in a larger sense, we can not dedicate -- we can not consecrate -- we can not hallow -- this ground. The brave men, living and dead, who struggled here, have consecrated it, far above our poor power to add or detract. The world will little note, nor long remember what we say here, but it can never forget what they did here. It is for us the living, rather, to be dedicated here to the unfinished work which they who fought here have thus far so nobly advanced. It is rather for us to be here dedicated to the great task remaining before us -- that from these honored dead we take increased devotion to that cause for which they gave the last full measure of devotion -- that we here highly resolve that these dead shall not have died in vain -- that this nation, under God, shall have a new birth of freedom -- and that government of the people, by the people, for the people, shall not perish from the earth.”
Our nation was founded on the belief that God grants freedom to people. That freedom was understood as coming through Christ. It’s a call that from the cross, through the empty tomb, which shouts throughout the rest of human history. And it’s freedom that we continue to struggle with today, as our nation looks to plunge itself back into civil war.
It’s this call of freedom that brings us back into our summer series here in 2nd Corinthians chapter 2, verse 12. Because it’s only in Christ, where the freedom our fore fathers died for, can truly be experienced. And as we open up to 2nd Corinthians 2:12, lets look back on the last four weeks.
In our first week we talked about how Paul was rejoicing that his third letter, now lost, to the Corinthian Church was well received, and that they had repented. So from the greeting onward, the letter is one that is mainly about Paul’s joyfulness of that repentance.
Paul then shares how through the process of confronting this painful situation, being the least harsh he could be, and with his focus on restored relationships, the problem has been overcome.
And because of the process that Paul did was godly, restoration between him and the Corinthians has taken place, and they are restored to fellowship with Paul, and the greater Church of God.
With that in mind, we read his continued rejoicing, as we return to 2nd Corinthians 2:12.
12 When I came to Troas (T-row-a-ss) to preach the gospel of Christ, even though a door was opened for me in the Lord, 13 my spirit was not at rest because I did not find my brother Titus there. So I took leave of them and went on to Macedonia.
14 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. 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. Who is sufficient for these things? 17 For we are not, like so many, peddlers of God's word, but as men of sincerity, as commissioned by God, in the sight of God we speak in Christ.
3:1 Are we beginning to commend ourselves again? Or do we need, as some do, letters of recommendation to you, or from you? 2 You yourselves are our letter of recommendation, written on our hearts, to be known and read by all. 3 And you show that you are a letter from Christ delivered by us, written not with ink but with the Spirit of the living God, not on tablets of stone but on tablets of human hearts.
4 Such is the confidence that we have through Christ toward God. 5 Not that we are sufficient in ourselves to claim anything as coming from us, but our sufficiency is from God, 6 who has made us sufficient to be ministers of a new covenant, not of the letter but of the Spirit. For the letter kills, but the Spirit gives life.
7 Now if the ministry of death, carved in letters on stone, came with such glory that the Israelites could not gaze at Moses' face because of its glory, which was being brought to an end, 8 will not the ministry of the Spirit have even more glory? 9 For if there was glory in the ministry of condemnation, the ministry of righteousness must far exceed it in glory. 10 Indeed, in this case, what once had glory has come to have no glory at all, because of the glory that surpasses it. 11 For if what was being brought to an end came with glory, much more will what is permanent have glory.
12 Since we have such a hope, we are very bold, 13 not like Moses, who would put a veil over his face so that the Israelites might not gaze at the outcome of what was being brought to an end. 14 But their minds were hardened. For to this day, when they read the old covenant, that same veil remains unlifted, because only through Christ is it taken away. 15 Yes, to this day whenever Moses is read a veil lies over their hearts. 16 But when one turns to the Lord, the veil is removed. 17 Now the Lord is the Spirit, and where the Spirit of the Lord is, there is freedom. 18 And we all, with unveiled face, beholding the glory of the Lord, are being transformed into the same image from one degree of glory to another. For this comes from the Lord who is the Spirit.
v. 2:12-17
At the start of these verses, Paul is giving us a brief glimpse into his physical, emotional, and mental state in-between sending his third lost letter and meeting Titus with the Corinthians’ response. He tells the Corinthians that though there was open ministry work in Troas (T-row-a-ss), Paul was on the edge of his seat wondering about how the Church at Corinth took his letter. Did they reject it? Did they accept it? Paul didn’t know and so he left the good work in Troas (T-row-a-ss) to meet Titus earlier in Macedonia.
It’s after Paul meets up with Titus and learns that the Corinthians have responded positively to the letter, that Paul breaks out in praising God for the good news. In that moment, the whole weight of this painful situation was lifted from Paul’s shoulders.
Paul then uses fragrance to describe the ministry that God is doing through him. It’s an aroma, a sweet smell, that sees people saved, as the go from death to life. Paul is commenting on how seeing people grow closer to Christ, is a pleasing smell to experience.
Because for the last three weeks we’ve been talking about how we need to confront painful situations. We’ve been talking about how we are to find the least harsh way to deal with such situations, and how the point of dealing with situations like these, is to restore them. And when those relationships are restored, it’s a a sweet place to be. It’s a perfume that brings joy.
And why? Because all this is from a sincere place. Paul isn’t peddling the Gospel as if it’s a commodity. No, it’s a lived out calling that loves God and loves the people whom God died for. It’s a sincerity of love for people who are hurt, and when that hurt is overcome, there’s a rejoicing that is sweet to smell.
But in that moment, as Paul is talking about how great an aroma the Corinthians’ restored relationship is, his mind follows a thought of the difference between people who peddle the Gospel, and those who sincerely proclaim it.
v.3-18
Peddlers of the Gospel need letters of recognition from people, but sincere proclaimers are those who live it out and see transformed lives because of godly work. A peddler will have quick results that don’t last, especially when times get tough. A peddler isn’t in it for the long term. They use people and then toss them away. They’re conmen who are out for themselves, who build their own empires, who don’t confront sin, who use and then leave, just to do the same thing somewhere else.
But a sincere proclaimer of the Gospel works through tough times. They care for the people they are witnessing to. People aren’t projects, they are seen as beloved of God. A proclaimer is interested in the betterment of the people; in their lives conforming greater to Christ, that they might experience him in deeper ways. Paul doesn’t need a letter from an outside source to give him credibility, his credibility is the very lives of the Corinthians being transformed by Jesus himself.
And it’s with this letter language that we see the Holy Spirit shifting Paul’s thought. Paul speaks of a letter, inked by the Spirit on hearts, and not stones.
This shift looks to show us what a sincere proclamation is, it’s the New Covenant. Paul contrasts having confidence and boldness in God because of Jesus, who brings life, with a veil that holds back the glory of God.
Paul speaks of a veil that hides God’s glory, because of harden hearts. He tells us that there was a glory in the law, but that it led the Israelites to not being able to see God as he desired them to see him. And that veil is only lifted through encountering the living Savior, Christ Jesus. The veil hides and brings about bondage, but with Jesus, the glory that the veil tries to hide, is on full display. Those who trust in Jesus are given the Holy Spirit, and they are set free. This whole thought crescendos in Paul’s statement in verse 17, “Now the Lord is the Spirit, and where the Spirit of the Lord is, there is freedom.”
The Corinthians are living in that freedom. Freedom to overcome sin; freedom to deal with hard situations and experience the sweet aroma of restored relationships. They are being transformed by the Spirit into the image of the Son, which they were saved to do, and Paul is rejoicing in that very fact that they are experiencing that freedom.
Can you feel the excitement in Paul! This letter is been a joyful point in Paul’s ministry and he wants the Corinthians to understand how excited he is, because they are living in the freedom that Paul himself knows.
For myself as a pastor, I get what Paul is saying. Because when I see people get it and live out their freedom in Christ, it truly is a sweet smell.
The people he has bled for. The people that he has wept over. The people he has sweated for. They are living out and experiencing what Paul knows, and what Jesus died and resurrected for. And he is excited. And Paul puts an exclamation point on this whole thing by giving God the glory, “For this comes from the Lord who is the Spirit.”
A peddler would claim the glory for themselves, but a sincere proclaimer gives credit back to God.
God desires that we experience the freedom that the Father who sent the Son to purchase through his death and resurrection, and which comes to us by way of the indwelling and empowering of the Holy Spirit. That experience comes through tough times. It’s why Paul would later write to the Romans these words from chapter 5 of their letter, “Therefore, since we have been justified by faith, we have peace with God through our Lord Jesus Christ. 2 Through him we have also obtained access by faith into this grace in which we stand, and we rejoice in hope of the glory of God. 3 Not only that, but we rejoice in our sufferings, knowing that suffering produces endurance, 4 and endurance produces character, and character produces hope, 5 and hope does not put us to shame, because God's love has been poured into our hearts through the Holy Spirit who has been given to us (v.1-5).”
If you’re not experience freedom, it’s because the veil is still holding on. The veil that says, I need to work my way to heaven. Or the veil that says, now that I accepted Jesus, nothing bad will happen. Or the veil that says, God can’t fix this situation. Those are veil’s of bondage, and we need Jesus to rip those veils off.
But by ripping those veils off, we might suffer, so we need to trust him. That through suffering, we’ll have endurance, and character, and hope. And through it ,we will experience the aroma of freedom that is found in Jesus.
My challenge for you this week, is to seek the Lord to reveal what veil is over your eyes. What are those things that you say, can’t be fixed. We might say, God I know that this needs to go away, but you can’t fix it. Identify it through pray and listening to the Holy Spirit. Then, this week, every time it gets brought up, say a prayer like this, “Lord, I want freedom here, I want that aroma. Do whatever you need in me to make that happen. Amen.”
Let us be a people of sweet smelling aroma. A people who live in the freedom that Jesus bought on that cross and gives to all who put their trust in him as Savior. Amen.
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