The Power of the Gospel: Christ's Triumph

J Crew picked an excellent theme for the week. Wow!

One of the new areas of ministry that I am involved with at our church is the career young adults ministry and Bible study that gets together on Thursday nights. Last week we began studying 2 Corinthians and I have been challenged with a statement from that letter that Paul makes in 2:14-16. "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. For we are the aroma of Christ to God among those who are being saved and among those who are perishing, to one a fragrance from death to death, to the other a fragrance from life to life."

Paul picks this image of a "trimphal procession" which would have been a familiar picture to the Corinthians. It is one of a Roman army and commander conquering a foreign land or city and then bringing back the captives to the commanders home city. In that city a huge parade would be thrown and the captives would be lead in a triumphal procession through the city. The point Paul is making here is that he is one of the captives. He sees himself as being conquered by Christ. Paul looked at his life and ministry from his conversion on the Damascas road and saw one great triumph of Christ over his life.

This is truly the power of the Gospel. Where Christ came and conquered our sinful, depraved, and dead hearts with His grace and love. Our pride and our self-centeredness were utterly defeated and conquered, and we are now "captives" to Christ because of the victory He won on the cross. The Gospel is the power of God (Romans 1:16-17) and I am glad Christ conquered me to bring me back to Him.