Grace God: 2 Corinthians 2:14
Did you know as God graces you, you can grace God? Let me show you what I mean.
2 Corinthians 2:14, “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.” (ESV)
That phrase, “But thanks be to God,” literally is “but grace God.” The same word that’s used to say God graces or favors us is used for us to grace or favor God.
It’s used in this manner frequently in the New Testament. You grace or favor God to express thankfulness to Him. So as He graces us in so many ways His call is for us to “Grace Him back” with thankfulness.
In this one little verse God graces us in two distinct ways that call us to grace Him back, expressing our thankfulness to Him.
First, He leads us in triumphal procession!
This phrase gives us a word picture that was true in ancient times and has been true in modern times. When an army has a victory it will parade in victory, usually in the city it overtook.
You can think of it as a New York ticker tape parade when we win a war or put an astronaut into space! That’s the picture.
After we won the war in Europe in World War II, there was a ticker tape parade with General Eisenhower in the lead car and troops in procession going through the streets of New York with ticker tape blowing in the wind.
It’s a celebration of victory.
Christ leads the procession and there’s a specific place where He leads that procession of victory. In Christ!
The primary battle that’s won and is being celebrated is the victory over sin and death! Jesus led that victory by dying on the cross paying for and defeating sin forever.
Jesus also leads the victory parade by being raised from the dead, thus defeating death forever.
When we join Jesus “IN CHRIST” by being born again we claim the victory over sin and death and join the victory procession.
Not only do we defeat sin and death, but all the difficulties of life along the way. When you are in tough times, remember you live your life in the victory procession with Christ leading because you’re in Him.
Here’s a victory procession passage I pray through every day!!
1 John 5:4-5, (4) For everyone who has been born of God overcomes the world. And this is the victory that has overcome the world -— our faith. (5) Who is it that overcomes the world except the one who believes that Jesus is the Son of God?” (ESV)
This passage affirms three types of people with three God-characteristics have already overcome the world! Yes, they have defeated sin and death, but they have already overcome all the difficulties of life too!
If you’re born of God or have come to Christ and have experienced the New Birth into a relationship with Him, you have overcome the world. You have won over every challenge you might encounter.
Maybe it looks like you haven’t won the battle yet. What this affirms is the battle is won and it might not have taken place in time and space, but you’re called to affirm you have already won the battle because you have already overcome the world.
Notice John says the victory that overcomes the world is our faith. If you’re a person of faith, you have had the victory that overcomes the world by your faith in Jesus. Assume you have already won your battle and stay in the game until it takes place in time and space! It will!
Remember the battle is always won on God’s terms and in His time and will. That may well be different than what you expected.
John also says you have overcome the world if you believe Jesus is the Son of God. Your victory may not have come in time and space, but it will when you stay in the game! It comes in God’s way always and in His time and according to His will.
Assume you’re in the victory procession for your issue because you’re born of God, are of faith and you believe Jesus is the Son of God. Grace or thank the Lord for overcoming your obstacles before you have overcome them in time and space, because you have overcome the world!
Where do you need a win? What do you need to overcome in life? Maybe you need a win in your family life, with one of your children or your spouse. Maybe you need to overcome in employment, finances or health?
Grace the Lord because He leads you in the victory parade and then get in the parade!
We also need to grace the Lord or thank the Lord because through us He spreads the fragrance of the knowledge of Him everywhere.
This means others get to know God personally everywhere through us! When people see the Christ-follower living life in the victory parade it draws them to Him!
I have a friend who’s a Christ-follower. He has been selling Fords where I worked in Arizona for just short of 50 years. At that dealership we have a sales meeting every Thursday at 8 a.m.
Sometimes he will sell 40 and 50 trucks a month. They ask each salesman to report in public the sales he had that week, and they tally them on a sales board.
One particular week his tally for that month took him well over 50 sales. The sales manage exclaimed, “How do you do that?” His response was “God is good!”
When others see that affirmation of faith in Jesus from a position of great success and victory it makes the fragrance of the knowledge of God known! It draws others to Jesus when they see how the Lord leads in victory!
Grace God for making it obvious to the rest of the world God is leading you in victory…. It makes the fragrance of Knowing God in a personal way known and draws others to Him!
Grace God for leading you in victory and for making it obvious He’s known by you, drawing others to Him!