“But thank God! He has made us his captives and continues to lead us along in Christ’s triumphal procession. Now he uses us to spread the knowledge of Christ everywhere, like a sweet perfume. Our lives are a Christ-like fragrance rising up to God. But this fragrance is perceived differently by those who are being saved and by those who are perishing. To those who are perishing, we are a dreadful smell of death and doom. But to those who are being saved, we are a life-giving perfume. And who is adequate for such a task as this?” (2 Corinthians 2:14–16 NLT)

Have you ever eaten something that tasted sweet going down but made you sick later? Let me restate the question: Have you ever eaten eight Krispy Kreme doughnuts in one sitting? I have. I got a little carried away. They were great going down. But less than 10 minutes later, I was asking, “What have I done?”

My gastronomical mistake reminds me of an unforgettable image from the apostle John’s vision in Revelation 10. In his vision, John asked an angel for a small scroll. When the angel gave him the scroll, he told John, “Yes, take it and eat it . . . It will be sweet as honey in your mouth, but it will turn sour in your stomach!” (verse 9 NLT).

John continued, “So I took the small scroll from the hand of the angel, and I ate it! It was sweet in my mouth, but when I swallowed it, it turned sour in my stomach. Then I was told, ‘You must prophesy again about many peoples, nations, languages, and kings’” (verses 10–11 NLT).

The message that we believe as Christians may seem sweet to us, but it’s bitter to others. We recognize it as God’s Word. We consume it as spiritual nourishment. Job said, “I have not departed from his commands, but have treasured his words more than daily food” (Job 23:12 NLT). For Christians, a Bible study is like a feast. We love it. But for others, it’s misery and torment. They dislike it intensely.

The apostle Paul used another of the five senses to communicate a similar message:

Some people will hear the gospel message and say, “I love that. I believe it. I want Jesus in my life.” Other people will hear it and say, “Not only do I not like it, I hate it. And I hate you for saying it.”

Of course, we as believers have no way of knowing how someone will respond. So, we must share the gospel with as many people as we can. Whether they embrace it or reject it is up to them.

Reflection question: What are some things that make people react negatively to the gospel message?

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