The Triumph of Christ in the Turmoil of the Church
by Christopher Hendrix
In our sinful world, turmoil comes from every angle. The Bible forewarns us of sufferings and trials, the world’s hatred, Satan, and our own flesh. Most importantly, we are not surprised when discouragement comes from these places. However, when turmoil comes from other believers within the church, we often feel the pummeling harder. Recently, one of the great preachers in our generation admitted to his fellow elders a sin severe enough to disqualify him from pastoral ministry. Those influenced by his teachings and preachings received a somber reminder of how no confidence should be placed in the flesh. Almost every mass media publication has put something out on it. Some of these articles have the precise aim of trashing Christianity. Like vultures with the scent of death, the world seizes on the stench of sin.
Listen to Pastor Chris' sermon on 2 Corinthians 2:12-17
As believers, though, we are not shaken. We mourn for these events, but our hope and faith reside in the Lord Jesus Christ. 2 Corinthians 2:12–17 records an instance in which Paul experienced turmoil. His consternation arose from addressing the sin in the Corinthian church. He wrote a harsh letter—one we do not have and was not divinely inspired—and sent it by the hand of Titus. He awaited Titus’ return to hear of the Corinthians’ reception addressing their sin. This wait took such a toll on Paul that he was affected in his ministry in other places. His anguish, mourning, and pain for the church impacted him deeply. When preachers, teachers, and leaders of our time fall, there is nothing wrong with mourning or anguish over their actions. This doesn’t necessarily show our hope was in them, but that there was a love for their service to the kingdom. In fact, if we don’t experience a mournful reaction towards sin like this, it may reveal a callousness towards sin in our hearts. That should scare us!
On the other hand, we recognize when our hope is placed in a person when their sinful actions alter our choices and behavior. One sign is discarding the things they’ve taught rightly from the Scriptures. For example, a wrong response would be, “Well, all of this man’s preaching on God’s Sovereignty is useless now since he sinned in this way. No point in believing that anymore!” We must learn to receive proper, doctrinally sound teaching from someone and not see them as the authority and source but God himself as the source of truth. Another sign our hope is misplaced is when we excuse our sin in light of the fallen preacher’s sin. When we justify ourselves because someone “more mature” did it, this sets our hope in man and not Christ.
How do we protect ourselves from falling into or climbing out of this pit? Paul tells us in verses 14–17. Despite his tumultuous state, he turns to the Lordship of Jesus Christ. The victory of Christ isn’t based on the performance of men. His victory stems from the perfect work of salvation that happened according to his nature. Jesus won at the cross and the resurrection because He is God. We look to the work of Christ and the conquering of sin. As a Roman emperor leads a triumphal procession after a significant victory, Christ also goes forth.
But within this procession, we are in it as well. As the Roman emperor would lead the way, people with incense would follow. Thus, the idea of victory was connected to the sense of smell. People could say then, ‘Smells like victory!’ In Christ’s procession, he goes forth into all the Earth by sending his church to be the incense and fragrance of his victory. Our role is to carry the message of Christ's victory, to be the bearers of the Gospel. So then, our proclamation in every sphere and to every person of the Gospel, that Jesus died and rose again to forgive sinners and transform them, is a smell of victory. This message of forgiveness and transformation is the heart of the Gospel, and it is a sweet and wonderful smell to those who embrace the rule of Christ. To those who reject it, this is the stench of death.
So, though our leaders and preachers may fail, Christ still proceeds victoriously. God is never shocked when one of his children falls down. In His grace, they are called to repent and be restored, though they are disqualified for some positions, such as preachers and teachers. Yet, they are not disqualified from the kingdom because of the work of Christ. This is the fragrance we preach and call people to. Our hope is in Christ, and it is our personal responsibility to maintain this hope. We can continue to proclaim the Gospel to all people and institutions, knowing that Christ is still triumphant, even when turmoil exists in the church.