II Corinthians 2:15-16
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“For we are unto God a sweet savor of Christ, in them that are saved, and in them that perish: to the one we are the savor of death unto death; and to the other the savor of life unto life. And who is sufficient for these things?”
What do the phrases “death unto death” and “life unto life” mean? 2 Cor 2:16 refers to 2 Cor 2:15. “Perish” means the process of “perishing.” Consider: Christians appear to the world (“those that are perishing”) to be worshipping a dead leader (Christ), which in their mind leads to a dead way of life. Also, those perishing are dead in sins now, which could ultimately lead to the second death later, if they do not eventually come to repentance and receive forgiveness.
On the contrary, true Christians, those who are in the process of being saved, appear to be: (1) Leading an abundant life now in route to eternal life later, and (2) serving a living Christ who has already received eternal life and resides in heaven.
To all who view them, true Christians always appear to be one or the other.
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