Paul’s two letters to the Corinthians are wilderness epistles, and the saints are viewed as having been set apart from the world by a divine call. To the eye of faith, this world has become a wilderness, providing nothing to sustain faith. As a Christian passes through this world, his desire and purpose should be to live a life of complete dependence and obedience to the Lord. Failure to do so is the cause of breakups and breakdowns in the family and in the assembly testimony. God allows our time of testing in the wilderness so that we may learn what is in our hearts, and we find that in ourselves there is no good thing. But what is of much greater value is to learn what is in the heart of God—and that is Christ. Then, as we learn this, we turn away from ourselves to find that Jesus Christ is the answer to every need.

The apostle Paul had labored eighteen months in Corinth. The Lord had much people in that city and many had turned to Him, but during the apostle’s absence, things were not going well. Paul had heard that there were contentions among them. They were in a carnal state, and if we sow to the carnality of the flesh, we shall reap corruption. This was evident among them, and the apostle Paul addressed these problem areas in his first letter to the saints at Corinth.

A year later, Paul wrote the second epistle, having heard of the true repentance the first letter had produced. Joy now filled his heart as he traveled about, making Christ known. Wherever Christ is made known by word or by deed, a sweet fragrance rises up to God. This is what God is looking for from each of His children. May it be our heart’s desire each day to show forth the fragrance of Christ.