A Christ-Like Fragrance

November 17, 2018

2 Corinthians 2:14-17 English Standard Version (ESV)

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 everywhere. ¹⁵ For we are the aroma of Christ to God among those who are being saved and among those who are perishing, ¹⁶ to one a fragrance from death to death, to the other a fragrance from life to life. Who is sufficient for these things? ¹⁷ For we are not, like so many, peddlers of God's word, but as men of sincerity, as commissioned by God, in the sight of God we speak in Christ.

Thanksgiving.

That is what it is all about this month.

I have been amazed at the amount of scripture that talks about thanksgiving. We are supposed to embody a life of gratefulness for all that God has blessed us with.

This passage made me think about the fact that I need to be thankful for the fact that God is causing his glory to spread through what is doing in my life.

My life.

My faults and failure and victories and gifts all point people to God if I allow Him to move and work in my life.

We are spreading the sweet fragrance of His glory because we are the aroma of Christ. We are the diffusers that God uses to spread the sweet fragrance of His glory to the world.

The King James version uses the phrase “sweet savour.” The New Living uses “Christ-like fragrance.”

It means a thing well pleasing to God.

Thayer’s Greek Lexicon says, “our efficiency in which the power of Christ himself is at work is well-pleasing to God.”

We please God when we spread His glory to those around us. When we allow the Holy Spirit to work in our lives and move us to action, then He is pleased.

This can cause us to feel like we have a huge burden to preach and share with as many people as we can. We should do this, but it should pour out of us like a fountain because we are so full of Christ. It should overflow to others.

Sometimes when we share the gospel message with others, we think that we are responsible for the decisions that they make. When they do not respond to what we have shared with them, then we feel like we have failed. That is a lie of Satan.

I know that as a mother I used to feel that my success was wrapped up in whether my children chose to follow Christ. I had to come to the realization that it is my job to teach them the things of Christ and to give them a good example of how to live for Christ. It is not my job to make the decisions for them. I cannot force my beliefs about Christ on them. It is my job to teach them the truth. Each of my children must to come to that decision on their own.

In my study of this passage I came across an excellent quote by Dr. J. Vernon McGee.

“How does God always cause us to triumph when so often we feel defeated? Our business is to declare the gospel. The responsibility then rests on the hearer. Our responsibility is to give the gospel, not get results. Our care is that we are faithful in declaring the gospel accurately.”

This cause me thanksgiving.

I am not responsibility for the decision of any person except for me. Not my husband’s, not my children’s, not any of the people I meet in this life.

When I stand before God one day, I will only be responsible for what I did in my life.

Did I teach my children about God?

Did I proclaim Christ’s glory to those around me?

Did I live a life that pointed others to Christ?

I cannot give up the fight. I must continue to tell others about Christ, but I am not responsible for what they do with what I tell them.

Every Christian has the responsibility to tell others about Christ. So often, we are scared of how people will respond to us that we are silent. We are so afraid of offended others that we remain quiet and do not simply live life in such a way that people are attracted to what we have. If we live like Christ calls us, then we will have people asking us what it is that makes us different.

We have come to be a church that does their thing on Sunday but then hides Monday through Saturday.

I say no more.

When others drop the banner of Christ, I am to pick up that banner and continue the fight.

C.H. Spurgeon spoke of this in 1855.

“Stand up my friends; grasp the banner yourselves; and maintain it erect until the day shall come, when standing on the last conquered castle of hell’s domains, we shall raise the shout, “Hallelujah! Hallelujah! Hallelujah! The Lord God Omnipotent Reigneth! Till that time, FIGHT ON.”

That is my prayer.

That I will be a mighty warrior that proclaims the glory of Christ.

To everyone God sends my way.

I have been listening to the new Casting Crowns album since it was released yesterday. There is one song called, One Awkward Moment, that just struck me. I cannot get the lyrics out of my head. The song has been on repeat a lot.

“Could this be the day that you come to the rescue?
She's desperate for the light but she's never gonna ask you

One word, one hand
Tell me is that too high a price
One awkward moment
Could be the one that saves a life
Your hurt, your scars
God will use to open up her eyes
One awkward moment
You'll see the gospel come alive
Come alive”

Who is God asking you to reach out to today?

Don’t ignore the gentle leading of the Holy Spirit. You may be the vessel that God uses to bring someone to Him.

Be willing!

Be obedient and leave the results up to Him.