Fragrance of Christ

Photo: ..just some memories.. © Łukasz Jernaś

Now when I went to Troas to preach the gospel of Christ and found that the Lord had opened a door for me, I still had no peace of mind, because I did not find my brother Titus there. So I said good-by to them and went on to Macedonia. But thanks be to God, who always leads us in triumphal procession in Christ and through us spreads everywhere the fragrance of the knowledge of him. For we are to God the aroma of Christ among those who are being saved and those who are perishing. To the one we are the smell of death; to the other, the fragrance of life. And who is equal to such a task? Unlike so many, we do not peddle the word of God for profit. On the contrary, in Christ we speak before God with sincerity, like men sent from God.  -2 Corinthians 2:12-17

2 Corinthians 2:12-17 tell us that we are the aroma and fragrance of Christ, life to those who are being saved, and death to those who are perishing. We are to spread the fragrance everywhere we go. The text asks the question, who is equal to this task?

What qualities are we to posses if we are to be equal to the task? First, we are to be faithful to God.

Think how those who live half-heartedly in their faith, what aroma do they give out to those around them. Is it pleasing to the Lord? Does it smell sweet to the saved, and is it the smell of death to those who are perishing?

This brings us to ponder our own aroma? Is it pleasing to God? If it isn’t then what needs to change? A life of a Christian that is equal to the task is to be faithful, even when it is difficult. During trials, temptations and prosperity, in those times we see what truly lies within our own heart.

Another quality of the Christian is how they love others. A Christian can be faithful, but without love, they are unable to be the fragrance of Christ to others. Love is one thing that resembles who we belong too. To be loveless, is to be the opposite of Christ. These two qualities are essential if we are to be the fragrance of Christ to those around us.

When I think about myself, I see the need for growth in both of these areas. Am I an aroma pleasing to God? When I think about this, I don’t see that I am much of a fragrance to those around me; either, good or bad to the believer, or the smell of death to the perishing. I think it is easy to live neutral in this world, to be like the church in Revelation 3:14-22, which was lukewarm. We can be uninvolved with others who need us to be affective to in their lives, and go through life without being a fragrance, but only existing. Living life as we see it, doing what we want, instead of being who God wants us to be. At other times I can see when I have been the fragrance of Christ to others, doing what God wanted me to do.

The struggle with love and faithfulness is the struggle of consistency. As Christians we need to live it out each and every day. If not, then we only living out the life of a half-hearted, ineffective Christian.

What Are You Running After?

Clothes, food, money, all these are things for the heathen to run after, not for you, because your heavenly Father knows that you need them all. Set your mind on God’s kingdom and His justice before everything else, and all the rest will come to you as well. So do not be anxious about tomorrow, tomorrow will look after itself… Matthew 6:32-34 NEB

When I see others, the question that comes to mind sometimes is, “What are they running after?” At times it can be easy to see in others, by how they live their lives. In ways, such as how they spend their time, and who they spend it with. Think about those people you know, and can see how they are running after the wrong things. But eventually we have to ask ourselves the same question. What are you running after? We all want to say we are seeking God’s kingdom first, but is that really true? I wish I could say it was true with my life, but I know it isn’t true. Are you seeking God’s kingdom through seeking His will for your life and seeking to serve Him with your lives and in the lives of others? Or do you tend to seek your will and desires first and then want God’s blessing in your choices. We tend to live in one of these, but sometimes we put one foot in one, and the other foot on the other side. If you had to make a choice, which one do you spend you’re most time in?

I would say most people don’t spend a lot of time thinking about which one they live in. We tend to think about it when there is a crisis or trial that we are going through. But on the average are we intentional seeking God’s will and kingdom first? The intentional life is one that is seeking God to know where to go, where to turn and what to do. On the other hand the life that is mostly unintentional focuses on what one want, and when things go badly, and then they seek after God’s will, a will that included the fulfillment of their desires. Are you on a boat that is drifting down the river of life with, or without having oars to steer you? Because the one we choose to live in will take us to one of two places; one is God’s will and the other is at a place based on self. Because sin will keep us longer, the consequences will be more painful and draw us farther from God’s plan for our life.

Back to the question, what are you running after? This will be a good gauges to answering the question of are you seeking God’s will or your own. Do you see money as your security? Will it make and keep you content and comfortable? For the single, do you date those who fit into what you want, or do you seek what God wants for you? When it comes to a career, is it what will give you the most status, benefits and promotion? Or is your life based on fun, so you surround yourself with those who bring you the most enjoyment, but when relationships start to become complicated or cost you something, then you bail on them.

What are some of the things you are chasing after, what are some of the things you are pursuing? Maybe another way of phrasing it is, what is running your life? This can’t be answered in a few minutes, but one must put some time and thought to know the answer, because we must look past our desires in rationalizing, and ask the Holy Spirit to reveal it to us. What you are running after, good or bad will dictate how you spend your time, who you spend your time with, and will be the master of your life. What do you set your mind on to bring you contentment, peace, and rest? Most likely this is what you are running after. 

God’s Will For… (Part 3)

In the book of Numbers, chapter 13 and 14, we have an account of the Israelites coming up to the promise land. They were brought out of Egypt by the mighty hand of God. The Lord gave them the law on Mt. Sinai and now is ready to take possession of the promise land. Twelve spies were sent into the land, but ten of them came back with a bad report; saying how big the people were and how fortified the cities were. They made the people’s hearts melt like wax. Contrary to that the other two spies said how God would deliver the land to them as promised. But the people believed the ten spies, they lived in unbelief, they refused to believe God’s promises. They didn’t follow God’s will for their lives, but wanted to take their life in their own hands. They wanted to find a new leader and returned to slavery in Egypt. In doing so, they rejected God’s plan and God’s chosen leader, Moses. Their rejection of Moses and the plan that was laid before them was a rejection of God Himself.

But what does their rebellion have to do with us? I think the better question is how are we like them at times in our life? When we reject or neglect seeking God’s will for our lives we are no different than those who believed the ten spies. No matter if we reject His plan out of self-centeredness, fear or unbelief. Just like the Israelites who suffered because of their disobedience, also so will we. There was another consequence for the Israelites, in Numbers 14:33, it states, “And your children shall be shepherds in the wilderness forty years and shall suffer for your faithlessness, until the last of your dead bodies lies in the wilderness. “ The New King James reads, “And your sons shall be shepherds in the wilderness for forty years, and bear the brunt of your infidelity, until your carcasses are consumed in the wilderness.”


God uses the words unfaithful and infidelity to describe their decision not to follow His will for their lives. The same is true for us when we choose our will over His. We are not the only ones who will suffer, but others will also. Our children, our friends, our family and those whom God would use to bring about His kingdom through what He would have done through us. We will suffer just as others will suffer. In Numbers 13 and 14 we see God judging the people, but also allowing those who were innocent, those who were under twenty had to wait forty years before entering the promise land.


So what is our promise land? What is God wanting you to posses but you refused and rejected God’s plan, and replaced it with our own. What wreckage in your present or past is due to your unwillingness to submit to God’s plan? How have you suffered by the actions of others who sought their own wisdom and desires over God’s plan? How many divorces, broken homes, breakups of relationships and other painful events are due to seeking our own wisdom, over God’s? How much pain is caused because we see God’s plan as too slow, or too hard, or we wanted to avoid pain, fear or we just want a life of fun and enjoy a life of little or any commitment? The problem is when we think that our desires and plan is better, when we are selfish and think our actions won’t hurt anyone else. We live in a world that calls us to live life “our way,” but if we call ourselves Christians, than we under Christ and He is our Lord.

So do we pick and choose to seek God’s will in ways that seem right to us in our own eyes, or do we seek Him in all things?

God's Will For... (Part 2)

God’s will is never for just us but for others. It is never something for one person but for one another. Just as when one person disobeys God will, they are not the only one who suffers, but those who would have been involved. Solomon’s disobedience never just involved himself, but the whole nation suffered because of his sin. When we use the word “I” for seeking God’s will, we are only looking through the eyes of selfishness. Just as when we look for a way out of God’s will for our lives. Or when we leave Him out of our daily decisions no matter how insignificant we think they are. We don’t live in a world that is only about us. If we think that way, then we want to live independent of God, and seek our will over His.

But what happens when we only seek what we want or desire for ourselves, only doing what we will want for God? What are some of the decisions you have reserved for yourself to make? What areas of your life do you leave God out of and what areas do you depend upon God? Ask yourself, should there be two areas, one for me to choose and one for me to follow God in?

During the crusades the knights who were baptized would hold their swords out of the water. Saying, “What I do with this sword is my choice.”  Do we do that with God? “I have given my tithe, so the 90% is mine to do with as I please.” “Who I date or marry is my choice, not God’s.” “What I do with my free time is no concern of God’s.” We would never say that, but deep down do we hold these things out, to make up our own minds. And when they fall apart, do we blame God?

In the end, we don’t have a right to leave God out if we call Him Lord. We are called into one body (Col 3:15) so whatever God does with one life is for the benefit for the whole body. Not for the comfort of one person, but for the sanctification for all who are in the body of Christ. The opposite is true when we fail or neglect to follow the will of God, the individual doesn’t suffer, but all those who would have benefited from God’s blessing through them. As Christ is the head, we, the church are the body to do His will.