Devotional: 2 Corinthians 2:14-17

God and His sense of Smell

How can we be a sweet aroma of the knowledge of him in everyplace?

2 Corinthians 2: 14-17

But thanks be to God, who always leads us in triumph in Christ, and manifests through us the sweet aroma of the knowledge of Him in every place.  For we are a fragrance of Christ to God among those who are being saved and among those who are perishing; to the one an aroma from death to death, to the other an aroma from life to life.  And who is adequate for these things?  For we are not like many, peddling the word of God, but as from sincerity, but as from God, we speak in Christ in the sight of God. 

God and the sense of Smell

This verse has lead me on many a scriptural bunny trail!  

First, I was thinking of God and how we are made in his image.  He had a sense of smell, taste, touch, hearing and sight.  How do we please him in these ways and how does he manifest himself in these ways.  This is a great study idea that I plan to pursue.  Because I love this verse so much I went back to this idea of God and his 5 senses.  In this verse we can be a sweet aroma to God - His sense of smell. 

What is a sweet aroma to god?

To find this I went back to the old testament.  There are 17 references to a sweet or fragrant aroma to God in Leviticus alone.  They all relate to the sacrifices offered up to God.  

Leviticus 1: 9,13,17,  2:2,9,12,  3:5,16,  4:31, 6:15,21,  8:21,28, 17:6, 23:13,18, 26:31

Okay so what? 

So if sacrifice was pleasing to God in the OT how does that translate into the NT and to Christ.  I love to see and follow all the connections found in the OT to Christ in the NT!

The verses in 2 Cor 2:15-16 goes on to say that in some way we are a fragrance of Christ to God among those who are being saved and those who are perishing; or in other words to those who come to accept Christ through our lives and those who do not.  To the one an aroma from death to death, to the other an aroma from life to life.  To some the smell of Christ on us repels them, to others the smell of Christ on us leads them to Christ.  

And who is adequate for these things?  Ah - this begs the answer - NO ONE! ...I in myself can not make anyone accept Christ.  Except who?  Christ! Christ was a pleasing sacrifice.  His life was the whole point right - we are not adequate only Christ.  BUT!  Now here is the exciting part. 

When we accept Christ as our savior we are no longer dead in our sins!  We are alive in Christ - but now we get to offer our lives up as a living Sacrifice - Romans 12:1.  An offering of self. 

I appeal to you therefore, brothers, by the mercies of God, to present your bodies as a living sacrifice, holy and acceptable to God which is your spiritual worship.

My response to this is?

Thankfully the way each of us offer our bodies as living sacrifices isn’t the same.  The aroma of Christ changes us both from the inside out and the outside in.   Each of us have to look at what God has put into our lives and understand how that looks or smells.  Dying to self is not easy - but if we have accept Christ - this should be reflected in our life.  It only takes a little bit of Him and others can pick up on His scent.  It has penetrated us from the outside.  And from the outside people will see the difference inside.  This is a life long process of being a sacrifice to God.

Also posted on Common Momma Blog: here