Think about a really good smell that you enjoy, like something cooking your favorite meal, or a nice day outside. In my house, I will often come home from work to the aroma of cooking herbs that my wife is drying.
Now, imagine the joy of learning the truth about Jesus, and how (if you have accepted Him) He saved you from a sentence of living forever apart from God, bringing you into God’s family, along with all of the privileges and blessings that come with that! This is how great it is to know the truth about Jesus, and this is how great it is to be a messenger of that good news.
For we are to God the pleasing aroma of Christ among those who are being saved and those who are perishing. To the one we are an aroma that brings death; to the other, an aroma that brings life. And who is equal to such a task?
2 Corinthians 2:15-16 NIV
(Despite the fact that I asked you to think of a nice smell, not all odors are perceived or received the same way. In fact, the same smell can create different reactions for different people. The spice of cinnamon pinecones – sold around the holidays where I live – is perceived in entirely opposite ways by my wife and me.)
However, followers of Jesus Christ are on the winning side (despite which way individual battles seem to go on this earth), and there is a beautiful fragrance when people learn the truth about Him.
Paul describes himself (and probably Timothy, too) as a fragrance to God. This sounds to me like the aroma that went up to God from Hebrew sacrifices in the time of Moses. I’m not sure if it was the literal smell that brought joy to God, but I think that the sacrifices of His people (whether those that were burned on an altar in the tabernacle, or those that consist of a life given over to Him to do good) are pleasing to Him.
And, this fragrance apparently goes up to God whether or not those who Paul preaches to follow Jesus. At least the way I read this, it sounds like spreading the good news is pleasing to God even for those who don’t accept it. That may seem strange, since we know that God loves the whole world, and doesn’t want anyone to perish (see 2 Peter 3:9); however, allowing people to at least hear the truth and have a chance to respond to it is apparently still valuable.
Maybe God appreciates that His people are obediently sharing the truth about how others can be saved and brought into His family, since we – as God’s messengers – don’t know ahead of time who will accept this message and who will not. Maybe God appreciates the sacrifice of His people to give up their own preferences in order to show love for others by telling them about the hope that is available in Jesus Christ.
So, I hope that your life “smells” good to God, in that your actions and heart bring glory to Him, including sharing the good news about a loving God with a hurting world. Some people may be initially repulsed by the truth, but that is because they have set their hearts against God. Maybe, though, if they learn who God really is and how much He loves them, then their tastes – and the very course of their lives – will change for the better!
From Sunday School lesson prepared for May 5, 2024
References:
- The Lookout, May 5, 2024, © 2024 Christian Standard Media.
- Scripture taken from the Holy Bible, NEW INTERNATIONAL VERSION®, NIV® Copyright © 1973, 1978, 1984, 2011 by Biblica, Inc.® Used by permission. All rights reserved worldwide.
- The College Press NIV Commentary – 2 Corinthians, by William R. Baker. © 1999 College Press Publishing Co.
Those Who Sin Differently 