What do you smell like?

In my Wednesday night Ladies Bible class we have started studying a new book, Fragrance of Faith: Discovering the Aroma of Christ in the Beatitudes by Cassandra Martin. It is a personal study book, but we are going through the lessons weekly. In the book the writer talks about the "Aroma of Christ" and how we, as Christians should smell like Jesus.

Sounds a bit odd at first.... but the Bible uses such language to help us understand our relationship with God through the different senses, see, hear, taste, touch and smell.

Look at 2Corinthians 2:14-16 (ESV) 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. For we are the aroma of Christ to God among those who are being saved and among those who are perishing, to one a fragrance from death to death, to the other a fragrance from life to life. Who is sufficient for these things?

Do you see that? We are the aroma of Christ! Paul says that Christ, through us, spreads the frangrance of the knowledge of Him everywhere. How wonderful are the ways God uses us to spread the Good News. Not only are we the hands and feet of Christ but we also wear the sweet smell of Jesus......

I like how the writer puts it in the book...."As a daughter of the king, you wear an expensive perfume. Every ounce of this beautiful fragrance was paid for, not with silver or gold, but with the precious blood of Jesus." Jesus is the only way that you may have this perfume..... only through His sacrifice can you bear this pleasing aroma in the presence of God and to the world.

But look again to the verses...a fragrance from death to death, See, the world may not smell you the same as God, Jesus and to those that have been transformed by Christ.... to them that are perishing it reveals the horrid stench that is sin. This aroma of Christ does not "mask" the stench of the world it, instead it reveals and magnifies the repulsive smell of death and decay of sin.... giving those that are dying in sin only two choices... to become clean through Him or to reject Him and wallow in the filthy stench of sin.


...a fragrance from life to life. Oh the wonderous smell of clean! I like the smell of fresh laundry off the line.... the cleanness of it is so invigorating! Just thinking of easing between newly hung sheets is so restful, so peaceful feeling..... but the to actually do so is bliss. How much better does a life cleansed from sin smell. How wonderful it is to rest in the arms of the One that has cleansed you so!


Lord, thank you for opening my sense of smell to you. Father, let me spend time in Your Word so that I may be able to spread Your knowledge like a sweet fragrance to others. Lord, let my life always be the scent of sweet sacrifice in Your name. Thank You for the cleansing of my sins through the precious blood of Your Son, Jesus. May my actions always reflect what He has done for me. In Jesus name, Amen.