Being the Fragrance of Christ
Notes
Transcript
Aroma
Aroma
Our sense of smell is extremely powerful
estimated 1 trillion different smells
Smell can
invoke fear and also bring in comfort
cause nausea or stir an appetite
force you to withdraw or to draw close
bring up childhood memories both good and bad
Every smell has a source that emits an aroma or fragrance which is what we pick up and respond to sometimes very decisively
The Fragrance of Christ
The Fragrance of Christ
St. Paul in 2 Corinthians uses the imagery to help us understand the impact of our role here on earth.
14 Now thanks be to God who always leads us in triumph in Christ, and through us diffuses the fragrance of His knowledge in every place.
Roman Triumph
The victorious soldiers would walk before the General sharing in his victory, but knowing it was the General who was the source of the victory
Christ = the victorious general
the apostles = soldiers
What was the triumph of Christ?
2 And walk in love, as Christ also has loved us and given Himself for us, an offering and a sacrifice to God for a sweet-smelling aroma.
Paul, imitated the sacrifice of Christ in his serve to other by sacrificing so much for those he served.
We are called to do the same… to be an ‘offering’ and to ‘sacrifice’ for others. This is when we become the fragrance of God on earth.
The aroma of sacrifice has a polarizing property.
15 For we are to God the fragrance of Christ among those who are being saved and among those who are perishing. 16 To the one we are the aroma of death leading to death, and to the other the aroma of life leading to life. And who is sufficient for these things?
As Christians, our sacrifice for others should serve a s a portal through which the recipient should experience Christ.
Christ sacrifice on the cross is the source and foundation for our sacrifice to this world
Our sacrifice, which emulates Christ Sacrifice is not a secular humanitarian act…It’s an extension of Christ.
Christ is the source and we are the aroma
This is where it becomes polarizing...
When Christ is the source of our action, people must respond in one of two ways
Either they believe in the salvific love of Christ...”life leading to life” OR
They won’t believe in Him...”Death leading to death”
Not believing in Christ is a choice that leads to an eternal death
Polarizing Aroma in the Gospel
Polarizing Aroma in the Gospel
4 men lower the paralytic through the roof in front of Christ..
Christ forgives his sins
Scribes questioned this…Scribes were extremely knowledgeable of scripture…they were the guardians of scripture..
7 “Why does this man speak that way? He is blaspheming; who can forgive sins but God alone?”
The action of Christ is polarizing…Death leading to Death or “Life leading to life”
Christ always provides enough information for the individuals to reach a conclusion.
10 “But so that you may know that the Son of Man has authority on earth to forgive sins”—He said to the paralytic,
***Son of Man is a reference to Daniel 7 which speaks of God coming in the likeness of man***A reference every scribe would know
12 And he got up and immediately picked up the pallet and went out in the sight of everyone, so that they were all amazed and were glorifying God, saying, “We have never seen anything like this.”
Christ was polarizing…He didn’t leave middle ground in the situation. Either people began to believe choosing life or they rejected choosing death.
Living sacrificially
Living sacrificially
While we are not performing miracles like Christ, we do have a way to live as the fragrance of Christ…Sacrificially.
Yes, sacrifice does mean its going to hurt at times...
But its at this point of pain that the fragrance of Christ becomes distinguishable from other scents.
Anyone can help when its easy and convenient, but that is not what Christ did…it wasn’t easy or convenient. It was unique because it was sacrificial.
New Testament VII: 1–2 Corinthians A Sweet Aroma of Christ
A SWEET AROMA OF CHRIST. ORIGEN: Put an altar of incense in your innermost heart. Be a sweet aroma of Christ.