What do we smell like to the saved?
What do we smell like to the lost? 2 Corinthians 2:15-16 ESV For we are the aroma of Christ to God among those who are being saved and among those who are perishing, (16) to one a fragrance from death to death, to the other a fragrance from life to life. Who is sufficient for these things? What do you smell like? We who are saved and walking with the Father are a sweet smelling fragrance or aroma to God. We have fulfilled His will in faithfully proclaiming the Gospel, and fighting against sin both inside us and outside of us. The knowledge of God through our Lord Jesus Christ is made manifest by the ministers of the Gospel, because we are a sweet aroma. It's not that we have the sweeet fragrance in ourselves, for we have the same corrupt hearts and natures, and outside of Crist we are nothing. We who are saved are all 5 minutes away from the eating out of the garbage can when we walk away from the Father's sweet grace. As we receive and walk in God's gifts and graces we manifest His fragrant and sweet smelling aroma. Song of Solomon 1:2-3 ESV She Let him kiss me with the kisses of his mouth! For your love is better than wine; (3) your anointing oils are fragrant; your name is oil poured out; therefore virgins love you. The example or type here is Aaron and the priests under the law, who were anointed with the anointing oil, which was poured upon their heads, ran down upon their beards, and descended to the skirts of their garments, so that they were all over a perfume, a sweet smell, fragrance and aroma before God and man. Psalms 133:1-2 ESV A Song of Ascents. Of David. Behold, how good and pleasant it is when brothers dwell in unity! (2) It is like the precious oil on the head, running down on the beard, on the beard of Aaron, running down on the collar of his robes! The importance of the picture of the oil in Ps.133:1-2 was the aroma, the smell, and the fragrance. This is what happens when brothers walk together in God's unity. Those separated in 2 Cor.2:16 by the fragrance, the smell, the aroma was separated by faith. To them that go on the right hand and embrace faith and God's ways, "the aroma is life." But to them that go on the left hand and reject faith and God's ways, "the aroma is death". And on a side note: Are we commercializing or peddling God's Word? 2 Cor 2:17 ESV For we are not, like so many, peddlers of God's word, but as men of sincerity, as commissioned by God, in the sight of God we speak in Christ.
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Anyone studying the Word for any time knows that when Adam sinned he died spiritually.
Because Adam died spiritually, we also carried spiritual death until we were "quickened" to life by the Person of the Holy Spirit. We had death in Adam, but... We have MUCH MORE life in Christ than we had death in Adam. Rom 5:17-18 (ESV) For if, because of one man's trespass, death reigned through that one man, much more will those who receive the abundance of grace and the free gift of righteousness reign in life through the one man Jesus Christ. 18 Therefore, as one trespass led to condemnation for all men, so one act of righteousness leads to justification and life for all men. John 10:10 ESV The thief comes only to steal and kill and destroy. I came that they may have life and have it abundantly.
"that they may have life, and have it abundantly." Life. It is a great word. However, I feel that we as believers have missed it somewhat about what our Lord was speaking about. When we received the Lord Jesus Christ as Savior we did not "fix, renew, repair, renovate, or remodel" the old Adamic nature. The old Adamic nature died and we exchanged our broken down sin-natured life for the life of God through our Lord Jesus Christ. Everything that our Lord Jesus Christ did, He did as a Spirit-filled man and not as God. That is why we can do it also and live His way of life. The Lord Jesus Christ came to show us how to be the man as God created man to be, and that is to live a life by the Spirit that Adam and Eve never realized. One of the first counterfeits of Satan is to convince us that we don’t have this life, can't live by this life, and aren’t expected to live by this life, called the life of Christ in the Spirit, until we die. Galatians 2:20 ESV I have been crucified with Christ. It is no longer I who live, but Christ who lives in me. And the life I now live in the flesh I live by faith in the Son of God, who loved me and gave himself for me. We dwell a lot on the "I am crucified with Christ" part of Gal.2:20, however, we miss that the life we live is not our life but it is the life of Christ in me. The Scriptures tell us how to live by this other life, how to live by the Spirit. It is the reality of how to live the Christian life. There is only one person who can live the Christian life and that is Christ. I cannot live the Christian life. But, I can let Christ live it through me. Therefore, we as believers need to come to the place where we can say, it is no longer I who lives but Christ who lives in me. Otherwise we will continue striving to reach a mark by the flesh and judging others who have not reached our mark. So far we have covered:
Defining the Fear of the Lord (See Parts 1-2) Reward #1 is "Riches, Honor, and Life" (See Part 3) Reward #2 is "Turning from evil" (See Part 4) Reward #3 is "Wisdom and Knowledge" (See Part 4) Reward #4 A Prolonged life & A Fountain of life Proverbs 10:27 ESV The fear of the LORD prolongs life, but the years of the wicked will be short. Proverbs 14:27 ESV The fear of the LORD is a fountain of life, that one may turn away from the snares of death. REWARD #1 Riches, Honor, and Life
Okay, God's Word says this. The rewards of developing the fear of the Lord are emphasized throughout Scripture. Having the fear of God is a requirement for riches, honor, and life. A person may have worldly riches, honor and life, but they are a fleeting pleasure that will wane away. This may not mean that we will be millionaires, but it does mean that we will not suffer lack or need of any good thing. Proverbs 22:4 ESV The reward for humility and fear of the LORD is riches and honor and life. Psalms 34:8-10 ESV Oh, taste and see that the LORD is good! Blessed is the man who takes refuge in him! (9) Oh, fear the LORD, you his saints, for those who fear him have no lack! (10) The young lions suffer want and hunger; but those who seek the LORD lack no good thing. Psalms 112:1-3 ESV Praise the LORD! Blessed is the man who fears the LORD, who greatly delights in his commandments! (2) His offspring will be mighty in the land; the generation of the upright will be blessed. (3) Wealth and riches are in his house, and his righteousness endures forever. |
AuthorCharles Morris. Founder and Senior Pastor of RSI Ministry, RSI School of Ministry, and RSI Publishing L.L.C.. Archives
March 2021
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