In our small group on Sunday evening, we were discussing Houston’s sermon about the aroma of Christ. In 2 Corinthians 2:14-15, Paul writes “But thanks be to God, who always leads us as captives in Christ’s triumphal procession and uses us to spread the aroma of the knowledge of him everywhere.  For we are to God the pleasing aroma of Christ among those who are being saved and those who are perishing.” So, what does the sweet aroma of Christ smell like?

 

Perhaps Paul gives us a hint in the letter to the Galatians. In the fifth chapter verses 16-25, Paul illustrates a life spent indulging the flesh beside a life lead by the Spirit.  The flesh produces “sexual immorality, impurity, debauchery, idolatry and witchcraft, hatred, discord, fits of rage, selfish ambition, dissensions, factions and envy, drunkenness, orgies, and the like.” Paul warns the Galatian church (and us) that those that live like this will not inherit the kingdom of God. 

 

By contrast, if we walk by the Spirit, we produce “love, joy, peace, patience, kindness, goodness, faithfulness, gentleness, and self-control.”  Do those around us experience the fresh scent of joy and love, or the decaying rot of hatred and discord? Do we bring the pleasing aroma of Christ into our daily lives, or does the stench of the world cling too strongly to our thoughts and actions?

 

In our group, we tried to make a list of ways that the we can tell if the Spirit is producing these things in our lives, but couldn’t get past love.  It seems that without love, nothing else can flourish.  John tells us that God is love, so that’s where to start. Prayer, study of scripture, and service to others will speed our growth, with Jesus providing all the nutrients. 

 

So, what should Christians smell like? The fruit of the Spirit, of course.

 

 Jim