What's that Smell?!

What’s that Smell?!

Okay, this post is not about what you think it is about!! I want to look at a passage of scripture that I find SO compelling. Look at what it says:

2 Corinthians 2:14-16 (NIV)
14 But thanks be to God, who always leads us in triumphal procession in Christ and through us spreads everywhere the fragrance of the knowledge of him. 15 For we are to God the aroma of Christ among those who are being saved and those who are perishing. 16 To the one we are the smell of death; to the other, the fragrance of life. And who is equal to such a task?

What is Paul talking about in these verses? When he speaks of a triumphal procession he is using the Greek word which described the Roman general returning home from battle victorious. During these victory parades incense would be burned as an act of worship to the gods. For those in the victorious Roman army, and for the spectators in Rome this smell of incense would have brought great joy and recognition of victory as the smell wafted over the crowd. But for the enemy soldier who was paraded through town only to be killed at the final ceremony the smell would have signaled death for them. For the Romans the smell was the smell of life and for their enemies it was the smell of impending death.

It is with this metaphor that Paul describes how God uses us to spread the knowledge of him. You see once we have accepted Christ we are not to shrink to the sidelines as though we have been defeated in battle. No, we are now alive, we are victorious! That victory in our lives should spread out throughout the world. We should take the knowledge of Him to all people of all nations. We have the aroma of Christ on us and we should act like it! Now to those who will reject Him that aroma will only signal their doom, but to those who accept the message of grace that we spread will delight in His aroma on us because it signals their eternal life!!

So let me ask you a question, can people smell Christ on you? Does the smell of Christ waft over your neighborhood or your workplace? Can others smell the close proximity of Christ in your life? We are being paraded by God through the world, let us march in the triumphal procession and allow the aroma of Christ to flow from us!

Lord, let others be able to tell that I have been close to you today. Please help me to take my place in the triumphal procession so that the knowledge of you might spread to all people of all nations. I praise you my victorious King!