Sorry if this is too personal, but what do you smell like?
“For we are a fragrance of Christ to God among those who are being saved and among those who are perishing… ” – 2 Cor. 2:15
God can sniff us out. You ever have that aroma that just makes you so happy? You breathe it in like, “Ahhhhh!” Believers stick out to him like a sweet perfume.
God can sniff out unbelievers just as easily.
Paul continues…
“… to the one an aroma from death to death, to the other an aroma from life to life. (v. 16a)
It’s amazing how one smell is pleasant to one person, but stinks to another. For example, some people love the smell of Play-Doh and some can’t stand it. When we speak about the Lord Jesus Christ to the world, they bristle. He is precious life to us, but pungent death to them.
Lastly, Paul asks “who is adequate” for such a tremendous task? (v.16b)
The answer is simple: No one is adequate, sufficient, or worthy. We all fall tragically, hilariously short.
Not one to leave us hanging, Paul tells us how we can ever be adequate: Our sufficiency is of God (2 Cor. 3:6). He makes us competent. He enables us.
And for that I am eternally grateful.
So, what do you smell like?
