WHAT'S THAT SMELL?

"For we are the aroma of Christ to God among those who are being saved and among those who are perishing." (2 Corinthians 2:15, ESV)

What a glorious time of year! After plenty of storms here in California, we've had sunshine and mild temperatures for almost two weeks running. The blossoms are coming out, and the grass is beginning to fill in those bare spots on the golf courses. We're sure to have another flurry of "real weather" before the spring sticks, but for now everyone is walking around with pleasure.

Except those with hay fever.

The fragrances of spring are not welcomed by everyone. For the many people who must consume medicinal defenses against the tide of pollen, the aroma of spring is a sign of difficult weeks ahead. Once again, it would seem, one man's trash is another man's treasure.

To the Corinthian believers, Paul wrote of a different aroma—the aroma of Christ among His people. But the reactions to this fragrance were as divided as the reactions to the perfumes of spring.

The aroma, Paul wrote, wafted among the saved and the perishing alike. And while we would hope that the influence of that aroma would be appealing on either side of the fence, Paul's continuing words in chapter 2 of his second letter suggest otherwise: "...to one (the perishing) a fragrance from death to death, to the other (the saved) a fragrance from life to life" (v. 16).

In other words, the fragrance of Christ among those who know Him and love Him is always appealing. That men and women preach and live His life is a reminder of the one great truth—that His life now lives in us, causing us to grow in His righteousness with purpose and in joy.

But to those who have not received Christ’s life (or worse, have staunchly rejected it), the aroma is a reminder of the very One whose glorious life outshines every effort they have ever made, even though it be "for their own good." The only lasting good comes from Christ, and for those who have brushed Him aside, that good is not a perfume but a stench.

--

Jeff Hopper

March 7, 2008

Copyright 2008 Links Players International

The Links Daily Devotional appears Monday-Friday at www.linksplayers.com.