The Aroma of Christ to God

“But thanks be to God, who in Christ always leads us in triumphal procession, and through us spreads the fragrance of the knowledge of him everywhere. For we are the aroma of Christ to God among those who are being saved and among those who are perishing, to one a fragrance from death to death, to the other a fragrance from life to life...” — 2 Corinthians 2:14-16

There is such strange liberty in the Word of God. For years I have considered evangelism to be someone else’s gift. I have excluded myself on the basis of my own insecurities and shortcomings (thereby placing the lion’s share of the responsibility for “success” or “failure” on myself). But God has freed me from this bondage—the idea that Christ’s success depends on me.

There is a gift of grace, a “faith to faith” that spreads through us but is not of us. The sovereign grace of God is His alone to give, yet is delivered through the rough instrumentality of mortal creatures. “We have this treasure in jars of clay” says Paul in 2 Corinthians 4, “to show that the surpassing power belongs to God and not to us.” (ESV)

How liberating that is! Salvation will never be in our hands. We cannot convince by argument or ply by emotion. Yet conversely, we are not hindered by past, or circumstance, by imperfection of speech or by the clothes we wear. Those whom we might intend to draw to Christ may nonetheless be repelled. Those who we do not seek may search Him out in us despite ourselves. I find great liberty and cause for boldness in this.

“But thanks be to God, who in Christ always leads us in triumphal procession...” (ESV)

What is this triumphal procession? Is it not that we carry the very presence of God, the Holy Spirit, with us wherever we go? Remember David, in 2 Samuel 6, bringing up the Ark of the Covenant to the city of David—to the people with whom the presence of God was intended to dwell? Verse 15 says,

“So David and all the house of Israel brought up the ark of the LORD with shouting and with the sound of the horn.” (ESV)

A triumphal procession indeed!

“And through us,” Paul continues, “spreads the fragrance of the knowledge of Him everywhere.” Fragrance. Aroma. Genesis, Exodus, Leviticus, and Numbers all teach that acceptable sacrifices are received by God as a “pleasing aroma”. And we know that the sacrifice of animals was a mere foreshadow of the things to come. How much more pleasing, then, must God find the one true and perfect sacrifice made by Christ?

“...For we are the aroma of Christ to God...” (ESV)

Yes, we who are covered with the righteousness of Christ are indeed accepted as God’s own beloved children, adopted and heirs with Christ, a pleasing aroma to God.

“...the aroma of Christ to God among those who are being saved and among those who are perishing, to one a fragrance from death to death, to the other a fragrance from life to life.” (ESV)

Not only to God, then, but to all we meet, we carry this fragrance of Christ. We may not identify ourselves as Christ’s, but it will be known. His seal is upon us. And to those who are of Him, we are a fragrance of life, loved and loving one another beyond human capacity. But to those un-reconciled with God, to His enemies, we are hated, also.

We are called to love, called to Christ-likeness. We are called to bear witness. But the mystery of salvation is not in our hands. “...Thanks be to God.”