photo: Martha G. Brady
synonyms for enough: sufficient, adequate, competent
I was looking up some Scripture to prime the pump for our Five Minute Friday word tonight when I bumped into this passage. My plan was to go in another direction, but this group of verses caught my imagination. It combined with some work a friend and I have been doing with one of our pastors, developing a ministry to women in our church. The two things went together in my mind and moved me along quite a fanciful road!
Imagine those of us who are “in Christ,” who are identified as His sons and daughters…even on the days we don’t feel like it…or feel like we don’t deserve to be. The fact remains that if we are “in Christ”, trusting that His death for us was enough to satisfy a holy GOD as total payment for our sin, it has nothing to do with how we feel about it on any given day. We belong to Him anyway. Our righteousness is found in Christ and His death to pay for sin as well as His resurrection that showed His victory over sin and death. Stop
So as we live out the gospel to those around us…believers and unbelievers, those who are in Christ, those who aren’t, those who hate Him and those who seem to be moving toward Him, we are spreading the aroma of the fragrance of Christ..or not!
What kind of aroma are you spreading? The stink of rot & decay or the fresh aroma of a vibrant life? Share on XWhat kind of aroma are you spreading? The fragrance of life to all who come in contact with you? Or the fragrance of death that those who are perishing bring to the table. Is it that smell of rot and decay that no one wants to be around? Or the fresh new life that is virant?
In order to spread the fragrance of life, we must depend on Jesus for sure…regularly. We are not up to being able to live like that on our own. We need Him to live out the Gospel in way that smells of a vibrant life!
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.
Who is sufficient for these things?II Corinthians 2:14-16
Lately, I’ve been sitting with the idea of my identity being “in Christ”… not in what I do, or my relationships, or where I’m from, or anything else like that. And I love the idea of his fragrance naturally coming out of that identity. Thank you for sharing this. Nice to meet you! 🙂
glad you stopped by jen:) it’s all pretty profound isn’t it? takes a lot of meditating to think about it doesn’t it?
Martha, what a great post. You bring up so many good points. First we do need to remember that what we feel doesn’t matter so much as what God says. If He says we are His, then that’s truth right there. When our feelings get into the mix, we (or at least) I tend to be more of a stench than a joyful fragrance. Thanks for sharing your insights about this passage. I love your take on it. 🙂
thanks for stopping by jeanne:) what i found to be really encouraging here was that the work GOD is doing in my life is that He is making the aroma of my life to be the beautiful one. it isn’t something i have to work at, but something He is working out in me as He grows me and sanctifies me. that is so hopeful!
I may not see it, but others may. I know the mess of my life the best…as does GOD. but as He takes me through suffering and change…and i cooperate with the work He is doing, He makes the aroma one that is beautiful not stinky. it definitely doesn’t happen overnite! but the work of the Spirit in me is this. the unregenerate person does not have this. he only has the stink…no matter how “good” his works might be.
Great post, Martha. There are times I think that people do leave the wrong aroma when they don’t want to, simply by trying to hard.
You’ve made me think!
#1 at FMF this week.
https://blessed-are-the-pure-of-heart.blogspot.com/2017/04/your-dying-spouse-294-famous-last-words.html
Andrew, i think you have a point for sure! but i think what this passage may be saying is that when Jesus is at work, we don’t have to try so hard…He works it out in us. it is part of the New nature He is working out in us. no, we are never perfect this side of heaven, but He has put a new nature in us that is able to do good for the the right reasons. we aren’t little robots for sure. we fail often. but He is working something out in us that is sweet and good. you often see it in people that have been thro’ a lot of suffering and not become embittered. they are rarely the first to see it. blessings andrew:) i got my post up yesterday in the middle of a major cleaning, but haven’t gotten to commenting on everyone’s posts. i’m coming:)
I pray that I leave an aroma of Christ behind everywhere I go! I’m in spot#79 this week.
From what I read, this passage is teaching that God is working out that plan in us! That He is working out that fresh aroma in His children. pretty exciting isn’t it?
I hope and work towards spreading the fragrance of goodness rather than death. I’m so glad that becaus of God’s love I’m enough. We’re all enough! I’m over in the 39 spot this week.
glad you stopped by tara:) isn’t it great that b/c of Jesus, we are enough/sufficient? otherwise, if we had to generate this good fragrance on our own, it would be must easier to get bound up trying to get to that point…or maintain it. But Jesus produces it in us:) amazing!
Visiting as your FMF neighbor. We’re told to be in the world not of the world. This captures the thought. Our walk with Jesus is a reflection of the love of Christ to those we touch — believers and unbelievers. And I especially liked the allusion to fragrance you summed up with … those who hate Him and those who seem to be moving toward Him, we are spreading the aroma of the fragrance of Christ..or not! Happy Resurrection Sunday!
glad you stopped by, rev bit:) personally, i’m not big into smells, but this passage was very meaningful:)