We Are The Fragrance of Christ - 2 Corinthians 2:14-16

Lesson Audio: We Are The Fragrance of Christ

Introduction

2 Corinthians 2:14-16 “Now thanks be to God who always leads us in triumph in Christ, and through us diffuses the fragrance of His knowledge in every place. 15 For we are to God the fragrance of Christ among those who are being saved and among those who are perishing. 16 To the one we are the aroma of death leading to death, and to the other the aroma of life leading to life. And who is sufficient for these things?” NKJV

Fragrance Defined:

• NT:3744 osme (os-may'); from NT:3605; fragrance (literally or figuratively): KJV - odour, savour. (from Biblesoft's New Exhaustive Strong's Numbers and Concordance with Expanded Greek-Hebrew Dictionary. Copyright © 1994, 2003, 2006 Biblesoft, Inc. and International Bible Translators, Inc.)
• “Fragrance” NKJV, “sweet aroma” NASU, “savo(u)r” ASV&KJV
• NT:2175 euodia (yoo-o-dee'-ah); good-scentedness, i.e. fragrance: KJV - sweet savour (smell, -smelling). (Biblesoft's New Exhaustive Strong's Numbers and Concordance with Expanded Greek-Hebrew Dictionary. Copyright © 1994, 2003, 2006 Biblesoft, Inc. and International Bible Translators, Inc.)
• “Fragrance” NKJV&NASU, “Aroma” ESV, “sweet savo(u)r” ASV&KJV

OT Usage

• Consider Noah’s Sacrifice: “a soothing aroma” to God - Genesis 8:20-21 “Then Noah built an altar to the Lord, and took of every clean animal and of every clean bird, and offered burnt offerings on the altar. 21 And the Lord smelled a soothing aroma. Then the Lord said in His heart, "I will never again curse the ground for man's sake, although the imagination of man's heart is evil from his youth; nor will I again destroy every living thing as I have done.” NKJV
• Exodus 29:18 “And you shall burn the whole ram on the altar. It is a burnt offering to the Lord; it is a sweet aroma, an offering made by fire to the Lord.” NKJV (one of over 40 such verses)
• The children of Israel were to offer sacrifices to God. Done right, they would go up before the Lord as a sweet aroma.

NT Usage

• John 12:3 “Then Mary took a pound of very costly oil of spikenard, anointed the feet of Jesus, and wiped His feet with her hair. And the house was filled with the fragrance of the oil.” NKJV
• As we consider the aroma we as Christians should emit, consider the perfume comparison “the house was filled with the fragrance of the oil”. NKJV

We Are A Pleasing Aroma to God

• Possibly Before Obeying the Gospel – Consider Cornelius: Acts 10:4 “And when he observed him, he was afraid, and said, "What is it, lord?" So he said to him, "Your prayers and your alms have come up for a memorial before God.” NKJV
• Jesus said: “Ask, and it will be given to you; seek, and you will find; knock, and it will be opened to you.” (Matthew 7:7) NKJV
• God is “longsuffering toward us, not willing that any should perish but that all should come to repentance.” (2 Peter 3:9) NKJV
• Cornelius’ efforts were pleasing, and God provided an opportunity for Cornelius to hear and obey the gospel! (Acts 10:48, 2:38,41)
• Christ’ Selfless Sacrifice Was A Sweet Smelling Aroma - Eph 5:1-2 “Therefore be imitators of God as dear children. 2 And walk in love, as Christ also has loved us and given Himself for us, an offering and a sacrifice to God for a sweet-smelling aroma.” NKJV
• So Through Our Living Sacrifice - Romans 12:1 “I beseech you therefore, brethren, by the mercies of God, that you present your bodies a living sacrifice, holy, acceptable to God, which is your reasonable service.” NKJV
• Our Prayers Are Fragrant - Revelation 5:8 “golden bowls full of incense, which are the prayers of the saints.”
• Our Generosity, the Sacrifice, is Sweet Smelling to God - Philippians 4:18 “Indeed I have all and abound. I am full, having received from Epaphroditus the things sent from you, a sweet-smelling aroma, an acceptable sacrifice, well pleasing to God.” NKJV

We Are Christ’s Aroma - 2 Corinthians 2:14-16

• Through Spreading Knowledge of His Sacrifice “14 Now thanks be to God who always leads us in triumph in Christ, and through us diffuses the fragrance of His knowledge in every place.
• This knowledge produces the aroma of Life or Death!
• “15 For we are to God the fragrance of Christ among those who are being saved and among those who are perishing. 16 To the one we are the aroma of death leading to death, and to the other the aroma of life leading to life.” NKJV
• Paul mentioned the contrast in his first letter to the Corinthians: “For the word of the cross is foolishness to those who are perishing, but to us who are being saved it is the power of God.” (1 Corinthians 1:18) NKJV

AN AROMA OF LIFE:

• Salvation from Sin! - Acts 2:38 "Then Peter said to them, "Repent, and let every one of you be baptized in the name of Jesus Christ for the remission of sins; and you shall receive the gift of the Holy Spirit." NKJV
• To Those Formerly Outside - Acts 11:18 “…they glorified God, saying, "Then God has also granted to the Gentiles repentance to life." NKJV
• LIFE ETERNAL! - Romans 2:7 “eternal life to those who by patient continuance in doing good seek for glory, honor, and immortality” NKJV
• Those who listen to the message with a good and open heart (Ex: Parable of the Sower) see the gospel message as the good news it is!
• Matt 13:23 "But he who received seed on the good ground is he who hears the word and understands it, who indeed bears fruit and produces: some a hundredfold, some sixty, some thirty." NKJV
• Is the Gospel Message the sweet smell of life to you?

OR OF DEATH:

• Romans 2:8-9 “but to those who are self-seeking and do not obey the truth, but obey unrighteousness — indignation and wrath, 9 tribulation and anguish, on every soul of man who does evil…” NKJV
• Romans 8:6 “For to be carnally minded is death, but to be spiritually minded is life and peace.” NKJV
• Galatians 6:8 “For he who sows to his flesh will of the flesh reap corruption, but he who sows to the Spirit will of the Spirit reap everlasting life.” NKJV
• Those who do “not receive the love of the truth, that they might be saved”...this is a message of death.
• “And for this reason God will send them strong delusion, that they should believe the lie, that they all may be condemned who did not believe the truth but had pleasure in unrighteousness.” (2 Thessalonians 2:10-12)
• Is the Gospel Message the stench of death to you?

Final Thoughts: “16b And who is sufficient for these things?”

• The apostle Paul was classically educated at the feet of Gamaliel (Acts 22:3). 
• He had good reason to feel capable of preaching and teaching the good news of Jesus Christ. He did so boldly. 
• Yet even Paul questioned his sufficiency in being “the fragrance of Christ”.

Application: Do not assume or take lightly the fragrance you are supposed to be! A few chapters later Paul urges: “Examine yourselves as to whether you are in the faith. Test yourselves. Do you not know yourselves, that Jesus Christ is in you? — unless indeed you are disqualified.” (2 Corinthians 13:5).

Strive to be “the fragrance of Christ” by knowing the saving message of the cross, living it and diffusing "the fragrance of His knowledge in every place"!

~KBG 11/17/2013