Monday, March 3, 2025

          Paul was the Church’s greatest theologian and missionary.  His New Testament letters form the basis for much of the theology that we cherish and embrace today as so very important in how we live and worship.  In 2 Corinthians 2:15-17, Paul wrote about the influence that God’s people enjoy each day.  He wrote, “For we are to God the pleasing aroma of Christ among those who are being saved and those who are perishing. To the one we are an aroma that brings death; to the other, an aroma that brings life. And who is equal to such a task? Unlike so many, we do not peddle the word of God for profit. On the contrary, in Christ we speak before God with sincerity, as those sent from God.”  There are some practical lessons that stand out from Paul’s words and theology that can help us today.
            First, every person’s life has an aroma.  We are not talking about a physical smell but a spiritual one.  Not a literal smell but a figurative one.  Not one detected so much by the nose but more so by the eyes and ears of others.  The manner in which we live has the capacity to attract or repel people.  In a larger and more important sense, the way we live has the capacity to attract people to Christ or repel people away from Christ. We might even call this a testimony or a witness.  We can live in a way that makes people curious about or even longing for the Lord we know, love and serve.  By contrast, we can live in a way that repels people or turns them off.  As Paul wrote, we want to be a “pleasing aroma of Christ.”  We want others to know that Christ is real to us and alive in us.  Jesus called us to be salt.  He means we are to live in such a way that we make others thirsty for Him.
            Second, we want our aroma or witness to be consistent—to be the same around believers and unbelievers.  We want to be no different in public than we are in private.  We want to serve and love Christ when no one is around every bit as much as we do when others are around and the spotlight is on us.  We want to speak less about what we have built or accomplished and more about what Christ has done for us and given to us.  We are ambassadors for Christ—all the time and in every imaginable way.  Make sure that your words and actions honor Christ rather than bringing shame to Him.  Build a worthy life that you can present as an offering to Christ and as a witness for Him in the places where He sends you.
            Third, God does see us.  We might think that much of what we do is unseen, unnoticed and even unremembered by others.  But God does see.  God can and often does use our words, influence and witness far beyond the immediate days and times.  The Bible reminds us never to grow weary in doing what is good, for in due we will reap a harvest if we do not lose heart (Galatians 6:9).  Be the aroma of Christ faithfully and daily and leave the results to the Lord.  Let Him use you as He wills and wishes.  If you lean on the Lord, He may well use you in familiar places.  But He could just as easily push you out of your comfort zone into ways and places that advance His Kingdom and gospel. 
            Fourth, let the glory of God be your guide.  Live your life to bring Him glory.  We desire to see the glory of God in all things.  We can easily live for self-gain or for the applause of others.  We can easily live with the passion to see our name acclaimed and attention showered upon us.  But Paul, and other Bible writers, consistently hold out a new and different standard for us to pursue—the glory of God in all things.  Many people crave attention and praise.  But if we make the glory of God our guiding ambition, we will find that He satisfies and blesses us beyond what we could ever gather for ourselves.  Have a great Monday as you go forth to be the aroma of Christ wherever you may find yourself today!  Remember you can always share our worship at YouTube.Com/FirstBaptistKannapolis.