A pleasing aroma

Chapters 28 and 29 go over in detail the sacrifices that were to be made by the Israelites.  I won’t be reiterating any of them here.

Most of what I have to say on the subject of sacrifices, I’ve already stated in earlier blogs when I went through Exodus and Leviticus.

But there is one phrase that strikes me in these two chapters.  It’s a phrase that is often repeated throughout.  Namely, that these offerings that were given were a “pleasing aroma” to God.

In the same way, when Christ offered his life for us on the cross, it was pleasing to God.

His sacrifice satisfied justice in the eyes of God and gave life to us.

But now, God says we are a pleasing aroma to him too.

It says in 2 Corinthians 2:15-16,

But we are to God the aroma of Christ among those who are being saved and those who are perishing.

To the one we are the smell of death; to the other, the fragrance of life.

When God sees us, he smells the aroma of Christ in us.  And as we go out in this world, we are to spread his aroma to the people around us.

It says, in verse 14 of the same passage,

But thanks be to God, who always leads us in triumphal procession in Christ, and through us spreads everywhere the fragrance of the knowledge of him.

As it says in verse 16, to some people, we are the fragrance of life.  They see Christ in us and are attracted to him.  They see the life of Christ in us and want him in their own lives.

But to others, we are the fragrance of death.

Why?  Because to anyone who rejects Christ, we are a reminder that death and judgment is coming to them.  And no one wants that reminder.

The worst thing that could be said of any Christian is that they give off no fragrance at all.

If we don’t offer ourselves to God as living sacrifices, we’re just another person trying to make it through another day.

But God doesn’t want that of us.  He wants us to offer ourselves to him, and as we do, to spread everywhere the fragrance of the knowledge of him.

What fragrance are you giving off?