What's that Smell?

Last Sunday in church, the pastor preached on 2 Corinthians 2.

He actually spent most of the time on the earlier portion of the passage and not the end. But what stuck out to me as he read through the passage was verses 15-17.

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? For we are not, like so many, peddlers of God’s word, but as men of sincerity, as commissioned by God, in the sight of God we speak in Christ.

Now if you're anything like me you probably didn't really read that, so I'll keep writing and hopefully you'll stick with me.

Ever walk towards your kitchen and smell something absolutely scrumptious your mom is cooking? And you're just at that point where you are really hungry but not so hungry you'd eat anything....but really hungry?

And you follow the smell...not because you want the smell, (I mean, who wants to take big gulpfuls of smell when you're starving?) (Not quite sure how you gulp smell, but anyhow), but you follow it because you want what is making the smell. Right?

Woooah!

Did you catch that there?

For we are the aroma of Christ...

You know the whole "it's not about me it's all about Jesus" sort of thing. Kinda gets a little old.

But see - we're not here to make people want us. We're here to make people want Christ.

The goal is for people to "smell" us and want to know where it's coming from.

So often I want people to notice me, to think I'm a decent person who's doing great things. But my life shouldn't point to me - my life should point to Christ.

The thing is...wouldn't it be awful if...say, you smelled chocolate chip cookies and it turned out to be brussel sprouts?

We often put on the aroma of "Christian" or "good person"....instead of the aroma of Christ.

Does what I say, the way I dress, the way I talk, the way I act...does it smell of Christ - or myself?

And here's where it starts to get cool!

For we are not, like so many, peddlers of God’s word, but as men of sincerity, as commissioned by God, in the sight of God we speak in Christ.

I don't know exactly what the word "peddlers" means in this context, but here's what I think it means.

If you've ever been to a big city (New York for instance) there's like....ten jillion traveling street vendors with their little market-carts, foreign languages, and cheesy signs.

Do they really care about providing good stuff for you? Usually not. They're most likely just out there to make a few extra pennies.

They're called peddlers - and they don't usually mean what they say.

See Paul is saying that we're not just peddlers - we don't want to just try to sell God's word.

So often I feel like my goal as a witness to Jesus Christ is to sell others on the point of Christianity like a door-to-door salesmen. I think "I've just gotta convince 'em I'm right!"

But God is not a product we sell. He's a truth we live.

Peddlers are generally not too sincere except about making money.

We are not just "peddlers" of God's word, but communicators with sincerity. Why?

Because we are commissioned by GOD Himself.

We are sent out to be a light in a dark world - to speak with sincerity and truth, an aroma that points to Christ.

Now try reading it again - then tell me what you think.

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? For we are not, like so many, peddlers of God’s word, but as men of sincerity, as commissioned by God, in the sight of God we speak in Christ.