“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.  For we are to God the fragrance of Christ among those who are being saved and among those who are perishing.” — 2Cor. 2:14-15

In describing his ministry, “to preach the Christ’s gospel” (2:12), Paul likened it to God diffusing, or manifesting, “the fragrance of the knowledge of Him.” The knowledge of God has a certain “air” about it . . . a distinctive savor . . . a particular aroma. For some, those who have eyes to see and hears to hear (and, I guess, noses to smell), the fragrance is very attractive . . . drawing them to the Source . . . creating a desire to fill themselves with the sweet-smelling aroma of the love and grace of God as shown in and through His Son. For others, though, it is a distasteful smell . . . it repels them . . . it is the aroma of death (2:16) . . . a smell that causes them to hold their noses and seek to escape. But, despite how it was received, Paul saw himself as a vehicle through which God emitted the fragrance of the knowledge of Himself.

But not only did Paul see himself as sending off an “odor” to those around him, but, led by the divine authorship of the Spirit, Paul said that He also was a fragrance to God . . . the fragrance of Christ. Different Greek word used here. While a general term for savor or odor is used in verse 14 . . . we emit an certain odor which is the knowledge of God . . . in verse 15 the word is literally “a sweet smell”, a “sweet savor”, . . . the same descriptor attached to the Old Testament sacrifices, a thing well-pleasing to God. So Paul saw himself emanating a particular scent both to those around him and to heaven itself. For those who encountered his smell, it was either life-giving or had the stench of judgment and death upon it. To those who picked it up in the heavenlies, it was a sweet smelling savor. The God who saved Paul and called him to serve for the kingdom could breathe deep and take in the wonderful aroma of a life given to sacrificial service for the One who saved him. It had the same nuance as His Son, the One “who loved us and gave Himself up for us as a fragrant offering, a sweet-smelling savor, to God” (Eph. 5:2) . . . the same aromatic beauty . . . evoking the same deep pleasure. So you gotta ask yourself, “How ya’ smelling?”

What kind of scent am I putting off? . . . to those around me? . . . to the God who loved me? When people are with me, what are they picking up in the air? As they breathe deep of the stuff I’m sending off, is it fresh and alive? . . . or kind of stale? When God breathes deep of the fragrance of my life does it have that sweet-smelling nuance of sacrifice? I’m not sure how to know exactly the answers to these questions . . . but I’m thinking they’re worth asking.

Sound intimidating? Yeah! To Paul too! . . . “And who is sufficient for these things?” (2:16b)

Not me . . . at least not on my own. I can desire to “smell good” . . . I can seek to cultivate that right mix of ingredients that will result in a pleasant and enticing perfume . . . but God is the Perfumer. He takes the unique composition of “ingredients” willing given to Him, and works it to create a spiritual, one of a kind, “Designer” fragrance that we wear. The ingredients we bring to the table are mixed with His grace and enhanced by His Spirit and are turned into an aroma we wear for His glory. And who’s sufficient for these things? . . . God . . . Jesus . . . the Spirit . . . the One who declares, “My grace is sufficient for you, for My strength is made perfect in weakness” (2Cor. 12:9).

Oh, that I might be a sweet smelling savor! That, apart from words, those I come in contact with would pick up on a certain scent emanating from me . . . something a bit out of this world . . . something that speaks of a God who so loved the world. That I might be an aromatic offering ascending to the throne . . . that God might detect the fragrance of His Son on me . . . that in all things His Son might have the preeminence . . . that in all things He might have the glory. Father, by Your grace help me to “smell” like Your Son . . . amen!