The Fragrance of Christ - 2 Corinthians 2:14-15

Praise God in the Highest! I give You honor and praise for You are worthy. From my birth, You marked my life for You. I am sold out for the things of God, unapologetically Yours. I run boldly to the Throne of Grace where You preside. I am confident that Your blood covers me and that no weapon formed against me will prosper as I seek Your face and lift prayers for family and friends. You have hedged me in, before and behind, as I have learned in Your word. You cover me in the fullness of Your grace and mercy. You are my strong tower and my refuge. I hide myself in You. You are the song that I sing when I awake. You fill me with joy. I seek you for wisdom as I want to understand 2 Corinthians 2:14-15 in a fresh way. Open my eyes. Please forgive me for my trespasses and forgive those who trespass against me. I breathe Your grace and life in. Glory, glory, glory. You deserve all glory. In Jesus Name. Amen.

The reading today is from 2 Corinthians 2:14-15 which states,

"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."

I needed this verse today. The truth of God leading us into triumph in the One who won our freedom on the Cross. Hallelujah! Recall that we have already studied and are confident that He goes before us and fights our battle for us. He also goes behind us. He hedges us in and protects us. Thank you, God, for freedom in Christ! Praise You for the triumph already won!

Then I stopped to breathe in the next phrase,

"and through us, diffuses the fragrance of His knowledge in every place..."

Whoa. Who am I to be able to carry the fragrance of His knowledge? My vessel, my humanity, is it able to carry this fragrance?

Let us consider the verb "diffuses". You see I have been a chemistry tutor for years and have taught chemistry. I know that the act of diffusion takes particles from a higher density area to a lower density area. Basically, the act of diffusion evens out the number of particles on both sides of a barrier. So, God has inspired this word to say that He will take His knowledge and allow it to fill us. But it does not stop there. It will continue out of us from high to low place into our dwellings that we inhabit or locations we go into.

We are a conduit for the fragrance of Christ. Let us praise HIM!!!

I am wrecked. I say this because I had a very humanity filled day. A genuinely imperfect day. However, He still used me to carry His fragrance of who He is and the fullness thereof to bless those around us. I am humbled.

"...for we are to God, the fragrance of Christ among those who are being saved and among those who are perishing."

Then the Lord wraps His arm around me (and you) and says we are seen by our God in Heaven. We are important to His plan. He needs us to be the fragrance. So, as the fragrance of Christ, we travel around those in the process of finding Him and those who do not know Him and need saving.

Wow! What is in the fragrance? I consider the gifts brought to baby Jesus, myrrh for His death and burial and frankincense. What is frankincense though? It was also used in the incense for the Mosaic tabernacle in Exodus 30:34 and the Grain offering made in Leviticus 2. Pure frankincense. It is a spice that burns with long, a steady flame according to Smith Bible Dictionary. It is also a spice of worship and prayer as shared in Psalm 141:2 where it says, "Let my prayer be set before You as incense, the lifting of my hands as the evening sacrifice."

Then I see that in Song of Solomon 3:6, it says, "Who is this coming out of the wilderness like pillars of smoke perfumed with myrrh and frankincense." Pillars of smoke were used by God to lead His people across the Red Sea recorded in Exodus 13 and 14. It was also mentioned when God would meet with Moses in the tabernacle. Notice, that baby Jesus was given myrrh and frankincense too. And yes, myrrh is needed. For through baptism, we experience His death, burial, and resurrection in our rebirth... Christ in us... proclaimed in our lives. Our Christ. Our King. He is within the fragrance, thus, it is the fragrance of Christ. We carry it as He changes us from glory to glory.

Wonderful, merciful Father. Remind us that we carry Christ in us and must remove anything that hinders us from being able to fully diffuse all of the fragrance of Christ available to flow out to others to encourage, save, and share the Lord as divinely directed. May the flame of God that has been lit in our spirits burn a long time as long as we continually fill our spirits with the Word of God and prayer in worship to Him. In Jesus Name. Amen.

Praise Him!!