Benny B. Bristow
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hen one
considers the greatness and wonders of God’s creation, there are so many
beautiful things that it is impossible to comprehend all of them. But there is
something that we may easily take for granted. It is the sweet fragrance of the
many plants, vines, and trees that He created. Surely we can all agree that
these are wonderful and have a language of their own.
The lilac bush that fills the air with a sweet aroma,
the freshness and perfume of a honeysuckle vine in the early morning, the
unique smell of the flowers of a Camellia bush that override all other aromas
in the air, and the many varieties of roses that bring pleasantness to our
sense of smell. Surely God used His wisdom and power when He made these and
many other fragrances.
Another Kind of Fragrance
But
may we be reminded that there is another kind of fragrance that fully pleases
God. For it must be a joy for God to see in action the salvation that comes
through His Son presented to the world. Remember, it was love that provided the
gospel which is “the power of God to salvation for
everyone who believes, for the Jew first and also for the Greek” (Romans 1:16).
Paul believed in the gospel and wrote about how God
felt toward the work they were doing.
“For we
are to God the fragrance of Christ among those who are
being saved and among those who are perishing” (2 Corinthians 2:15).
This
great apostle believed that God would make them winners over everything because
they were spreading the spiritual fragrance of salvation and
knowledge to the lost world. He was grateful that God had blessed him and his
fellow laborers for this purpose. To the church at Corinth he wrote:
“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” (2 Corinthians 2:14).
Therefore, they took seriously the command of Jesus to preach and teach the
gospel to all the world (Matthew 28:19; Mark 16:15).
The Father was pleased
with His Son because He obeyed Him and gave salvation to the world. Just like
Jesus, God wanted the world to be saved, and what a beautiful aroma ascended to the Father
when His Son obeyed Him. The Hebrew writer expressed it this way: “though He
was a Son, yet He learned obedience by the things which He suffered. And having
been perfected, He became the author of eternal salvation to all who obey Him,” (Hebrews 5:8, 9).
Therefore there is a question that
should be asked by all Christians, “Are we the fragrance of Christ because we are spreading
the knowledge of salvation in every place?”