SEPTEMBER 9, 2015
A Fragrance and a Letter
We
are to God the pleasing aroma of Christ. — 2 Corinthians 2:15
Read:
2
Corinthians 2:14–3:3
Every time I get close to a rosebush or a
bouquet of flowers, I’m unable to resist the temptation to pull a flower toward
my nose to savor the fragrance. The sweet aroma lifts up my heart and triggers
good feelings within me.
Writing to the Christians in Corinth centuries
ago, the apostle Paul says that because we belong to Christ, God “uses us to
spread the aroma of the knowledge of him everywhere” (2 Cor. 2:14). Through His
strength we can live a victorious life, exchanging our selfishness for His love
and kindness and proclaiming the goodness of His salvation. When we do this, we
are indeed a sweet fragrance to God.
Paul then switches to a second image,
describing Christians as a “letter from Christ” (3:3). The letter of our lives
is not written with ordinary ink, but by the Spirit of God. God changes us by
writing His Word on our hearts for others to read.
Both word pictures encourage us to allow the
beauty of Christ to be seen in us so we can point people to Him. He is the One
who, as Paul wrote in Ephesians 5:2, “loved us and gave himself up for us as a
fragrant offering and sacrifice to God.”
Lord, let Your splendor fill my life, that I may draw people
to You. Help me walk in the way that spreads the fragrance of Your love to
others.
Our actions speak louder than our words.
INSIGHT:
Paul had a strained relationship with the
church in Corinth. Within this troubled church were those who undermined unity,
holy living, and sound doctrine. The Corinthian church was the recipient of
three visits and multiple letters from the apostle Paul. Yet despite all the
problems the church was facing—doubting Paul’s authority, allowing and perhaps
bragging about sin, suggesting there is no resurrection—Paul continually
reassured them of both his own affection and God’s affection for them. Paul’s
message is clear—for Corinth and for us. Yes, we will experience problems that
need to be corrected, but our position in Christ is secure. J.R. Hudberg
Source: Our Daily Bread 2015