Aroma of Christ

aroma. n.  a distinctive pervasive and usually pleasant or savory smell. b. A distinctive, intangible quality; an aura.

Aside:
Personally, I enjoy the use of pervasive here. Pervasive means "spreading widely through an area or group of people". I would also like to note that both definitions use the word distinctive.

Have you ever considered what sin smells like? I know many of us consider the image of rags to glory when contemplating salvation, that we were naked and overcome with shame prior to encountering our glorious Savior, and that His redemption makes us white as snow before our Maker, the God of the universe. Think of your favorite aroma, baked cookies from the kitchen, the scent of rain, your favorite flowers. Now to only think of the worst smell this earth has to offer, for me sulfur comes to mind (smells similar to rotten eggs). Christ takes our nastiness, though it may be an intangible quality or simply an aura about us, and restores is to the best aroma. When we live out our lives pursuing the holiness of Christ, we become the aroma of our Savior to God. We essentially become a pleasing fragrance to God, no longer filled with the stench of this sin-filled world, but rather the glory of our King.

^"But thanks be to God, who in Christ always leads us in triumphal procession, and through us spreads the fragrance of the knowledge of him everywhere. 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."
 2 Corinthians 2:14-17 (emphasis added)

Consider that the passage says we are not only the aroma to God, but also to those who are coming to know Christ, and those who are perishing, or do not yet know Christ. Think of the unsaved people you interact with each and every day, what kind of aroma do you bring to their lives? Is it enticing, inviting? Or is it an aroma of bitterness, selfishness, maybe discontent? We are commissioned by God, in the sight of God, we should strive for sincerity in our walks.

So take a step back today, how do unbelievers perceive you? As freshly baked cookies or rotten eggs? Ask Christ to mold you into His aroma, that we may win some who are lost.

That you would be a fragrance pleasing to our Lord,

amber

Bosnia - Day 3

 Dear Heavenly Father, thank you for the work you're doing in everyone on the team. Please bless the središte nade and open the hearts of those they serve to salvation. Help us to be a huge help to them. Please open our hearts and help us to learn from these people. If you are burdening my heart for Bosnia, make it clear when I leave this place. Help my heart to be sensitive to your voice. amen.

Today is Sunday. We had cereal for breakfast, which I quite enjoyed (I love cereal). We then took the morning walk by the river down to the center. We then went through a full orientation on Bosnian culture, history, and couth. It is truly incredible how much pain this single people has endured, and it breaks my heart that we cannot simply share the wholeness found in Christ. (Open air evangelism is illegal in Bosnia). We then began preparation for the health fair we would present at a village school. We also did some preparation for teaching english. Part of our agenda while in Bosnia was to go into schools, teaching english primarily and also conducting a fair with lessons about oral health, eating right, and the dangers of smoking. The center holds a church service in the afternoon, complete with Bosnian hymns. I finally knew the letter pronunciations, so I loved singing along, despite my lack of understanding the words. The sermon was preached on John 9. Three Bosnian believers came to church, and it was so nice to see them enjoying themselves. The sermon was preached in english, and then translated into Bosnian, I loved hearing the word in their language.