The Fragrance Of Christ Is In ALL Things!

“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.” 2 Corinthians 2:14-15

Just reading this passage of Scripture makes me want to shout for joy! What a refreshing reminder that no matter what we face in this life we are always led in triumphant victory because of our relationship with Jesus Christ. Sometimes we may not feel victorious but victory is not a feeling; it is our reality as New Covenant Disciples of Christ! We have to constantly remind ourselves of this truth so we do not become disheartened by what we see taking place in the natural realm.

We have to remind ourselves that Christ died and was resurrected so that we could reign as victors on earth until we die and go to heaven, or until Christ returns to take us there Himself. When we fully accept these truths we begin to take on a new scent, the scent of glory! Did you know that each person has a unique scent which is sometimes referred to as odor-prints? Odor-prints are similar to fingerprints. Your odor-print is different than anyone else’s! As believer’s we have an even more unique odor- print according to 2 Corinthians 2:14-15.

We have the odor-print of Jesus Christ! And that odor-print can be detected by everyone around us, even those who are of this world, and do not believe in God. I lived this reality for 6 years of my life when I walked away from my relationship with God at fifteen years old. I tried everything I could to blend into the worldly crowd, but no matter how hard I tried; I failed! The people around me could detect that there was something different about me, even though they couldn’t put their finger on it.

Like Peter I denied it over and over again, but my denying it, didn’t change the fact that they knew something wasn’t right. This was a really interesting time in my life because even though my words and actions denied Christ, I couldn’t shake His scent. It permeated from within me just like a perfume diffuser that permeates the smell of perfume! After I came back to the Lord I had a number of my old friends who told me they knew all along that I was different. Some embraced the difference! Others closed the door on our friendship because the very scent that drew them to me in the first place; now made them want nothing to do with me.

I understand why they had to go, though I wish they would have stayed in my life and given me the opportunity to introduce them to Christ. But I had no control over their decision so I had to release them and pray that one day they would come to a saving knowledge of Jesus Christ. Even though I accepted this I wanted to understand what happened so I spent a lot of time in prayer and study asking the Holy Spirit for wisdom.

Here is what He revealed that made sense of my past confusion and it illuminated 2 Corinthians 2:14-15 in a way I could understand it. When we say yes to Jesus Christ and He takes up residence on the inside of us, He never leaves, even if we walk away. When He says I will never leave you or forsake you, He means it! Just because we leave Him or forsake Him, doesn’t change who He is in us!

And the fragrance of Christ moves through us even when we stop moving in Him. This is why my friends could sense there was something different about me, because they could smell the sweet aroma of the risen Savior coming from inside of me. And it is also the fragrance of Christ that God recognizes when we are living apart from Him. We have to understand that t the smell of Jesus permeates the air because He is in ALL things! This is why we can walk with FULL assurance of triumphant victory in ALL things that we face in life because we know that Jesus is in the midst of the situation, setting us up for a Victory!

Prayer: May I come to fully understand the victory I have in You! Help to come to recognize Your fragrance in everything I do and everywhere I go. Thank You for never leaving me even in times when I have stopped walking with You and turned to other idols in my life. I praise You for choosing me to wear the aroma of Christ and I believe by faith that it is Christ in me who leads me to the triumphant victories in life! Amen