The Fragrance/Aroma of Christ

“When I came to the city of Troas to preach the Good News of Christ, the Lord opened a door of opportunity for me. But I had no peace of mind because my dear brother Titus hadn’t yet arrived with a report from you. So I said good-bye and went on to Macedonia to find him. But thank God! He has made us his captives and continues to lead us along in Christ’s triumphal procession. Now he uses us to spread the knowledge of Christ everywhere, like a sweet perfume. Our lives are a Christ-like fragrance rising up to God. But this fragrance is perceived differently by those who are being saved and by those who are perishing. To those who are perishing, we are a dreadful smell of death and doom. But to those who are being saved, we are a life-giving perfume. And who is adequate for such a task as this? You see, we are not like the many hucksters who preach for personal profit. We preach the word of God with sincerity and with Christ’s authority, knowing that God is watching us.” 2 Corinthians‬ ‭2:12-17‬ ‭NLT‬‬

As Saints, we must exude Christ-like fragrance
     •What is a Saint? ◦Saint is called by God
         ◦Saint is a Christian who believes in the gospel
         ◦Saint is those who believe in Jesus and God's ultimate sacrifice of love

     •Ways that Saints are referred ◦Soldiers of light/soldiers of God
          ◦Letter of Christ
          ◦A good servant of Christ
          ◦Fragrance of Christ

What must we do to exude the fragrance of Christ?
     •Put Jesus Christ first and center in your life
     •You just bring love and joy to all those around you

Who can emit the fragrance of Christ?
     •Those who are in Christ
     •“For to me, living means living for Christ, and dying is even better.”
       Philippians‬ ‭1:21‬ ‭NLT‬
     •Those who know Christ and witness of Him wherever they go
          ◦Spreading the gospel of God's ultimate love demonstrated through
           Jesus Christ
          ◦Gospel is the fragrance of Christ
     ◾“For John the Baptist came and showed you the right way to live, but you
        didn’t believe him, while tax collectors and prostitutes did. And even when
        you saw this happening, you refused to believe him and repent of your
         sins.” Matthew‬ ‭21:32‬ ‭NLT‬‬
     ◾“For Jesus is the one referred to in the Scriptures, where it says,
        ‘The stone that you builders rejected has now become the
         cornerstone.’”  ‭‭Acts of the Apostles‬ ‭4:11‬ ‭NLT‬‬

          ◦The good deeds of the Saints exude the Christ-like fragrance
          ◦the fragrance of Christ is pure and simple
          ◦“You see, we are not like the many hucksters who preach for personal
            profit. We preach the word of God with sincerity and with Christ’s
            authority, knowing that God is watching us.” 2 Corinthians‬ ‭2:17‬ ‭NLT‬‬


Application
     •Saints, are you demonstrating love with all those around you to exude the
       fragrance of Christ?
     •Are you focusing on chasing worldly wealth, knowledge and fame/status
       instead of boasting about Christ Jesus?
     •Are you pursuing your own gain rather than the joy and happiness of those
       around you?
     •Let's make commitment today to spread the gospel and exude the
      fragrance of Christ
      •Let’s commit to becoming the lovely aroma that lifts others up and cares
        more about others joy and happiness above our own.

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TCCK, San Gabriel, CA, United States