Aroma makes the difference!
Live a life filled with love, following the example of Christ. He loved us and offered himself as a sacrifice for us, a pleasing aroma to God.
Ephesians 5:2 (NLT)
Cutty Sark is the only survivor of the great British tea clipper ships. She was launched in 1869 and is now, after restoration, on display at Greenwich. No one who goes aboard her can remain unaware of the many tons of tea that she carried across the world from China. Tea is in the very air, and every plank of her decks is steeped in its lingering fragrance. Isn’t it interesting that you can identify the purpose of this vessel: the reason for its being and the special design behind its creation, just by the aroma it gives off?
Just as the aroma of tea reveals Cutty Sark’s identity and purpose, so we mere mortals, who profess the Saviour of the world, are drenched with His beautiful and exquisite perfume revealing our identity and purpose. Paul reveals this amazing blessing from the Spirit of God in 2 Corinthians 2:15 (NIV), he writes, ‘For we are to God the pleasing aroma of Christ among those who are being saved and those who are perishing.’ This reveals to those whom we encounter, just who we are – brothers and sisters of Jesus Christ!
We know very well that fragrance rubs off on others. When my grandson was small his mother would tell him, ‘you smell of your grandfather’s aftershave’. And why was this? It was usually because we were crawling around the floor together or sitting together reading his favourite stories. I believe that the secret behind the perfume of Jesus is that the closer we get to him, the more of it rubs off on us!
Just like the fragrance of tea that Cutty Sark carried was a sign of who she was, so our fragrance of Christ is a sign that we carry revealing the very purpose, reason, and design behind our creation.
Prayer
Thank you for your amazing fragrance Lord, it marks us as your own. Amen
Study by Cliff Neill
About the writer:
Cliff Neill is a Minister in Grace Communion International Hemel Hempstead, where he is on the Leadership Team.
Local congregation:
GCI Hemel Hempstead
Adeyfield Free Church Centre
Maylands Avenue
Hemel Hempstead
HP2 4GZ
Meeting time:
Sunday 10:30am
Local congregational contact:
Shirley McLean
Email: hemel@gracecom.church
Hemel Hempstead are also on Zoom, please email congregational contact to get the link.
Word of Life contact:
wordoflife@gracecom.church