Triumphant Fragrances (2 Corinthians 2:14-17)

To start today's devotional, consider this passage from 2 Corinthians chapter 2.  Meditate on the meaning of the sensory words like "aroma" and "fragrance".  Ask God to open your hearts and eyes and ears to what He may have for you in the scriptures (which might be completely different than what I needed to hear from Jesus today).

2 CORINTHIANS 2:14-17
"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."

So I wanna talk about 3 cool chunks of this passage:
1. Triumphal procession
2. The fragrance and aroma business
3. Believers as commissioned spokesman of Christ

First, I just want to quickly celebrate how gloriously humbling the that parade image is to me.  The Savior of weak and awful sinners, through His power, transforms us into a new creation that He is proud to display for all the world!  HOW AWESOME IS THIS??? Also, the word TRIUMPHAL is huge because our God is not eventually going to win, HE'S ALREADY WON IT ALL.  We are part of God revealing the glory of Jesus through the Holy Spirit and the VICTORY that is one from the Resurrection and the power of Christ in our lives. It's a celebration with no fear of defeat!

Through this parade of the Lord's power, we spread the "fragrance" of the knowledge of God. 

The word "aroma", found in the next phrase of the passage, reminds me of a passage from the old testiment.  Check this chunk of Numbers out:

Numbers 29:8

"but you shall offer a burnt offering to the LORD, a pleasing aroma: one bull from the herd, one ram, seven male lambs a year old: see that they are without blemish."

I think it significant that the verse from Numbers deals with sacrifice as an aroma to the Lord. In a final and more perfect sense, Christ and His sacrifice on the cross give us the ability to be pleasing to the Lord. The defeat of sin through Jesus and the ritual sacrifice of animals (which God established before Christ paid our debt in full to make a new covenant) are both means that God's people had to come in contact with Him in righteous and clean communion. Through death in Jesus, we find life, much like the sacrifice of animals showed us the severity of sin and God's promise to forgive the repentant.

It's interesting to me how death and life, on either side of Jesus' offer of salvation, both react INCREDIBLY different to the aroma of Christ. Read this part of the Corinthians passage again:  "to one a fragrance from death to death, to the other a fragrance from life to life."

 Perhaps one of the reasons that the enemy, the world, and our flesh react so violently towards Jesus is the fact that death (the state we live in because of sin and before gracious atonement) is so completely defeated by another kind of death (the crucifixion of our old life with Christ). This reaction is the antithesis of the one we, as believers, experience when another person(s) that loves the Lord enters our space. In that moment, both parties are encouraged and grown through fellowship and common devotion and worship of Jesus.  The connection of the Holy Spirit within the believers is a powerfully binding force, the very Spirit of God affirming Himself in another of His Children.  The fragrance and essence of Christ is the most powerful thing in creation (since He created it), so it will always cause a reaction.

This is why we can say we are not "peddlers of God's word" as Paul writes, but we are ambassadors with authority speaking on behalf of a King. The last point of interest in this beautifully dense passage reminds me that we do not carry a light or fruitless burden in the gospel. I'm also saddened and little angered by the reminder that there are in fact those that would use the gospel cheaply, for personal gain, or without truly knowing the power they speak of. I pray that we seek to be genuine in carrying the truth of Jesus, that we would not be like the pharisees in Jesus' day (who profited off God's teachings without having His love in them). In Jesus, we are speaking the Truth of life and life everlasting.  As Paul says, we speak as the Body of Christ Himself, we are called to be the light of the world in that triumphal procession we talked about earlier.

I've rambled too long, so thank anyone for reading, but I hope that you and I would seek this day, this week, and this season to be the sweet aroma of Christ to God and to the world that He loves enough to die for.

Be bold and courageous, YOU'RE NOT A PEDDLER OF USELESS GOODS, you carry the light and word of Jesus' Gospel!

Much Love

- Grady

Repentance

My wife and I have recently become frequent fliers at the Vineyard church in Maryville, TN.

I can say without a doubt that this has been the most spiritually refreshing couple of months we've enjoyed in several years.

Aaron, the preaching pastor at our church, was speaking about repentance this past Sunday as a part of a larger sermon series on prayer.  God has been preparing my heart for over a year to hear what I needed to hear in that lesson.

Pastor Aaron spoke about a huge misunderstanding and dangerous perspective regarding the subject of REPENTANCE.   For so many Christians, even the word "repent" sounds like a punishment.  We know we fall short and because of our failings God is going to make us go through a tiring and painful process of earning our way back into his favor... WRONG, WRONG, WRONG!

The act of repentance is a BEAUTIFUL GIFT OF GRACE!  We are called, nay, invited to embrace our Savior and get right back on the horse, riding in the direction of His will.  We don't have to go through a painful punishment period or retrace steps, we just "fall forward into grace"- as my friend Andrew Soreano (wonderful dude and awesome missionary) would say.  God brings us in an instant to the place we were right before we stumble.   But I had, for a good long time, been living in the lie that I was doing a terrible job and it wasn't worth trying to get back to a place of obedient walking and ministry.

As any of you who have spoken to me recently would know, I've been in a season of doubt.  Not doubting God (His self, love, or provision), but doubting myself.  Without being aware of what I've been doing, I've spent far too long in a rut of self-induced-guilt-trip-earn-my-way-back-to-Spirit-led-holiness-and-all-without-joy religion.

I haven't had a bad year, in fact it's been both financially and relationally blessed, but I've been giving myself a hard time.  My daily times of devotion, prayer, and scriptural study have been negligent at best.  This is a GENUINE PROBLEM that needs to be corrected.  There is a great deal of holy conviction at work in that area of my life.

BUT, instead of running towards God's open arms in repentance and skipping along our merry way, I've been constantly hesitant to push forward for the fear that I have lost the right to walk alongside Him.


THAT IS RIDICULOUS!   I know now that I need to constantly battle the enemy's lies about my current spiritual state.  Though I am definitely responsible to live in obedience (and deal with discipline and consequences should I stray), there is still NOTHING that makes God love me less or want me less!

The creator of the universe didn't come to earth as a man, suffer ultimate punishment, rise in death's defeat, and pour out salvation and His Spirit on me to take it all back after a dry season!  He adopted me and walks in and with me FOR LIFE!

I needed the reminder of that sermon to redirect my focus.  I am looking forward to a revamp of disciplined devotion and study and prayer, hopefully leading to a season of new spiritual heights and discoveries.  I am EXCITED TO REPENT.  What a glorious gift, to turn away from my weakness and TURN TOWARDS THE ARMS OF FORGIVENESS, SONSHIP, AND GROWTH IN JESUS!

I'll be blogging more (almost daily) to keep myself accountable and log any revelations from study time.

Much love and Grace and Peace to you through the Spirit of Jesus Christ!

The Scene: Music, Both Friend and Foe

The music scene is such an interesting beast.

It's a big mesh of bands that either pour their hearts out to, sometimes, empty rooms and bands that get frustrated because they feel the world owes them something.

In the same way, many fans flock to every show they can, regardless of relationship with the artists at a show, just to support the community. While other groups support bands from afar with thoughts and prayers because of an inability or lack of desire to make a personal journey to a concert.

But it's all really wonderful.

Like a big, messed-up family.

Music rocks.

God has a plan and such a massive opportunity to show love, grace, and salvation in the music community.

Pray for me.  Pray that I am an agent of the Holy Spirit's will for the scene in all that I do, that I would not hinder God's will.