Today we start the book of 2 Corinthians. Verse 15 stood out to me, For we are to God the pleasing aroma of Christ among those who are being saved and those who are perishing. What a great description of what we are supposed to be, an aroma to both the saved and unsaved. To the saved we to be a sweet aroma of like-mindedness and encouragement in the body of Christ. And to those who choose to reject Christ we will probably smell foul. Too often we try to make ourselves more appealing to the unsaved. It is not our job to make ourselves into anything more than what Christ has done to us and for us. We are simply to point people to Christ and be a reflection of Him; that is all. It is up to them to accept or reject His saving grace.
2013 Day 229 – 2 Corinthians 1-3, Psalm 112
17 Saturday Aug 2013
Posted in Daily Reading
Daily Devotion 
That has been my life verse since I was a teen. I love verse 14 as well,
” But thanks be to God, who always leads us as captives in Christ’s triumphal procession and uses us to spread the aroma of the knowledge of him everywhere.”
He leads us in victory. And the aroma thing is so important. I think I’ve commented here before about the power of the fragrance of Christ vs. the power of brow beating. God brings people to him through kindness. Why should we be any different? We simply emit the kindness and love of God, and it will draw those who like that fragrance. When you have walked with the Lord for a long time in his grace and forgiveness, you forget what it feels like to walk in shame and judgement. But that’s exactly where most people are – lost in shame and judgement. Grace, love and the freedom that exists in Jesus are sooooo appealing and are a sweet, sweet fragrance when all you know is shame and judgement. When that fragrance exudes from our pores, we don’t even have to start conversations. They come to us.
One more verse.
3:17-18
17 Now the Lord is the Spirit, and where the Spirit of the Lord is, there is freedom. 18 And all of us, with unveiled faces, seeing the glory of the Lord as though reflected in a mirror, are being transformed into the same image from one degree of glory to another; for this comes from the Lord, the Spirit.
Notice who is doing the transformation. Notice where there is freedom. This has to be a daily reminder to me, Miss Type A. 🙂