The Aroma of Christ

In this episode, we dive into the biblical idea of carrying the “aroma of Christ” and what that looks like in our everyday lives. Through scripture, conversation, and reflection, we talk about how our relationship with Jesus should naturally shape the way we love, serve, speak, and live. Just like a fragrance lingers wherever it goes, our lives should leave behind evidence of Christ in the places and people we encounter. We also explore the things that strengthen or weaken that aroma, the example Jesus gave us through His sacrifice, and why living as a pleasing fragrance to God matters so deeply in our walk of faith.

Transcript

SPEAKER_03 0:00

Welcome to At the Table, a podcast from Quest Fellowship Church. In each episode, we explore how faith intersects with real life, how we navigate culture, community, and personal growth as followers of Jesus. These are just conversations, not conclusions, and space to simply think deeply, listen well, and walk in this journey together. We hope you enjoy today's show.

SPEAKER_04 0:21

Alright, hey, I'm CJ, and I'm here with Micah today, and we're going to be talking a little bit about the aroma of Christ and what does that look like and how do we represent that in our everyday lives? You know, we talked about a scripture, you know, a few weeks ago, just kind of, you know, thinking about we see the analogy of what a believer's aroma should be. We know that, and we talk about that a lot in scripture. We talk about in sermons, you know, but today um we know that's something we should intentionally put on, right? But at the same time, it flows from our faithfulness and um relationship with God. So, Michael, let me ask you something. So, like that, when I think about that aroma, I feel like it's it's like that fragrance that, you know, when it goes into a room, it doesn't, it's not necessarily something that you can honestly see, but you just can you can just feel it, you know what I mean? Um, but at the same time, you know, trash has an aroma like like perfume of cologne does too as well. But uh, you know, we want to definitely not be that. So let me ask you, what effort is required on our part, kind of to ensure, you know, the aroma that we're trying to represent as we go into the world and doing different things outside the church?

SPEAKER_00 1:26

Um I mean, the immediate thing that came to my mind is like at the start of the verse, it kind of mentions how um like he leads us in procession as captives and uh the the concept that that's like a voluntary, um, unconditional surrender um and a recognition of his supreme authority. Um and then from that he uses the aroma that spread of the knowledge of him, uh I think us abiding in him. Um just has we uh it uh a scent proceeds uh from the knowledge of him and uh the I think in the worldly sense, like you're talking about, there's uh a scent going before them. And I was looking up uh just because I was interested in it, um what like how smell works and stuff like that. And apparently there's like 400 specialized receptors that essentially make up all of the different there's combinations of them that make up all the different smells that you can smell in the world. Yeah. And um the I think the the hard part are the not the hard part, but the part that is God going before you is uh there's uh word, I guess, Yahweh uh makadeshkem, which is the Lord who sanctifies you. And that's essentially what I at least view as like the scent going before you. I think um fragrances on that same note kind of um different there's like different notes in a fragrance of you know that your brain processes at different times just because of how it like exposed to the air. And uh I think the understanding as a knowledge of God grows and uh as those notes um you know, your understanding changes, so therefore your aroma changes over time. And um we might not like understand the whole scent immediately. You walk into a room and you're like, huh, what is that? What is that? Right. I'm not sure, and then it takes a while because you know you never know what it is, but I think it just like points to the fact that sanctification sanctification does take time.

SPEAKER_04 3:34

Yeah, I was thinking about that, you know, just the other day I was making some coffee at home and it it it does the aroma and it's different. And you I think you said 440, 440 receptors of that. That's interesting. So let's let's think about what you something you said was really good. Second Corinthians 2, 14, 16. It says, 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. One a fragrance from death to death, to the other a fragrance from life to life. Who is sufficient for these things? So, you know, he's I you you I heard you say, you referenced um, you know, that Christ leads us in this. So it's like the victory is already, already won. And it's like we we're part of this bigger thing, this grandiose thing. And if if we remember that when we go in, um, you know, I think it's important for us to carry the aroma of Christ. Um, because you guess what it's not just for us, it's for other people as well. So how do we assess that aroma? Like how do I guess how do we assess the aroma we're putting off to other people uh as we go through, like, you know, for our and like for you when you're with your family or with uh you know in in church, what you do here, you do quite a few different things. Um how do you how do you how do you assess that that aroma?

SPEAKER_00 4:50

Um and uh reading that part uh kind of just made me think of one of my favorite verses, which is 2 Corinthians 10, 3 through 5. For though we walk in the flesh, we are not waging war according to the flesh, for the weapons of our warfare are not of flesh, but have divine power to destroy strongholds. We destroy arguments and every loft and lofty opinion raised against the knowledge of God, and take captive or and take every thought captive to obey Christ. I think um I think the gospel calls us to be very introspective people, but uh not in like the worldly sense of what that means, because in the worldly sense there's like a lot of well, what's my truth? What is uh what do I I feel about this? What do I want out of life, blah blah blah blah blah. Um I think instead it um it asks us like who am I in relation to Christ um and who uh and who he's calling me to be. Um like when you hold that mirror up, where do you stack against the knowledge of Christ? Um, you know, the aroma that referencing that knowledge of Christ. Um and I it just made me think in some senses, I don't think we really truly know ourselves until we know God. Sure. Because you know, it's we know our flesh, that comes real easy. That's like that yoke feels light and like just easy to just lean into. But um who we're called to be, uh that that just requires you to truly have an understanding of where we fall short and um no punches pulled, like no bars held, uh, you know, and the what Jesus says, you've heard it said blank, but I say like those preconceived notions of strongholds in your mind that are like the you know, for me, I know it's uh a lot of pessimism and stuff like that, like a lack of hope and stuff. Like, am I willing to address those in order to be to then be able to have a different aroma that, like you said, is not only for me, like sure, is that beneficial to me and my yes, but uh it can, you know, it's beneficial to the others as well.

SPEAKER_04 6:52

Yeah, I like like that's good. The thing about the honesty about you said that the pessimistic, but it's think about I I too can kind of relate to that some. So many like those sensed aromas is interesting because um, you know, they have different things that blend together. And so it's interesting to create, you know, it's not just it's not just one area, it's a whole lot of different things that are coming together for this room, like love and repentance, prayer, witness, all these things. So I guess, you know, with that, um, if our Roma is strong enough, it's gonna be left in places that that we've been. Yeah, of course, there's some negative things maybe that we do, but it's not all, but there are good things, you know, that um you see people smell it long before they see us. I think it's like, you know, so when we leave an area, when you leave a place or when you come into a space, the environment can change due to us being those atmosphere changers. Um so just curious about that. What things do we consume, do you think, as people, that that I guess can cause our own Roma to change? I know you mentioned that we can be pessimistic or you know, I can be kind of um, you know, impatient at times. So what things or even what things do I consume that that may cause me to change or can be fleeting? Like those things that can that don't don't really bring, I guess bring, I don't want to say bring importance to God, but they do, they do kind of cause uh uh I don't want to say a shadow over it, but it's like, you know, am I am I walking those spaces with the mindset that hey, you know what? I represent Christ, I'm representing this aroma all times, or is it there's sometimes I don't represent those things.

SPEAKER_00 8:26

I know I said a lot there. Sorry. No, you're good. Um so I know when I was reading some of the questions on the consumption part, um, it kind of like you're saying, kind of like remain me reminded me of like garlic or something, you know. Yeah, yeah. Garlic in and of itself isn't a bad thing. Yeah, you know, it's great. It's good for colds, it's got it's got its purposes. Um but if you eat too much of it, even a good thing, you know, or seemingly good thing, not harmless thing, let's say, um, can be the thing that precedes you because you know, all of a sudden you start talking to someone, they're like, ooh, okay, uh, what was that? Like, uh just uh that and then similarly, like I know for like for me personally, um like consistency in um coming to the altar and surrendering. Um just like brutal honesty at the altar. Um I'm not always necessarily consistent with that and like like an antibiotic regiment, you know, they like finish this antibiotic regiment all the way, or it's gonna come back. And that's like that's the my immediate like thought. It's like no wonder this thing keeps coming back because like I'm not I'm not remaining faithful. Like you you uh you think of fragrances and um and aromas, and uh again, I look like I said, I was looking them up, and they're they smell different on different people and to different people based on different things like body chemistry, like unique set sweat profiles, skin PhD, diet, whatever. Right. Um and like unlike God uh whose aroma we're supposed to be taking on, he's he's he's consistent, he's steadfast and faithful. Um and it just made me think of uh the Bible verse because Melody's you know in kids' quests. So she she her Bible verse last month was Hebrews 13:8, which is Jesus Christ is the same yesterday, today, and forever. Um so it's yeah, like you're saying, like if I if I can't, if I'm inconsistent in those things, and I can I can what what should I expect but that aroma of death to come back over and over again?

SPEAKER_04 10:46

Yeah, I can I can definitely attest to that too. Like, you know, it's like sometimes if if you know if I'm consuming too much of a thing, if I'm I'm not like I know when like I should be reading my word more or praying more, like those rhythms, I know those things did do impact my the way I come off at times. So, you know, even he says when he's talking, Paul, he says, For we are the for we are the aroma of Christ to God, not for us, but to God among those who are being saved. So it's like two different groups of people are watching what we do. I think in that day, it was interesting that it was a parade, and the general would come back and maybe five, if it was five thousand soldiers or more, and they were victorious, they would throw a parade for him, and then they would have this incense that was behind them. And I guess that part of the scripture was talking about like those that um were victorious, given life and victory, but then those that were captured, they were going to be come, they were pretty much gonna be in the dead. So it was like that fragrance smelled different to whoever was smelling, like you said. But I think it's it's interesting though, um, something you you mentioned earlier about um too much of a good thing is not good. Like, so do you think that um, for instance, if we if we do consume too much of, I don't know, TV or we consume too much, like what's the balance, I think. What's the balance of is there balance of us we can do certain things and perhaps um it not impact our aroma? Or is is there is there too much something that could you know when you feel in a certain way, like man, I know I'm I need to get back at my word, or I know I'm I'm doing more of this, need to pray more, like you said. Do you feel that, or is it something that you you you can able to recognize, or no?

SPEAKER_00 12:24

Yeah, I mean, there's definitely times where like say it's entertainment or whatever, where you're kind of like you're you're watching, like for me, I'm watching something, I'm like, hmm. I'm noticing I'm just like distracting myself right now. Like that's all this this is right now. I'm not really like there's nothing necessarily inherently wrong with the thing I'm watching. Like, right, I've that the a series, Darth Maul, Dark Lord, came out, and I like watched the whole thing as it was coming out. Um there's nothing inherently wrong with that, but I found myself like uh well today I gave two hours to that and I gave maybe maybe ten minutes of prayer to God. Um so it's not necessarily inherently wrong, right? And then like like you're saying, there's like so what like I've been tr on upward and to the right trajectory on pay on the patient scale, which is something I struggle with. But like today, after all that, not really great at that. Is there a connection here somewhere? Um so yeah, I mean, I think even in like not um, this like too much of a good thing, but even in like troubled times too, it makes me think uh think of like you know, you're sick and the trash stinks, but you can't smell that. Yeah, um but that doesn't change like the obedience of taking out the trash, cleaning up your space. Yeah, um that's like if you like model that in our our walk with God, like the obedience of that uh modeled faithfulness to a faithful God uh just strength strengthens our our aroma and deepens our relationship with him because um because he loves us that much, you know.

SPEAKER_04 14:17

Yeah, yeah, I I was I was thinking about that, like you said, the he says be Ephesians 2, I mean sweet Ephesians 5 says, be imitators of God as beloved children and walk in love as Christ loved us and gave himself for us as a fragrant offering and sacrifice. So it's like he's the example for us, you know, and like you're saying, he's the example, he's done this, he's done it, he's been doing it, and it's like, are we modeling that fragrance that Christ Himself gave? You know, and it's like I'm I'm I I'll try to be more cognitive of it, but I'm not always, I'm not always doing it. And you know, sometimes I do smell like trash probably, honestly, you know, and and you know, I I'm thank God that I can, at least I'm starting to recognize it sometimes when I do, and try to have to pivot my posture, pivot certain things that I'm okay, I'm doing more of this and not this. And it's just, you know, I think that's the thing. It's like uh is my aroma strong enough? Because aroma's not for me. It's really for others, you know. It's like that's the thing I think I forget sometimes that yeah, I put cologne on or maybe every now and again. If I do decide that my wife wants me to put some on, I put it on. It's like that. And it's like, you know, and then you tell, but you about you talk about your little girl who's precious, you know, she's watching, you know, is uh is she see the aroma that you're putting off? Do I does my daughter see the aroma I put off? You know, those things.

SPEAKER_00 15:30

So um, yeah, it's it's uh funny, like I say funny, it's not funny, haha, it's like funny, like uh, but like you know, you the aroma I put off, uh, you know, at times can be an impatient aroma, and then then you see your daughter like struggling with patience, and you're like, dang.

SPEAKER_04 15:52

Uh yeah, it can get us, man, sometimes. Yeah, yeah. I know. I mean, like they said, but it's interesting. He he commands us to walk in love, and like that walking in love is like sometimes that means, okay, I'm gonna go back. My Roma is I'm gonna, like we said, walk in repentance to God, or my Romans, I'm gonna ask for forgiveness, or I'm gonna, you know, whatever that looks like, pray more or love more, you know, those things, as long as we're continuously moving in a direction. I feel like I think that God is still able to see, He's able to, you know, He's able to see that spirit working in us through different situations that we don't always get it right. Yeah, but if we continue to go back and say, you know what, I'm working, God, I see this is where I am. I'm trying to model the model what you gave us to model and let me be that, and we always see that as the end result. I think God is always glorified in that.

SPEAKER_00 16:43

Yeah, and that's and that's that's exactly where like the obedience part like comes in, exactly like you're saying, because like I don't know. It's easy to just I think everybody probably relates to this in some way, where it's easy to just kind of sometimes I'm tired today, so I'm I'm gonna blend my aroma into the others of those around me. Right, right.

SPEAKER_04 17:07

Um I don't want to I don't want to, yeah, yeah.

SPEAKER_00 17:10

But at the same time, like it just made me think like God doesn't call us to fake it till we make it. Um but he does call us to community, um, he does call us to knowing him better, and at times that can kind of look like faking it till you make it, because again, you don't know what you don't know, right? Um if you're not in you know, if I'm not being faithful in my relationship with him, I don't know who he is, then my aroma might be slightly off. Um but eventually obedience and that uh I w I guess I would say sacrifice or like obedience could cost something sometimes. And uh sometimes we just like our stink.

SPEAKER_04 17:58

Yeah, yeah. Cause it costs us to get out, you know. It's it it takes it's intentionality to be able to say, I want to be different. I don't, you know, it's easier to say, you know what, I'll just stay to myself. But God is like he's truly always called us to be imitators of him, though. And that means that, you know, that if I think about that aroma that he does, he he he changed 12 him and 12 men turned the world upside down because of the way they their aroma was. You know, over time it's like God, that's the example and allow me to raise the standards, the standard, I guess, sometimes, and I don't always get it, but I'm asking God always help me to recognize and help me to be more, help faithfulness to flow from me more as I continue to build my relationship with you.

SPEAKER_00 18:40

Yeah. Yeah, made me think of uh I think it's Alec actually on Divo one time. Um the whole like four is it's first Corinthians four, four, for I am not aware of anything against myself, but I am not thereby acquitted. Um and just like the nose blind you can get to something coming home and from being away, and then you're like, huh. What's that? What is that? Oh wait, I have cats, that's what that is. And I'm just so I'm so used to that scent that I'm not even recognizing that you yeah, like where God is very obviously saying the same thing over and over to me, and I'm just personally like ignoring. Oh yeah, well, let me move that out the way and I'm gonna keep focusing on this thing that that that is actually causing me to stink, but you know right.

SPEAKER_04 19:34

Yeah, it's like it's like you said, that's so I mean that's really good, man. And it cave, like if I'm out cutting the grass and I come in, I smell like I smell like the environment I'm in. Right. And that environment may not be a bad one, but it's like, man, it's gonna affect, impact everything around me until I get myself clean. And it's like, you know, and I and I have to be intentional about that. Yeah, like, yeah, that's that's good. Yeah. Um, so here's a here's a I guess this is kind of like the last question I wanted to ask you about this. Do you think that do you think it's do you think it's hard for us to um, you know, like how much of character is in our aroma? Like, do you think character is in there? Like, is that is it hard for us to change that? We deal with the aroma, like I can make myself smell better, but if I don't deal with what's underneath that, like kind of like what you were talking about, you know, do we just push it aside? Do you think it's hard for us to get to that point to really see that? Or how how do you, you know, to deal with the fact that okay, my aroma may be a little off, my you know, my pH may be a little bit off, whatever that looks like.

SPEAKER_00 20:37

Um I think I mean, like I said, I think sanctification is a process. I think um I think it's hard if you're unwilling to to look at yourself, not in a man, I'm such a horrible person. Because I mean I can go there super fast. I'm I'm right there with uh I'm a horrible person, this is all my fault. But um in a in a like um a loving sense, they're like this is this like the aroma that God wants you to have is a gift. It's like no, like this is this is for your betterment. This is you might not enjoy the process of uh of sanctification. Um it it means uh uh changing what you thought you wanted from life, it means changing who it's comfortable to be, um to be someone who models who he is. Um and yeah, I mean I don't know, it's a lifelong process. I don't think any of it's complete. Um I mean until until until you're gone. Yeah, yeah. It's a struggle.

SPEAKER_04 22:01

I think it's intentional. Yeah, the intentionality of it is like you said, it's like always recognizing like a daily, it's like a daily thing that we have to do. I don't just, I don't just, you know, I don't check my Roma every once in a month. I I try to check and see every day what am I giving off in a room or what am I giving off to my children? Like you said, what am I giving off to my wife? You know, what am I giving off to my church family? You know, and you know, like I said, all those things, I think it's inclusive. So yeah, the intentionality of it, you're right. Yeah, absolutely.