How Do You Smell Today? Series

If the stench of sin has not been dealt with in your life then don’t think you can just cover it up by going around and saying you belong to Jesus. Dab a little of His name here and a little there. Bless you brother. I am Christian….I go to church…when the sin in your life is still very evident but just looks a little more religious.

The true power of the fragrance comes when it alone is what is present in your life.

There are some people whom people look at and they say, ‘I hear Jesus but I smell sin’.

And who is adequate for these things?

None of us are adequate to try to live the Christian life.

If we are not the real deal then it will be evident one way or another.

17 For we are not like many, peddling the word of God, but as from sincerity, but as from God, we speak in Christ in the sight of God.

Paul describes those who thought they had they fragrance of Christ because they used God’s Word but the truth was they carried an offensive smell to all of heaven.

a) False teachers peddle God’s Word instead of proclaiming it.

They get into the ministry for different reason than for God’s glory.

It may be for money, or popularity, or success or to gain a following.

Peddling was a word used to describe a street salesman presenting his wares.

They seem to always promise to do for people exactly what they want in their lives.

We see a lot of infomercials in our day as TV has become the new place to peddle your wares. Many so called preachers peddle health and wealth, ‘your best life now’, success, spiritual secrets to the end times…whatever the religious seeker will buy.

Paul said in another place that they TICKLE men’s ears instead of giving them the truth that might confront their condition before God.

In fact the actual word for PEDDLING that Paul chose to use spoke not only of a street vendor but of a CON MAN who sold corrupted wares.

Cheap imitations or knock offs of the real thing.

The most common was those who sold WATERED DOWN WINE.

In our day we now see on every street a peddler selling a watered down gospel.

PAUL said we don’t peddle the gospel by trying to package it to be acceptable but proclaim it just as God has given it. No watering it down so anyone can swallow it.

We are to proclaim a gospel that many might choke on.

Otherwise what we do might be acceptable to men but offensive to God.

JOHN 12: Beautiful story of Jesus and His disciples at the home of Mary.

Lazarus is also sitting at the table after the resurrection experience of John 11.

Starting in verse 3 the chapter describes something amazing that Mary does.

Then Mary took a pound of very costly oil of spikenard, anointed the feet of Jesus, and wiped His feet with her hair. And the house was filled with the fragrance of the oil. John 12:3

Mary did something very costly in what she sacrifice by taking this expensive perfume and anointing Jesus with it. The fragrance filled the house but also was on Jesus.

Then Mary wiped His feet with her hair so that when Mary left the house and everywhere she went she smelled just the same as Jesus.

The world needs us to do the same.