Ephesians 5:1-2
King James Version (KJV)
5 Be ye therefore followers of God, as dear children;
2 And walk in love, as Christ also hath loved us, and hath given himself for us an offering and a sacrifice to God for a sweetsmelling savour.
What Does It Smell Like?
Have you ever been sitting outside and caught the smell of somebody 'queing'? That wonderful scent of someone cooking ribs or steak on a grill is unmistakable. Even if you're not hungry,...ok, even if I'M not hungry, I find my mouth watering a little when that wonderful scent hits my nose from some unseen grill.
Same thing happens with anything that smells good when its cooking. From french fries to baking bread, certain smells can just make your mouth water as soon as you happen across them. Some realtors encourage home sellers to bake cinnamon rolls or chocolate chip cookies or to burn vanilla candles before showing a house because the pleasant smell encourages buyers to feel 'at home' in the property.
Smell is powerful. Like sight, touch and hearing, triggering a certain smell can transport us from one place to another, even if its just momentarily.
As I was enjoying the smell of my neighbor's grill, the Holy Spirit brought me to the verse above. I got to thinking about what I must 'smell like' to God. Am I a sweetsmelling savour, or does He turn up His nose at my living sacrifice?
Before Christ, sacrifices to God were usually burned. When you pull through Leviticus and Deuteronomy, and look at what what to be offered, you'd see that what we would call 'choice cuts' of meat were burned in sacrifice. This would produce a wonderful smell, if done properly.
Something else happens when you burn things...they become completely different. Most of us wouldn't even thing about eating raw meat, but as soon as its cooked, it becomes something ready for consumption. If you burn something up completely it goes from being a solid object to a vapor that fills the air. It becomes something completely different that what it started.
We are called to present our bodies as living sacrifices. God does not call us to burn ourselves. He also doesn't want us consumed by the fires of the world. When we do, we become different, and not in a good way. He wants us to be a sweet smell in His nose...choice cuts, separated from everything that's not of Him.
Its a daily choice that we accomplish when we lay down our will. When we get up saying and walking in "Today, Lord, I choose Your will over my own" we send up a sweet smell. Our sacrifice is received and smells good. And we become different in a good way. We become what is useful to our Lord...we become what He wants.
And that smells good.
As the song says, 'Is your all on the altar of sacrifice laid? Your heart, does the Spirit control? You can only be blessed, and have peace and sweet rest as you yield Him your body and soul.'
Romans 12:1-2
King James Version (KJV)
12 I beseech you therefore, brethren, by the mercies of God, that ye present your bodies a living sacrifice, holy, acceptable unto God, which is your reasonable service.
2 And be not conformed to this world: but be ye transformed by the renewing of your mind, that ye may prove what is that good, and acceptable, and perfect, will of God.
Be sweet-smelling today.
Lifeline is produced from the Evangelistic Ministry of Fellowship Church in Jonesboro, GA. You are encouraged to share this message. The Fellowship Church website (www.fcchosengeneration.com) includes a link to the Lifeline Blog (www.lifelineatfellowship.blogspot.com) where you can find previous messages.
Evangelist Robinson also posts her entries on Facebook and Twitter. To subscribe to the mailing, or for questions and comments, tweet (@evangeliststeff) or send email to fellowship_lifeline@yahoo.com. Fellowship Church can be reached at chosen.gen@att.net.
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