June 11, 2002
“You mean to tell me there are people from seven different denominations in your Bible study group? That’s amazing!”
During the late 1970's when we lived in Fort Saskatchewan, I attended a Bible study that began with two people. It grew, evolved and continued for years, and may still be going to this day. One of its more distinctive features was that ladies from several denominations came and felt right at home in this group.
More than one person expressed amazement at our unity. A common perception is that Christians from different churches do not get along — that we argue over faith issues and other things, thus our reason for maintaining various denominations. Sadly, that is sometimes true, but it is not always the case.
The fact of a variety of denominations demonstrates the freedom God gives Christians to express our diversity. We prefer varying worship styles. Some like older hymns; others prefer contemporary music. We practice various modes of baptism, ways of outreach, and so on.
The New Testament church had distinctives too. The church at Corinth was filled with flamboyant Gentile converts. The church in Ephesus was a mixed group of Jews and Gentiles. Cultural differences made each congregation unique.
Whatever the mix, each group believed in the same gospel and were instructed with the basic commandment: love one another. Jesus told His disciples, “As I have loved you, so you must love one another. By this all men will know that you are my disciples, if you love one another.”
The apostle Paul added, “You are called to be free. But do not use your freedom to indulge the sinful nature; rather, serve one another in love.”
Paul gave Christians no excuse to fight and Jesus gave unbelieving people a criteria by which to judge the church. If believers fight among themselves, we become a news item and a nasty taste in peoples’ mouths. Even those outside the church know we ought to love each other.
Unfortunately, when Christian churches show exceptional examples of love, the public rarely hears about it. For instance, last year when my nephew died of cancer, my brother and his wife knew his funeral would draw too many people to fit into their church. A church of another denomination lovingly offered the use of their larger building.
A few weeks ago, an even more remarkable example surfaced. In January, a congregation in Calgary heard of another church of a different denomination that was growing rapidly and trying to raise money to build a larger building. The first group voted unanimously to give $100,000 to the second church.
Together, these people of God demonstrated their love in an expression of tangible support. It didn’t matter to them that the other church had a different style of worship, or varied from them in their statement of faith. Nor did it matter that the other church is growing rapidly, a possible threat to their own size. They sacrificed a huge offering of financial support anyway.
Differences could be a barrier but they do not need to be. Christ not only tells us to love each other anyway, but we can do it because He lives in us and loves us. Because of His love, we can love each other.
As Paul said, we need to watch out for that old sinful nature. We have the freedom to be different but not the freedom to be greedy, proud, or selfish. Instead, we must find ways in our freedom, to love one another. Jesus makes it clear: if we are not living out our freedom in a genuine love for each other, then the rest of the world has every right to wonder if we belong to Him.
Showing posts with label witness to others. Show all posts
Showing posts with label witness to others. Show all posts
Friday, June 15, 2018
Monday, January 26, 2015
A Sweet Smell ................. Parables 227
(July 25, 1990)
What thoughts come with the smell of warm apple pie... the difficulty of losing ten pounds?... Grandma’s house?... Cheddar cheese and melting ice cream?... Or harvest time and a crew of men around the table?
Odors evoke memories. Some publishers even put them in “scratch and sniff” stories to make scenes more alive for young readers. For example, one child’s book I’ve read has berry pie, pepper, chocolate and automobile exhaust fumes hidden in the ink.
Children are not the only ones treated to scented ink. At least one major food chain uses it in their flyers. It is subtle, fades quickly, but reminds potential customers of how good food tastes and hopefully draws them into the store.
The Bible talks about the allure of a sweet scent too. It is not a splash of cologne or aftershave but a heavenly fragrance, the aroma of Christ. The Apostle Paul put it this way, “Thanks be to God who... through us spreads everywhere the fragrance of the knowledge of Him. For we are to God the aroma of Christ among those who are being saved and those who are perishing. To the one we are the smell of death; to the other, the fragrance of life...” (2 Corinthians 2:14-16).
The origin of this metaphor is found back to the Old Testament where sacrifices for sin were burned on an altar: “And you shall burn the whole ram upon the altar: it is a burnt offering to the LORD: it is a sweet savor, an offering made by fire to the LORD.” Exodus 29:18
Figuratively speaking, the smell of the sacrifice rose to the nostrils of God and gave evidence that a sinner had made the necessary offering, in faith, for the forgiveness his sin. That offering was a shadow of a future offering that would be made by a Savior.
When Jesus came, He became the final and perfect sacrifice. As He died on the cross, His offering rose as a sweet smell to God, setting sinners free from the death penalty. Now, according to the New Testament, those who believe in Christ are bearers of that sweet smell.
Notice that 2 Corinthians 2 says “we are to God the aroma of Christ;” that is, our new life is first for God, for His delight because it gave Him great pleasure to provide it.
Secondly, this aroma “is among those who are being saved... the fragrance of life.” Our Christlikeness is also for the pleasure of those who are Christians. To one another, it is a reminder of the perfect sacrifice of Christ and attracts us to the Savior. It is He who gives each one His sweet fragrance.
Lastly, it is “the smell of death... for those who are perishing.” Perhaps the Bible means that those who do not believe in Christ see His death as defeat. To them, the gospel is nothing but a morbid message. Maybe they think Christians are mere fools, bearing not an attracting odor of life but one that repels. To those who don’t believe, Christians may also be an unwanted reminder of an uncertain eternity.
Just what is this aroma? Is it the niceness of a committed Christian? The loveliness of Jesus? Perhaps; but since this word is used in context with sacrifice, I believe it is the message of the Cross lived out in the lives of those who believe in Him. Because Jesus died for our sins, was buried, and rose again, we die to sin, put our past behind us, and live in newness of life. The death of the old nature demonstrated in practical obedience smells good to God, just as our new life in Christ also pleases Him.
I know -- not all Christians smell right. Sometimes that God-given odor can be masked with the stench of sin. But when confess our sins and take a wash in His Word, He restores the sweet aroma, then uses it to bring the memory of Him to the hearts of those around us.
What thoughts come with the smell of warm apple pie... the difficulty of losing ten pounds?... Grandma’s house?... Cheddar cheese and melting ice cream?... Or harvest time and a crew of men around the table?
Odors evoke memories. Some publishers even put them in “scratch and sniff” stories to make scenes more alive for young readers. For example, one child’s book I’ve read has berry pie, pepper, chocolate and automobile exhaust fumes hidden in the ink.
Children are not the only ones treated to scented ink. At least one major food chain uses it in their flyers. It is subtle, fades quickly, but reminds potential customers of how good food tastes and hopefully draws them into the store.
The Bible talks about the allure of a sweet scent too. It is not a splash of cologne or aftershave but a heavenly fragrance, the aroma of Christ. The Apostle Paul put it this way, “Thanks be to God who... through us spreads everywhere the fragrance of the knowledge of Him. For we are to God the aroma of Christ among those who are being saved and those who are perishing. To the one we are the smell of death; to the other, the fragrance of life...” (2 Corinthians 2:14-16).
The origin of this metaphor is found back to the Old Testament where sacrifices for sin were burned on an altar: “And you shall burn the whole ram upon the altar: it is a burnt offering to the LORD: it is a sweet savor, an offering made by fire to the LORD.” Exodus 29:18
Figuratively speaking, the smell of the sacrifice rose to the nostrils of God and gave evidence that a sinner had made the necessary offering, in faith, for the forgiveness his sin. That offering was a shadow of a future offering that would be made by a Savior.
When Jesus came, He became the final and perfect sacrifice. As He died on the cross, His offering rose as a sweet smell to God, setting sinners free from the death penalty. Now, according to the New Testament, those who believe in Christ are bearers of that sweet smell.
Notice that 2 Corinthians 2 says “we are to God the aroma of Christ;” that is, our new life is first for God, for His delight because it gave Him great pleasure to provide it.
Secondly, this aroma “is among those who are being saved... the fragrance of life.” Our Christlikeness is also for the pleasure of those who are Christians. To one another, it is a reminder of the perfect sacrifice of Christ and attracts us to the Savior. It is He who gives each one His sweet fragrance.
Lastly, it is “the smell of death... for those who are perishing.” Perhaps the Bible means that those who do not believe in Christ see His death as defeat. To them, the gospel is nothing but a morbid message. Maybe they think Christians are mere fools, bearing not an attracting odor of life but one that repels. To those who don’t believe, Christians may also be an unwanted reminder of an uncertain eternity.
Just what is this aroma? Is it the niceness of a committed Christian? The loveliness of Jesus? Perhaps; but since this word is used in context with sacrifice, I believe it is the message of the Cross lived out in the lives of those who believe in Him. Because Jesus died for our sins, was buried, and rose again, we die to sin, put our past behind us, and live in newness of life. The death of the old nature demonstrated in practical obedience smells good to God, just as our new life in Christ also pleases Him.
I know -- not all Christians smell right. Sometimes that God-given odor can be masked with the stench of sin. But when confess our sins and take a wash in His Word, He restores the sweet aroma, then uses it to bring the memory of Him to the hearts of those around us.
Subscribe to:
Posts (Atom)