1. On the one hand, the apostles were captives; on the other hand, they were those bearing incense, the fragrance of Christ.
B. The transcendent power of Christ's resurrection in us enables us to endure the sufferings that others cannot bear and to live a life that others cannot live, thereby manifesting the fragrance of Christ-- 2 Cor. 1:9; 2:14-15; Phil. 3:10
"9 1Indeed we ourselves had the 2response of adeath in ourselves, that we should bnot base our cconfidence on ourselves but don 3God, who eraises the dead;
14 But athanks be to God, who always 1leads 2us in btriumph in 3the Christ and manifests the 4csavor of the dknowledge of Him through 5us in every place.
15 For we 1are a afragrance of Christ to God in those who are being bsaved and in those who are cperishing:
Phil. 3:10 To 1aknow Him and the 2bpower of His resurrection and the 3cfellowship of His sufferings, being 4dconformed to His death,"
1. Through the power of His resurrection, Christ leads us in joyful triumph and manifests the savor of the knowledge of Him through us.
2. If in our daily living we are enjoying Christ, depend on Christ, fellowship with Christ, and are filled with Christ, others will sense the fragrance of Christ in us; this fragrance is Christ living Himself out from us--1:21a "21 For to me, to 1alive is Christ and to die is 2gain."
C. The excellent knowledge of Christ is a fragrance, an aroma--3:8; 2 Cor. 2:14 "8 1But moreover I 2also count aall things to be loss on account of the 3excellency of the bknowledge of Christ Jesus my Lord, 4on account of whom I have suffered the loss of all things and count them as 5refuse that I may 6cgain Christ"
1. We who have been brought into Christ's triumphal procession speak to others the excellent knowledge of Christ--v 14
2. As the Lord leads us in triumph, we speak to others about Christ, and what we say concerning Him is a sweet-smelling savor -- 4:5 ; 2:14-15 "5 1For we do not apreach ourselves but Christ Jesus as 2bLord, and ourselves as your 3cslaves for Jesus' sake."
a. Whenever we speak Christ, this speaking is the spreading of the fragrance of Christ-- Acts 8:4-5; 17:18 "4 Those therefore who were scattered went throughout the land 1aannouncing the word as the gospel.
5 And 1Philip 2went down to the city of aSamaria and proclaimed the Christ to them. 17:18 And some of the 1Epicurean and 2Stoic philosophers also confronted him. And some said, What would this 3babbler wish to say? And others, He seems to be an announcer of foreign 4deities -- because he was aannouncing Jesus and the bresurrection as the gospel."
b. As we speak Christ to others, in our speaking, the fragrance of Christ ascends to God for His enjoyment--2 Cor. 2:15
D.The apostles were a frangrace of Christ to God because they were saturated and permeated by Christ and with Christ -- Eph. 3:17a; S.S. 3:6
1. When they spoke of Christ to others, the Christ with whom they were constituted spread Himself out from their being and became a sweet fragrance to God for His enjoyment -- 2 Cor. 4:5; 2:15
2. Whenever they went, God could manifest through them the fragrance of Christ -- vv 14-15
3. This should be our experience today; while we are speaking of Christ, He should come forth as a sweet fragrance--4:5
4. Bearing incense involves the divine dispensing--2:14b-16; 13:14:
a. Through the divine dispensing of the Divine Trinity, we can mature in life and triumph in our ministry--Eph. 4:13, 15-16; 2 Cor. 2:14
b. We should allow Christ to spread through us His sweet fragrance to God for His enjoyment--v.15
c. The spreading of incense takes place through the divine dispensing of the Divine Trinity into our being--Eph. 3:16-19
Prayer: Lord, I just love You! Lord, I just want to be one smelling of your sweet fragrance. Lord, make me one who eats of You daily moment by moment, so that I have the essence of Your fragrance radiating out of me. Lord, I want to became a sweet fragrance for Your enjoyment! Lord, I love You! Make me one who has the sweet fragrance radiating out, for Your enjoyment and for others to enjoy! Oh Lord Jesus, I just love You!
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