Ministers - Aroma of Christ sent from God

Ministers – Aroma of Christ sent from God. 2 Corinthians 2: V. 12-17.

A flower may not give two different smells. There are flowers that give good smell and there are some that give bad smell. Logically it is impossible. But in the human being it is possible only when we use perfumes of different kinds. Morning I can smell differently and evening I can differently by using different deodorant or perfume. Paul is not encouraging the ministers to lead a two different life style either. Paul is giving a different meaning altogether as to how a minister can be an aroma of Christ by resulting two different smells.

The context is his visit to Troas. When he visited it he saw a good response. However he could not see his brother Titus and he was not sure why. Instead of spending time in the absence of Titus he left the place. Probably he did not want to do things alone or he would have thought of giving the people to some responsible leader for nurture. We do not know the reason. Paul never wanted to leave his targeted areas of church multiplication without local leaders.

He was not discouraged. Many times we do get discouraged if things are not going well in our church multiplication. We may think that God is not doing any thing in my ministry. Don’t be disgusted. Paul says if you miss in one place it is not the end. God still works wonders in our ministry. After understanding the context now we come for the meaning of the words or the concepts Paul used.

MASTER – Leads us.

“God leads us”. Where ever we want to go we need to follow God rather than asking Him to come there or even ask for His presence. Remember how Moses behaved in the Golden calf incident as recorded in the book of Exodus 32 and 33 chapters. People of Israel were asking for a god to lead them in the absence of Moses. The people said to Aaron: “They said to me ‘Make us gods who will go before us. As for this fellow Moses who brought us up out of Egypt, we do not know what has happened to him” Exodus 32:23. In our ministry either God will lead us or Satan will lead us. God only told Moses, “Now go, lead the people to the place I spoke of and my angel will go before you” 32:34. Moses said to the Lord, “You have been telling me, “Lead these people, but you have not let me know whom you will send with me” 33: 12. The Lord replied, “My presence will go with you” 33:14. This is the way God leads us in our lives also. Isaiah also gives us a promise. “Whether you turn to the right or to the left, your ears will hear a voice behind you, saying, “This is the way walk in it” 30:31. When God leads us He sends His angel to guide us, His presence is with us and the Holy Spirit guides us. In our ministry the triumphal procession will be like this. If you want to experience this leading ask God to guide you.

Another important person in this aroma procession is Jesus Christ. The ministers do not have the aroma, it is a borrowed one. In our ministry we can not do anything of our own, we can reflect only Jesus. The aroma in our ministry belongs to Jesus. Why it is so? The same Paul gives the answer in Galatians 2:20 “I have been crucified with Christ and I no longer live, but Christ lives in me. The life I live in the body, I live by faith in the Son of God, who loved me and gave himself for me”.

The fragrance is the knowledge of God, embodied in the word of God. Some ministers may think that heart is important in Christianity than mind. We can not make that statement. Mind is equally important. Even Jesus said---------. We need to spread the knowledge of God. This knowledge is very important according to the bible. John says, “This is eternal life: that they may know you, the only true God” John 17:3. The knowledge of God is important for salvation and eternal life. As we spread the knowledge of God through the word and in Jesus Christ two things happen. Some people are going to die and some people are going to live. Jesus said, “I told you that you would die in your sin: if you do not believe that I am the one I claim to be you will die in your sins” John 8:24. Jesus said, “He/she who believes in me will live, even though he/she dies and whoever lives and believes in me will never die” John 11: 25, 26.

In the Roman Empire during Paul’s time after won a battle the soldiers held a procession to inform the subjects that they have won the battle and in the procession they used perfumes also. The procession was the mark of victory or life for the subjects but for the enemy the procession was death. In the same way when we spread the knowledge of God, some people will be saved and many will be destined for death.

MINISTRY

In our ministry the word of God is the tool for spreading the knowledge of God. Many a time the ministers tend to use the word of God for their own profit. We need remember the fact that all ministers are sent by God with the aroma of Jesus Christ. What ever we get out of our ministry the profit should go to Him who sent us. Jesus did that in His ministry. Even today all ministers should work for the profit of God. We need to loose every thing for God.

By,
Mr. Sweeharan