What Fragrance
It was a week. Whirlwind is probably the best word for it. So getting some time to slow down and reflect on what God has been doing has been difficult to say the least. Typically without much effort I know what the blog is going to be about. This week was different. I had writer’s block especially with the busyness. But I have had three verses that have been speaking to me and I have been meditating on them this week usually while I’m driving to and from work.
Ephesians 5:1-2
1 Therefore be imitators of God, as beloved children. 2 And walk in love, as Christ loved us and gave himself up for us, a fragrant offering and sacrifice to God.
Ephesians 5:25-27
25 Husbands, love your wives, as Christ loved the church and gave himself up for her, 26 that he might sanctify her, having cleansed her by the washing of water with the word, 27 so that he might present the church to himself in splendor, without spot or wrinkle or any such thing, that she might be holy and without blemish.
Luke 11:13
13 “If you then, who are evil, know how to give good gifts to your children, how much more will the heavenly Father give the Holy Spirit to those who ask him!”
We are in the middle of what I would consider a transformative series at Corner Bible Church called Unity. Striving for unity is a good thing. But without a personal unity with Christ in us first, all the parts of His body will not be moving in one direction. We must start with unity that occurs in the individual first. This starts with belief in the power of the cross for salvation and that leads us to unity with Him as beloved children, in order to be imitators of Him.
The reason those scriptures have been resonating this week is that the Holy Spirit caused me to ask some questions. 1. What is an imitator of God, and am I doing this? 2. How do I walk in love? 3. Why is Christ giving himself up for us directly attached to sanctifying us? 4. How much have I been asking for the Holy Spirit?
First thing’s first, imitating God is impossible. I think that is a given and purposeful. However, Paul is still commanding us to do this in Ephesians 5:1. The crazy part is Paul quickly explains how to imitate Him in the very next verse. Imitation comes by walking in love as Christ did (another impossible feat). The purest form of imitation can only be Him living through us. This is the sacrifice that is in front of each and every one of us. Do we allow Him to live through us or not? This is the fragrant offering that He desires. Imitating God will only come out of allowing Christ to be the author and finisher of our faith. Jesus was the only one to carry out what God asked of someone with a human suit – to give Himself up. The only way we can imitate God is to put aside our flesh by asking for more of the Holy Spirit (which He will give to us when we ask!) and that emptying of ourselves will be the point where Christ can powerfully move us, speak through us, animate us, for His purpose.
The idea of walking in love is basically the same idea of sacrifice. We cannot love without putting to death the fleshly desires in us. The sacrificial system is not abolished, it’s different. The most holy place in the old covenant was for only a select few and some did not come out alive after entering. The cross ripped that veil and allowed us access into that place. I don’t think we live in the weightiness of the seriousness of this most holy place. Do we really think God’s attitude toward it changed because He ripped the veil? I don’t think so, but I think we treat it with the same disrespect and unbelief the Israelites did.
Every time we have the flesh creep up, that is a chance for us to empty ourselves and allow Christ to work. This is the sacrifice, to put that old man to death. Christ is waiting in the most holy place to take that sacrifice from us, this is the fragrance He desires. The beautiful fragrance is the old nature dying. This all happens in our hearts, which is the source of our fleshly desires (Proverbs 4:34, Mark 7:21-23).
The power of Christ emptying Himself shows us that as people stuck with these human suits, it is possible to empty ourselves with the empowerment of Christ in us, His Spirit. This is why it is so important to ask for more of His Holy Spirit, probably every second of the day (1 Thess. 5:17)
When we truly desire and move in this direction for our individual lives, when we see our first instinct moving away from ourselves and to come to Christ and ask Him for more of His Holy Spirit in order to strengthen us to put to death our old nature, this unity that He desires in each individual. The unity of Christ and the saints on and individual level will allow for complete fulfillment of the body of Christ. The move of the individual saint toward Christlikeness will put the body in a position where all the different members with different gifts will be using them the way He sees fit. This will bring about the most beautiful thing ever, that is the church without spot or wrinkle ready for oneness with Christ.
I think this is why those verses have been resonating in me over the last week or so. I desire this move of the Holy Spirit in my life more and in the people around me more. The true calling of the Church is to be under the headship of Christ at every level. Look to your own life in the situation you are in how do you imitate God, walk in love, and empty yourself for His sake? What fragrance are we offering?