Why I Love The Church: Part Five

           

A yelp came from the backyard, and when my brother-in-law went to see what had occurred his white Samoa was running toward him.  Before realizing what had happened his dog jumped into his arms and the cause of the dog’s consternation became evident – she had engaged a skunk.  The odor was nauseating, and now it had been transferred to him. 

            Darrel tied the dog outside and promptly went to the store to buy tomato juice, with its promise to take away the smell.  He rushed through the store, not wanting to linger any longer than he had to, but was met with a long line at the check out counter.  People’s faces began to contort as they tried to figure out where the smell was coming from, and it eventually became evident that the man at the end of the line was its source.  Weighing their desire to get through the line quickly with a greater desire to be relieved of the smell they all moved out of the way to let Darrel buy his tomato juice and exist the store. 

            He carried the dog through the house and into the bathroom where he soaked her with tomato juice.  As her sad eyes met his the common bond of a bad aroma made Darrel smile.  The dog’s white fur and the red tomato mixed to create a pink Samoa, and the new color was a reminder of the horrific experience.

            Dogs are funny creatures; they are repelled by the smell of a skunk but are drawn to, and will roll in, the body of a dead animal.  To me there isn’t much difference in the repelling nature of the smells, but for my little dachshund it is like the sweet fragrance of  honey suckle.  

           

           

The church is described as both a sweet and a repelling fragrance.  When the body of Christ lives out the law of love the aroma of Christ permeates the air.  Everyone sees the knowledge of Him, and for those who are being called by the father it is the sweet smell of life.  When I first went to the Youth Group at First Baptist Church in Lutz, Florida, I wasn’t repelled by what I saw; instead I was drawn by God’s grace and the knowledge of what I was learning about him.   However, that isn’t the case for everyone.  There are those who want nothing to do with Christ or with the church.  They are anti-Christian and not only do they shun the faith, but they are openly antagonistic.

            To them the church stinks; it is an aroma of death and dying.  They don’t understand why we would roll in the cause of Christi’s death and resurrection, and it is repelling to them.

“But thanks be to God, who always leads us in triumph in Christ, and manifests through us the sweet aroma of the knowledge of Him in every place. 15 For we are a fragrance of Christ to God among those who are being saved and among those who are perishing; 16 to the one an aroma from death to death, to the other an aroma from life to life.” 2Cor. 2:14   

            I love the church because it is the fragrance of God to a dying world.  It is the expression of God’s forgiveness to one another and draws those who God is saving.  I’m just saying… (Continued).