Awakening Your 5 Spiritual Senses to God’s Graceنموونە

SMELL the Fragrant Aroma of Christ!   

I remember as a young Christian sitting and listening to many altar calls and “rededicate yourself” sermons. Time and time again, the speaker would exhort us to be salt and light in this world. He would tell us to do more for those around us. He would encourage us to spend more time in the Word, to share Christ more with others, and to plug in and serve more at church. 

More. More. More. 

Loving others, reading the Word, and sharing Christ—these are all good things. But I remember walking away from those “motivational” talks with a sense of distance from God, a sense that I was currently not doing enough to be close to Him. Closeness was always around the next corner. And in all of this, the implication was that closeness comes through doing. 

That’s backwards. 

The good news of Christianity is that on the first day of our relationship with Jesus Christ (at salvation), we are as close to Him as we will ever be. Yes, we get to know Christ more over time. But we are raised and seated right next to Him (Eph. 2:6) and one spirit with Him (1 Cor. 6:17) on the day we first believe. We cannot get any closer to Jesus than we already are. 

Once we acknowledge this union with Jesus, our motivation for every action taken in life changes. We are no longer doing to be close; instead, we are acting out of a closeness we already enjoy. This is what it means to smell the fragrant aroma of Christ. 

Thank You, Jesus, that I need not wander into worry about my growth and my future. Thank You for promising to carry me through to maturity, conforming me to Your image and Your glory. I am willing to know Your sufferings so that I may also know the power of Your resurrection life in me. You alone meet my deepest needs. You are my steadfast anchor, my great hope in a sea of trouble. You are my everything. I love You, Jesus. 

[from “Heaven is Now” by Andrew Farley]