Fragrance

But thanks be to God who...through us spreads everywhere the fragrance of the knowledge of him. ~ 2 Corinthians 2:14

Have you ever walked past a bakery and smelled warm, baking bread or sweet cinnamon rolls? In fact, even right now, you can smell it and taste it, though not with your nose or your mouth, but with your mind. You might even be planning where you will go to get them after you've finished reading this. The Bible says that once we've accepted Christ into our hearts and lives, and we are covered by the blood of Jesus, we give off an aroma. This aroma is not smelled by other humans through their physical noses, but by their spirits. For it is not your flesh that is giving off the aroma, but the Spirit of Him who lives inside you.

The Bible tells us that everything that is done here on earth, in the physical realm, is done in heaven, in the spiritual realm, (see Matthew 6:10, 16:19). It is other spirits who smell the aroma of the Holy Spirit who lives inside of us. In 2 Corinthians, Paul goes on to say that to those who are being saved, we smell of the death in Christ that we share. And to those not of Christ, we smell of life, (2:15-16). Spirits that are not of Christ are drawn to us but at the same time hate us because they hate Christ who is in us. As Paul says in Galatians, "For the sinful nature desires what is contrary to the Spirit and the Spirit what is contrary to the sinful nature. They are in conflict with each other," (5:17).

The Bible says that there is nothing new under the sun. All of this is happening today and all of this has happened before, (Ecclesiastes 1:9). 2 Chronicles tells the story of Solomon and his "aroma." Once night, God appeared to Solomon and said, "As for you, if you walk before me as David your father did, and do all I command, and observe my decrees and laws, I will establish your royal throne as I covenanted with David your father when I said, 'You shall never fail to have a man to rule over Israel,'" (7:17-18). Solomon did as the Lord said and the Lord blessed him greatly. Because of all the blessings being poured out on Solomon and the Israelites, people in lands near and far began talking about this people being blessed by their God. And, as still happens, as people continued to spread the word, others started to disbelieve what they'd heard and still others doubted and said it was a lie. That pattern continued until someone decided they must "check it out."

That's exactly what the Queen of Sheba did. She packed up her caravan and, drawn by the rumor of an "aroma," she traveled far to see for herself King Solomon & his kingdom. She went to discredit him; she went to "expose" him. The Bible says, "She came to Jerusalem to test him with hard questions," and upon her arrival, she "talked with him about all she had on her mind," (2 Chronicles 9:1). But the Spirit of the Lord is more powerful than any other spirits. The Spirit of the Lord is not fake, it's not false, and it does not lie. Therefore, at the end of their discussion, the queen of Sheba "was overwhelmed," (2 Chronicles 9:4). She told Solomon, "'The report I heard in my own country about your achievements and your wisdom is true. But I did not believe what they said until I came and saw with my own eyes. Indeed, not even half of the greatness of your wisdom was told me; you have exceeded the report I heard...Praise be to the Lord your God who has delighted in you and placed you on his throne to rule for the Lord your God," (2 Chronicles 9:5-6,8).

Because Solomon had followed all the Lord called him to do, when someone came to prove the Lord false, she was drawn in and fell in love with the Lord.
"But thanks be to God who...through us spread everywhere the fragrance of the knowledge of him."