The Sweet Aroma of Christ Unto God - 2 Corinthians 2:15-17
📖 Scripture:
“For we are to God the sweet aroma of Christ among those who are being saved and those who are perishing; to the one an odor of death and to the other a fragrance that brings life.”
– 2 Corinthians 2:15–16a
🔎 Examination:
Advent isn’t just about what Christ has done; it’s ALSO about what He is currently doing in and through His church… and His expectation of it being accomplished when He returns. The KING of kings who came, died, rose, and ascended now spreads His fragrance through His saints. Paul’s words in 2 Corinthians 2 shatter the man-centered view of evangelism. He does not say we are primarily a pleasing aroma to people; he says we are “to God the sweet aroma of Christ.” Evangelism is first vertical worship before it is horizontal outreach.
Sunday’s SERMON confronted the widespread attempt to control evangelistic outcomes. Many have been discipled into the belief that people are not truly dead in sin. The lie is perpetuated that we're all perfect just the way we are... just spiritually “uninformed” or “misdirected.” So, the Church turns evangelism into marketing strategies, trying to minimize offense, maximize appeal, and engineer responses—believing that if we are clever enough, kind enough, relevant enough, we can “win” people into THE kingdom. But Scripture says dead people need resurrection, not gimmicky salesmanship… and dead people’s counterfeit evangelism, the sharing of a counterfeit gospel about a counterfeit Jesus, only makes them twice the children of hell that they are (Matt 23:15).
“We are to God the sweet aroma of Christ” means the target audience of our evangelism isn’t depraved sinners, but God the Father. Therefore, we proclaim the undiluted Gospel—Jesus Christ, risen from the dead, that is my GOSPEL… not to manipulate outcomes, but as WORSHIP in Spirit and Truth! The reason we, like the Apostle Paul, are NOT ashamed of the GOSPEL (Rom 1:16), is because the response doesn’t change anything. The GOSPEL is GOOD NEWS because humanity is dead in sin, that judgment is real, and that salvation is found in Christ alone.
God the Father delights in the glorious fragrance of His Son being lifted up. Worship is always VERTICAL... God controls everything else. God is glorified through our obedience to the privileged calling of being the beautiful feet (Rom 10:15) that bring the GOOD NEWS, regardless of whether people respond with repentance or rage… either way, God is glorified! To some, the GOSPEL will be the stench of death because they desire to cling to their autonomy, rebellion, and sin. To others, it is the fragrance of life because the Holy Spirit’s ministry is regenerating them. We don’t get to determine which is which.
This destroys the illusion that evangelism success is measured by visible or numerical results. Jonah preached a five-word sermon in Nineveh, without a band, coffee bar, or carefully calibrated atmosphere, and God used it to bring an ENTIRE CITY and CULTURE to its knees. Other prophets preached faithfully for years with almost no visible fruit. The difference was not their technique; it was the sovereign work of God. Our calling is not to be outcome managers but faithful heralds.
Advent reinforces this. The same King who willingly descended into our ruin now sends His regenerate representatives as ambassadors into a hostile world as the aroma of His victory. Our union with Christ means His death and resurrection define the message… not a specific method… and certainly not the outcome. As the Apostle Paul revealed in 2 Cor 2:17, We do not peddle motivational positivity, Christian Nationalism, or religious consolation; we announce a crucified and risen King who demands repentance, grants mercy, and who is returning soon in glory! That message will never be “safe,” but it will always be sufficient.
Sunday’s SERMON lamented how much of the visible “church” has exchanged the truth for a lie, and the calling for crowd-pleasing. Services are structured around entertainment, sermons are sin-affirming pep rallies focused on self-worth, self-image, and self-esteem. “Evangelism” has been reduced to social justice and “random acts of kindness”, divorced from the Gospel’s power. The result is not regeneration but religious consumers who are “twice the children of hell” (Matt 23:15). Advent exposes this wanton betrayal. The King who came did not endure the cross so we could curate warm and fuzzy religious experiences; He did so to create a kingdom of priests, living stones, who would proclaim His excellencies (1 Pet 2:9)!
Evangelism, then, is not a specialty for a few extroverts; it is the worshipful privilege and responsibility of the whole church as a UNITED body. The local church, as Christ’s Body & Bride, is the embassy where the King’s victory is heralded. When saints scatter as salt and light into neighborhoods, workplaces, and families, we carry His aroma… whether the stench of death or the fragrance of life. Our task is not to neutralize the smell but to let it be what it is: life to the elect, and death to the hard-hearted.
This requires courage. If your idol/goal is acceptance, you will soften/pervert the message. If your goal is to be found faithful before God, you will speak truth in love, regardless of the cost. Advent reminds us that King Jesus came once in humility and will come again in glory, not to bear sin, but for those eagerly awaiting Him (Heb 9:28). The time between these two distinct Advents is not a time for passivity, apathy, or neutrality; it’s time to suit up in the FULL Armor of God and enter the battle arena of divine mission. To be “eagerly awaiting Him” is to be suited up and actively engaged in the ministry of evangelism… not passively observing or selfishly consuming religion.
Union with Christ means we share not only in His benefits but in His mission. Baptism/identity “in Christ” is not about private comfort; it is a divine commissioning. True saints are ambassadors of Christ, not spectators. As we proclaim Him, the Holy Spirit does what only He can do: convict, regenerate, harden, or draw. That is His ministry. Ours is to be the sweet aroma of Christ to God, trusting Him with every outcome.
🤺 Action:
Test your motives – “Search me, O God…test me, and know my concerns.” (Ps 139:23) Are you more concerned with God’s pleasure in obedience or with people’s approval of your message?
Examine your faithfulness – “Let us examine and test our ways, and turn back to the LORD.” (Lam 3:40) Have you been burying the Gospel under vague pleasantries instead of clearly proclaiming Christ Jesus as King?
Test your theology of outcomes – “But each one must examine his own work.” (Gal 6:4) Do you secretly believe good fruit depends on your knowledge, persuasiveness, skill, and cleverness, or do you trust the Holy Spirit to use imperfect vessels to perfectly communicate God’s Word as He wills?
Expose silence – “Be doers of the word, and not hearers only, deluding yourselves.” (Jas 1:22) Where have you excused your lack of evangelism instead of repenting and stepping into your calling as an ambassador of Christ?
🧠Reflection:
The King we worship, adore, and celebrate at Advent is the same King whose fragrance we carry into a dying world. We are not responsible for who finds that aroma sweet or repulsive. We can only smell like Christ if we know Him and spend time with Him. Therefore, it is only the redeemed ELECT who joyfully speak His truth, live His holiness, and embrace His mission. Evangelism is never perceived as a burdensome add-on, but as worship for Christ’s BRIDE. As we remember His first Advent and long for His second, let our lips and life bear witness: Jesus is King. The Holy Spirit will handle the rest.
Blessings & love,
Kevin M. Kelley Pastor
Check out Pastor Kevin's children's book UNSTOPPABLE! on Amazon!
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