As we exercise godly virtues, we will develop more of them and continue on to maturity.
The holy anointing oil (Exodus 30:31) with the rare and exquisite fragrance was holy to the Lord and was a symbol of the Holy Spirit. Those items, the furnishings, the vessels and also the priests, were anointed with that superlative perfume which identified them as holy to the Lord. The priests and all these items were holy, sanctified, separated, set apart only for God.
Peter asks a question (2 Peter 3:11) what kind of persons should we be? This is the answer to his question and my prayer for myself. My prayer and desire is for the Holy Spirit’s marvellous work in me. In response to obedience, this is what the Holy Spirit will do in us now, Thanks be to God, Who in Christ always (2 Corinthians 2:14-16) leads us in triumph as captives of Christ’s victory and through us spreads and makes evident the fragrance of the knowledge of God everywhere. For we are the sweet fragrance of Christ which exhales unto God, discernable alike among those who are being saved and among those who are perishing. An aroma wafted from death to death or the vital fragrance of life to life.
What is the actual meaning of – life from life and death from death? I know that Jesus lived a perfect sinless life but what does that do for me? All it does is give me an example, which drives me to despair because I could never even begin to copy it. I don’t need an example, I need resurrection! I need Someone Who can experience my spiritual death and conquer it. The death of Jesus atoned for my sin and I was cleansed by His precious Blood. But it is His glorious Resurrection by which He conquered death and could make me alive. By faith in Him I became a recipient of His eternal –Resurrection – life – from-- the – dead Life, the very Life of God!
An unsaved person who continues to reject Jesus Christ until all hope is gone, is already spiritually dead. Immediately after his physical death (Hebrews 9:27) his spiritual death becomes everlasting death. These verses fill me with awe as I consider my holy privilege and my holy responsibility. If we are truly born-again believers, we are now (1 Corinthians 6:19, 2 Corinthians 6:16) the temple of God. We no longer have just a symbol of the Holy Spirit because the Holy Spirit Himself has taken up (John 14:16-17) permanent residence in our human spirit. The indwelling of the Shekinah glory of the actual Presence of God within us is the present reality of our daily lives.
(Oswald Chambers) “We are unto God a sweet aroma of Christ. We are enwheeled (old English “enveloped”) with the fragrance of Jesus and wherever we go we are a wonderful refreshment to God”. The furniture and utensils in the temple could not have been enveloped in a heavenly aroma without the holy anointing oil which declared them to be holy to the Lord. (I wonder if that sacred perfume will be reinstated in the New Jerusalem). Because of and only because of the stupendous Atonement of the Lord Jesus Christ, the Holy Spirit can wonderfully work in us so that we will exude the love and sweetness of Jesus which proclaims us to be - - holy to the Lord. This means that we will be holy, sanctified, separated, set apart only for God. We know that sanctification is a life-long process but if this is our desire day by day, it is apparent that the Holy Spirit is working in us. I must keep my eyes on Jesus, let the Word of Christ dwell in me richly and seek Him in His fullness with all my heart.
Ask yourself this question which I am asking myself. Is Jesus Christ preeminent in your life? If He is not, even if He is number 2 or 3 you will never have victory in your life. He is Lord of all, or He is not Lord at all. God created us for a purpose and everything He sends or allows in our lives works toward that purpose. I can co-operate with His purpose, which is the reason for my existence, by trusting and obeying Him, or I can follow my own purpose and be accountable for wasting my life. It has been said that “The flesh prevents knowledge from being translated into conduct”.
Peter tells us (2 Peter 1:5-8) that if we want to develop, we must exercise. As we exercise godly virtues, we develop more of them and continue on to maturity.
Spices for the holy anointing oil and the fragrant incense (Exodus 35:8,28) were the free-will offerings of the people. So we can see that God has involved us, by our obedience, in spreading His fragrance. The closer we get to Jesus, the better we know Him, the greater will be our adoring wonder and the deeper will be our delightful intimacy with Him. If we know God’s character, seeming contradictions will not shake our faith in Him. being filled with the Holy Spirit and live a life that is fragrant with Jesus.