A godly life is a fragrance that draws others to Christ.

We are to God the pleasing aroma of Christ. 2 Corinthians 2:15

A perfumer who works in New York declares that she can recognize certain combinations of scents and guess the perfumer behind a fragrance. With just a sniff she can say, “This is Jenny’s work.”

When writing to the followers of Christ in the city of Corinth, Paul at one point used an example that would have reminded them of a victorious Roman army in a conquered city burning incense (2 Cor. 2:14). The general would come through first, followed by his troops and then the defeated army. For the Romans, the aroma of the incense meant victory; for the prisoners, it meant death.

Paul said we are to God the pleasing aroma of Christ’s victory over sin. God has given us the fragrance of Christ Himself so we can become a sweet-smelling sacrifice of praise. But how can we live so we spread this pleasing fragrance to others? We can show generosity and love, and we can share the gospel with others so they can find the way to salvation. We can allow the Spirit to display through us His gifts of love, joy, and kindness (Gal. 5:22–23).

Do others observe us and say, “This is Jesus’s work”? Are we allowing Him to spread His fragrance through us and then telling others about Him? He is the Ultimate Perfumer—the most exquisite fragrance there will ever be.

Do others recognize the work of God in my life? Am I spreading the fragrance of Christ? How?

敬虔的生活，是吸引人归主的馨香之气。

因为我们在上帝面前……都有基督馨香之气。-哥林多后书2章15节

有一位美国纽约的香水师宣称，她能辨识某些香水中的成分，猜出那款香水的制造师。她只要闻一下就能知道，这香水是哪一位大师的作品。

使徒保罗写信给哥林多地区的信徒时，举了一个例子，让信徒想起罗马军队凯旋归来，焚香庆祝的盛况（哥林多后书2章14节） 。将军骑着马走在凯旋行列的最前方，随后是他的部属，战俘殿后。对罗马人而言，焚香所带来的香气意味着胜利，但对战俘来说，这香气代表死亡。

保罗说，我们好比基督战胜罪恶，献给上帝的馨香之气。上帝赐给我们基督的香气，让我们能散发出甜美芬芳的赞美祭。但是，在日常生活中，我们如何散发出基督的馨香呢？我们能以宽容和仁爱待人，传扬福音帮助人们找到救恩之路；我们可以让圣灵管理我们的心，结出仁爱、喜乐、恩慈的果子（加拉太书5章22-23节） 。

当人看到我们的时候，他们能够认出我们是耶稣的作品吗？我们是否愿意，让耶稣藉着我们散发祂的香气，并告诉周遭的人有关耶稣的事迹呢？祂是独一无二的“香水师”，能调制全世界最优雅细腻的馨香之气。

人们能从我平日的言行举止中，
看出我是上帝的作品吗？
我正散发基督的馨香之气吗？该如何行呢？

2 Corinthians 2:12-17

Ministers of the New Covenant

12 Now when I went to Troas to preach the gospel of Christ and found that the Lord had opened a door for me, 13 I still had no peace of mind,because I did not find my brother Titus there. So I said goodbye to them and went on to Macedonia.

14 But thanks be to God, who always leads us as captives in Christ’s triumphal procession and uses us to spread the aroma of the knowledgeof him everywhere. 15 For we are to God the pleasing aroma of Christ among those who are being saved and those who are perishing. 16 To the one we are an aroma that brings death; to the other, an aroma that brings life. And who is equal to such a task? 17 Unlike so many, we do not peddle the word of God for profit. On the contrary, in Christ we speak before God with sincerity, as those sent from God.

整理：于姊妹