There’s a spiritual sense that we give off as Christians, that can cause people to get a certain type of feeling toward us (depending on those who are sensing). This might seem strange, but just think about it for a moment.
Have you ever had someone hate you for no reason that you can think of?
Have you ever had that “there’s just something about you,” kind of thing said to you for good or for ill?
As Christians, we get a lot of flak from every direction when amongst folks that don’t have Christ Jesus as their Lord. On the other hand, there’s a whole different feel when in the company of Brothers and Sisters in Christ Jesus.
For this post, we’re going to be talking about a few verses that explain this strange sense, and might help us to gain a bit of understanding into the topic.
A Savor of the Savior
15 For we are unto God a sweet savour of Christ, in them that are saved, and in them that perish:
2 Corinthians 2 KJV
16 To the one we are the savour of death unto death; and to the other the savour of life unto life. And who is sufficient for these things?
What does it mean for us to be a savor of Christ? Well, let’s take a look into the definition of the word “savor” (current way we spell savour), and we’ll be able to get a better sense into what the Lord is saying through the Holy Ghost via Paul.
Savor:
Definition via Dictionary.com
noun
The quality in a substance that affects the sense of taste or of smell.
A particular taste or smell.
Distinctive quality or property.
Power to excite or interest.
I don’t know about you, but I find this to be extremely interesting, as well as reassuring. Let’s replace “savor” with some of the different ideas given through it’s description:
- We are the quality of the substance of Christ.
- We are the particular taste or smell of Christ.
- We are the distinctive qualities or properties of Christ.
Bearing these different interpretations in mind, we can see what this scripture is saying about our spiritual makeup after salvation. There are three different interpretations given to us in the scriptures above, that describe the effect this savor has on three groups.
How God Sees Us
As far as the Father is concerned, once we have been born again we are a sweet savor of Christ unto him. If ever we become unsure of how the Lord views us, verse 15 should answer any questions.
Verse 15 lets us know, that we are unto the Lord, as Christ is unto the Lord. The same love that the Father shares with Jesus, he extends toward us due to the distinctive Jesus qualities he sees or senses in us.
This isn’t toward all people, but strictly toward all those who have been born again in Christ Jesus, moving from spiritually dead to spiritually alive. Even for us who have been saved and have made a mess out of things- Christ in us, the Hope of Glory still shines in the eyes of the Lord God Almighty.
We may have to suffer consequences for any sinful behavior while on this earth, and we may cost ourselves some up and coming reward when we pass on to be with the Father due to disobedience unto him. But despite any shortcomings that we may harbor, or despite any time we have chosen unwisely and wind up sinning against the Lord, his love is boundless, and is unconditional.
His unconditional love shed abroad toward those of us who are so undeserving becomes easier to understand, when we come to terms with how he perceives us. Knowing that he perceives us as the sweet savor of his Son Jesus, we can come at least a little closer in our understanding, as to how his love is so bountiful, even though we can be such lousy children.
Perception amongst Brethren
The way the Lord perceives us is the first listed in the scriptures above. This is important because it goes further to explain why Brothers and Sisters in Christ get that “sense of something familiar” amongst themselves.
That familiar feeling is the savor of Christ Jesus. And to those of us who are saved, it is the feeling of love, life, and family.
The scripture describes this as “life unto life.” Christ in us is no threat to our existence, nor do we become uncomfortable in someone’s presence who harbors a born again spirit bearing Christ’s nature or qualities.
This reminds me of a couple of babies coming together for the first time, even while still in the wombs of their mothers:
Luke 1: King James Bible
41 And it came to pass, that, when Elisabeth heard the salutation of Mary, the babe leaped in her womb; and Elisabeth was filled with the Holy Ghost: 42 And she spake out with a loud voice, and said, Blessed art thou among women, and blessed is the fruit of thy womb.
43 And whence is this to me, that the mother of my Lord should come to me? 44 For, lo, as soon as the voice of thy salutation sounded in mine ears, the babe leaped in my womb for joy.
This is a physical account of what we believers might sense spiritually, when gathering amongst brethren. A couple of pieces of the Body of Christ coming together has a familiarity that begins at the spiritual level, rather than the carnal.
Amongst those who Perish
Amongst those who perish, we’re a completely different flavor. To those that are without or against Christ, we are death unto death.
We are a reminder to their flesh that its days are numbered, and it will either have to be crucified with Christ to make way for salvation, or die in sin and suffer the consequences thereof. Also, there are demonic forces at play in the lives of many outside of Christ.
This instantly causes a rift or a change of heart against someone in Christ Jesus. Demons don’t take too well to being reminded of their future, which is what the presence of Christ represents to them. The more influence demonic forces have over someone, the more venomous they’ll become against the Children of the Lord.
Even without demonic intrusion or influence, the flesh doesn’t will to take a back seat to the Lord. The flesh is selfish, carnal, given to appetites appeased by sin. It wants nothing to do with things of a spiritual nature, nor can it perceive the things going on spiritually.
Mark 4: King James Bible
12 That seeing they may see, and not perceive; and hearing they may hear, and not understand; lest at any time they should be converted, and their sins should be forgiven them.
1 Corinthians 2:
14 But the natural man receiveth not the things of the Spirit of God: for they are foolishness unto him: neither can he know them, because they are spiritually discerned.
The Lord’s Intervention
It is for these reasons, I believe that the Lord intervenes somehow during every circumstance of Salvation. This would include those who accept salvation, as well as for those who reject this free gift from the Lord.
This brings us to the foggy area of the Father’s predetermination. Some people believe that the Lord has chosen particulars through all of time, that will be saved. This belief also recognizes the Lord’s rejection of the rest who are not chosen.
I strongly disagree with this doctrine. From what I’ve gathered from scripture, it is the Lord’s will that none should perish, but all come to repentance.
2 Peter 3: King James Bible
9 The Lord is not slack concerning his promise, as some men count slackness; but is longsuffering to us-ward, not willing that any should perish, but that all should come to repentance.
However, we make the decision whether or not to take advantage of what the Lord has to offer. He foreknows who will or won’t, but does not rob anyone of their chance to make the decision. This is free will territory.
Everyone’s invited, but few will open the invitation. I believe that nobody would open it, were it not for the grace of the Lord to intervene and shut the flesh or demonic influences up long enough for us to make a decision.
At the end of the day, the Lord is not slack to offer his redemption, and we’ve been given all our lives to make that choice. As Christians, we need to keep the unsaved in prayer, that they come to receive Jesus while there is still breath to be had, and chances to be given.
Conclusion
The easiest overall example to sum up the point of all this, can be how 2 warring countries view flags of the opposite side.
A flag can represent everything hated about a certain country by their enemies. When they get their hands on it, they spit on it, stomp on it, tear it asunder, or even burn it.
However that same flag is held in endearment, as a savor of everything that is good or honorable about the country itself to those who reside within its borders.
So the same goes for the savor we are in Christ Jesus. We are loved by our own- hated by the world. Loving one toward another- spat upon by the enemies of the Lord.
But thanks be to God, that he still loves even those who pose as his enemies, and still holds the offer of salvation open while it is still there to be had. As sinners saved by his grace, we should all be appreciative of this.
Thank You & God Bless You
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Hi Brain, once again I am having trouble getting to your messages. This time I think the enemy is involved.
This teaching has been a blessing for me in my intercessory prayer time. The Lord has been bringing up these issues to me so often, such as within the Our Father,” may his will be done on earth as it is in heaven,” & “it is not his will that any perish”. I praise God he has shared his love for the lost his with his children here on earth.
There were other things you mentioned about our assurance of our salvation. The way you explained it has opened my mind, to a greater understanding & as Ann said I will be wanting to reread & study this teaching again. Maybe a summer project as we do like to study together. I hope I can type this out on my printer. Pray I can conquer the little bit of technology I have at my disposal.
God bless you & your efforts & may God heal & strengthen you.
Hi there Janet,
Thank you for the comment and the kind words! I touches my heart to hear that the Lord is opening your eyes to some things from anywhere on this site, let alone a post! Praise the Lord! I’m humbled any time I hear things like that, and am reminded of the level of responsibility that needs to go into each post.
I don’t think you should have a hard time printing off this page, but if you do have trouble, please let me know, and I’ll create a printable .pdf of the post and send it to you in the email as an attachment.
Thank you again for the comment Janet, you and Ann are both a blessing, and I pray that the Lord bless, strengthen, and grant his special favor mightily toward both of you, as well as the rest of your families in Jesus precious name!
Hi Brian,
Wow! Yes it is a lot to chew on and I’ll be reading this over a couple of more times. Yes, I think my thinking may be victimized by remembering snipers of scripture, but not putting the whole of it together.
I have a pastor, who gives very good teaching, that always talks about how we are chosen, somewhat like being cherry picked as you mentioned, which makes one feel very special. I do believe each of us is special in the Father’s eyes-just read Song of Solomon. But you make the point that everyone, saved or not, is special and very much loved by our Father. I am reminded however of where it says I have loved Jacob, but hated Esau, and I will have mercy on who I choose. I’m sorry that I’m not giving references, I’ve got to leave for work soon. But I think your explanation makes sense. It also helps us to see the urgency of allowing the Father love to flow through us so that we are the salt that people crave.
Ann
Hi Ann,
Amen! I believe that we’re all special and each have a unique call that the Lord has established individually. Some of us answer that call, some don’t. Whether or not we’re obedient to his calling, this doesn’t remove his original plan. His gifts and calling are without repent (Romans 11:29).
I couldn’t agree more with what you said about us being the salt that people crave. In my personal opinion, if the people of the Lord chose to do things with that sense (to be the salt of the earth rather than the gall of bitterness), more people would gladly give their hearts and minds to Christ Jesus. Too many years gone by where the church has spent more time condemning the “don’ts” and forgetting about the “can do’s” and the reasoning behind it all.
Anyways, thank you for your comment, and may the Lord bless you and yours in Jesus mighty name!
Hi Brian,
Thank you for some thought provoking material! Yes the Father doesn’t want to see any perish, however, if what you say is true that He blocks any demonic influences or opens our ears &eyes to allow us to accept him, how do we reconcile the verse from Mark 4, above and also in John when Jesus tells his disciples that He chose them, not the other way around. I’m not even saying I disagree with you, it is an area that I have trouble understanding. And since I have trouble understanding this, I have to wonder what is the significance of this doctrine in either case.
God Bless you and your family,
Ann
Hi Ann,
Thanks for your comment and your kind words! I’ll try to answer the questions the best I can.
Concerning your question about Mark 4 and John (Please understand that this is my interpretation, and/or opinion).
I consider Mark 4 to be making reference to carnal or physical senses- seeing and hearing. Carnal senses that dictate how we perceive things around us, rather than spiritual. That’s why I included this verse in that area of the post. It underscores the lack of ability for the flesh to receive spiritual matters.
Take note where this verse rests. It is literally positioned right between the parable of the sower and the explanation of the parable. If you take this verse (Mark 4:12), and keep it in mind while reading the parable, and it’s following explanation, you can see what Jesus is talking about in verse 12 being put into practice.
However, further down Jesus continues saying that there is nothing hid that won’t be uncovered (Mark 4:22). Perhaps this could represent God’s grace, lending opportunity to make a clear choice.
About the reference you made to John concerning Jesus choosing.
I could have missed the particular verse that you were referring to, but I found 4 different instances where Jesus talked about choosing.
John 6:70 Jesus answered them, Have not I chosen you twelve, and one of you is a devil?
John 13:18 I speak not of you all: I know whom I have chosen: but that the scripture may be fulfilled, He that eateth bread with me hath lifted up his heel against me.
John 15:16 Ye have not chosen me, but I have chosen you, and ordained you, that ye should go and bring forth fruit, and that your fruit should remain: that whatsoever ye shall ask of the Father in my name, he may give it you.
John 15:19 If ye were of the world, the world would love his own: but because ye are not of the world, but I have chosen you out of the world, therefore the world hateth you.
I very well could have missed the verse you were referring to. If that is the case (and it probably is), please let me know!
But as far as the four above, the first two were spoken directly about having chosen the twelve.
The last two are according to his will. Those who he has chosen in those verses are identified as “you.” Yes, he was speaking to his followers, but he didn’t say anything particular like he did in the first two. “You” could be you or I, or anyone else.
Personally, I believe that John 15:16 is talking about who’s idea salvation was, and who made the decisions to make it a real thing. As if to say, “You didn’t come to me, I came to you.” It was his plan, not ours, and certainly not the world’s.
Which brings us to the last verse, where he has chosen us out of the world. It’s not that he cherry picked through the masses (for lack of a better way to write it), and chose some people to come out of the world. The choice being made was in the world or out of the world, not who. He has chosen us out of the world, therefore it hates us.
Or to say what I’m thinking differently, making his followers to be seperate from the world, rather than remaining partakers of its wickedness. This would require for us first to be saved in order to even partake in this choice, rather than being chosen for salvation, know what I mean?
Now that I think about it, this may be in relation, and also may help explain the verse that says “many are called, but few are chosen.” This would help us to understand that the Lord wills for none to perish (many are called) but not so many accept his invitation of salvation, rejecting Christ’s choice of changing their citizenry from worldly to Heavenly (few are chosen.)
Am I making any kind of sense with this connection? I hope so, because these are not things I have thought through in the past, and your question has caused for me to do some serious looking, praying, and retrieving!
Finally, the significance.
To you and I, it is irrelevant to be sure. We’re already saved, and doesn’t in any way touch our salvation or our final destination. In that sense, it doesn’t matter.
However, it is significant to the Father, and his namesake. There is doctrine out there that teach that the Father holds the cards of a select few, and if he hasn’t chosen you (despite what the Word says), forget it. This doctrine in my opinion, is man’s way of reconciling their own sinful nature as being God’s will or his fault, when it’s clearly ours.
It matters because it is a tool for God’s enemies to use against those who might be nearing a place of salvation, but have been told that the Lord is the one who chooses, so wait for it or don’t bother, rather than reaching out to him. The Father has been the victim of a massive smear campaign for thousands of years in one way or the other.
In my view, the biggest target is his nature and his heart toward his creation. Also his desire for none to perish, but making all people his children. Even though he foreknows that this will never be- for all people to become his children, it doesn’t mean that this isn’t his desire or his will.
This is the significance of the reasoning to have these strange kinds of things ironed out and made clear. Because when they remain abstract or fuzzy, they can be taken advantage of in ways that further the purposes of the world rather than the purposes of the Lord.
My goodness! I apologize for coming at you with a whole new post as an answer to your questions LOL!
Thank you so much for asking, because honestly, I feel blessed to have dug in and receive some understanding into some things that I’d never given much attention or focus upon. I appreciate it, and I pray that this helps to either clarify these things, or maybe even open your eyes to a different revelation that hasn’t even been brought up! It can happen when the Holy Ghost is causing for us to check out his work!
Thanks again, and I pray that all is well with you, and that the Lord bless you and all of your family, and all that you set your hand to in Jesus precious name! It is great to hear from you!
What a wonderful message/teaching. I too have sensed things not quite right with others many times as presented in this article. I have often thought this to be the reason and you have gone above and beyond to teach this with scripture. Thank you.
Hi Julie,
Thank you for your comment and kind words! The scriptures are always revealing things to us that we can relate to in one way or another.
Thanks again and God bless you in Jesus name!