God’s sense of smell
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Faith Fitness
Bro. Sam Kaufman
Thousands upon thousands of scents exist in the world. They are detected through our olfactory system, which is responsible for our sense of smell.
Many sources emit odors that are well-pleasing to the smell. While others are considered smelly – think of old gym sneakers and socks after the big game!
Some have gone as far as to categorize the Top 10 scents and the Top 10 worst scents that we smell. The results were based on surveys from people in different countries.
Many of them were probably predictable. It is not difficult to close your eyes and ponder what smells good and bad.
Personally, there’s not much better than entering a kitchen area where a good cook is at work. Perhaps that smell depends on what is cooking. Everybody has their favorites.
I enjoy entering an East Indian restaurant on an empty stomach. The smell of curry and unique spices wafts through the air. I can only think of garlic naan and chicken vindaloo at this point.
But those foods didn’t make the popular Top 10 list.
Leading the way atop the charts was vanilla, which is often cited as a favorite – especially in sweet treats.
Next up was peaches, which emit a sweet, fruity aroma. Rounding out the Top 5 were roses, coffee and coconut.
I can relate to No. 6 – freshly cut grass. I’ve always enjoyed the post-mow scent.
Rain came in at No. 7, followed by lavender, lemon and sea breeze.
Topping the foul smell list is none other than hydrogen sulfide, which is responsible for that offensive rotten egg scent that most have sniffed in at some point.
We can all concur with that chart topper, Coming in a close second was raw sewage, followed by corpse flower, rotten roadkill and thioacetone, which is used to induce vomiting.
Fermented herring packed in brine also made the Top 10, as did rotten food and a skunk-like creature known as a Zorilla.
God, the Creator of the universe, also possesses a sense of smell. It is related to a spiritual scent, according to God’s Word.
Just as some smells please us and others are abhorring to us, the same goes for God in the spiritual realm.
Sinful acts of man – including self-righteousness – are a stench to God’s nostrils.
God declares our righteousness without Him as being “filthy rags,” which are about as smelly as it gets.
Isaiah 65:5 speaks to those who feel they are right in their own eyes without God and look down on others.
“Which say, Stand by thyself, come not near to me; for I am holier than thou. These are a smoke in my nose, a fire that burneth all the day,” the scripture states.
But one man changed the course for the rest. His name is Jesus. He was God in the flesh, and He was tempted in all points as we are tempted, yet He was without sin.
The offering of Jesus as a perfect and holy sacrifice was well-pleasing to the Father.
“And walk in love, as Christ also hath loved us, and hath given himself for us an offering and a sacrifice to God for a sweetsmelling savour.” – Ephesians 5:2.
How sweet it is!
When we express a godly sorrow for our sin and ask God to forgive us through faith in Jesus Christ’s sacrifice, we are forgiven.
Jesus’ righteousness is imparted to us, and we start smelling beautiful.
“For we are unto God a sweet savour of Christ, in them that are saved, and in them that perish; To the one we are the savour of death unto death; and to the other the savour of life unto life…” – II Corinthians 2:15-16.
