And walk in love, as Christ loved us and gave himself up for us, a fragrant offering and sacrifice to God.
Ephesians 5:2 [ESV]
Tonight, I arrived at our cabin on Herron Island. Bella and I drive down this afternoon as Marianne, Sophie, Prim, and Brooklyn came down yesterday. We have some work ahead of us downstairs as we work to remodel the basement to be Marianne and I’s new bedroom with on suite. Marianne and I took a walk tonight and there was the most beautiful sunset. This is such a little place of refuge!
Yesterday was about imitating God and I talked how tall of an order that is but Paul helps us see how we do this here in the following verse. We are to walk forward in love, reminding ourselves of where we have come from.
…God shows his love for us in that while we were still sinners, Christ died for us.
Romans 5:8 [ESV]
To love is to give. So, living a life that looks to what others need and works to meet them is the call for the believer’s walk. God accepted what Jesus accomplished in his death for us. We are the beneficiaries of that work when we grasp what that death means for our forgiveness. It gives us our identity in Christ that is secured by the surety of Jesus’ death.
This pursuit to serve others ‘in love’ is what Paul tells us is a sweet fragrance to the Lord. Paul says that Jesus’ meeting of our need of Salvation is sweet fragrance in the throne room and so when we serve others sacrificially, that is also a fragrance.
Application:
Notice I said “in love” above when referring to serving others. Doing this service in love is paramount. 1 Corinthians is very clear about this. So, in order for that service to others to be a fragrance in the throne room, it must be born of a true love for those I am serving.
…if I have prophetic powers, and understand all mysteries and all knowledge, and if I have all faith, so as to remove mountains, but have not love, I am nothing. If I give away all I have, and if I deliver up my body to be burned, but have not love, I gain nothing.
1 Corinthians 13:2-3 [ESV]