“Be ye therefore followers of God, as dear children;

And walk in love, as Christ hath (has) loved us, and hath given himself for us an offering and a sacrifice to God for a sweetsmelling savour.

But fornication (sexual immortality as defined by scripture), and all uncleanness, or covetousness, let it not be once named among you, as becometeh saints;

Neither filthiness, nor foolish talking, nor jesting, which are not  convenient; but rather giving of thanks.

For this ye know that no whoremonger, nor unclean person, nor covetous man, who is an idolater, hath any inheritance in the kingdom of Christ and of God.” Ephesians 5:1-5

This passage brings to mind the words of Jesus, when he said : “There is nothing from without (outside of) a man, that entering him can defile him: but  the things which come out of him, those are they that defile the man.” Mark 7:15

It is our thoughts that become actions, it is our attitudes that become rebellion, and it is our own pride that can become our stumbling block.

As Jesus presented himself as the sacrificial lamb to die in our place on the cross, to suffer the punishment for our sins and to become the ransom for the entire world, he became the sweetest of all sacrifices, acceptable to God.

Isaiah 53:5: ” For he was wounded for our transgressions, he was bruised for our iniquities: the chastisement of our peace was upon him; and with his stripes we are healed.” 

Sweet smelling sacrifice. Holy, Pure, and fragrant before God the Father.

As the crushing of the bark produces cassia, the crushing of our Savior as he was “Bruised for our iniquities.”

The lashes of the whip, striping his flesh as ancient myrrh produced by cutting into the tree, the resin dripping out, reminiscent of his blood which poured down and reminding us that: “With his stripes we are healed.”

Ancient frankincense also produced through the wounding of the tree, which produced weeping resin referred to as tears: ” The chastisement of our peace was upon him.”

The most beautiful fragrance of all.

Psalms 45:8: “All thy garments (clothing) smell of myrrh, and aloes, and cassia, out of the ivory palaces, whereby thy have made thee glad.”

 Ancient aloe, interestingly produced by the trees defense mechanism when the deadened heart wood of the tree has been subjected to a fungal mold.

It produces a beautiful aromatic resin after it has been infected and deadened.

Again, reminding us through the things of nature, the sacrificial death and glorious resurrection of our Lord.

1 John 2:1-5: My little children, these things I write unto you, that ye sin not.

And if any man sin, we have an advocate with the Father, Jesus Christ the righteous: 

And he is the propitiation for ours sins: and not for our sins only,  but also the sins of the whole world.

And hereby we do know that we know him, if we keep his commandments.

He that saith, I know him, and keepeth not his commandments, is a liar, and the truth is not in him.

But whoso keepeth his word, in him verily is the love of God perfected: hereby we know that we are in him.”

Savor can refer to smell, taste, or enjoyment, relishing, or in our case a quality received as a member of the body of Christ.

2 Corinthians 2:15-17: “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.

And who is sufficient for these things?

For we are not as many who corrupt the word of God: but as of sincerity, but as of God, on the sight of God speak we in Christ.”

No human is sufficient to the salvation of any other, only God has that power and the power of the Gospel will be either  life or death.

Eternal death if rejected or eternal life when chosen but we are to reject the snares and traps of this world and to walk in the love of Christ.

Not in the spiritual uncleanliness of the world, its customs and attitudes , not having selfish motives or agendas but as children of God, keeping his word and his commandments in the face of all that would ridicule and hate us.

Presenting our life to him, his service, each and every day.

Repenting for days that we didn’t quite measure up and renewing our pledge unto him each new day.

Romans 12:1:” I beseech you therefore, brethren, by the mercies of God, that ye present  your bodies a living sacrifice, holy, acceptable unto God, which is your reasonable service.”

I hope this has been food for thought as we navigate the truth of God word concerning how we should live and represent him and his kingdom.
As He taught us, it is not what goes into us, it is what comes out.

Thank you for reading! Love & Peace until next time!

Φλογιζω NBJ 2026/ Rev. N Brown Johnson