DAY 8

GOD LOVES THE SMELL OF DEATH

JOHN MACDONALD, LEAD PASTOR

I know, I know, this sounds a little morbid, but hear me out, because scripture is quite clear that there is something about the smell of burning flesh that God likes. I don’t know about you, but to me burning flesh is probably the worst smell there is. Very few stenches in the world are more repulsive. However, several places in scripture indicate when the animal sacrifices were being burned on the altar that the smell was a sweet, soothing aroma to the Lord. Just look at these scriptures below:

Then Noah built an altar to the Lord and, taking some of all the clean animals and clean birds, he sacrificed burnt offerings on it. The Lord smelled the pleasing aroma and said in his heart: “Never again will I curse the ground because of humans, even though every inclination of the human heart is evil from childhood. And never again will I destroy all living creatures, as I have done. —Genesis 8:20–21(NIV)

Cut the ram into pieces and wash the internal organs and the legs, putting them with the head and the other pieces. Then burn the entire ram on the altar. It is a burnt offering to the Lord, a pleasing aroma, a food offering presented to the Lord.

—Exodus 29:17–18 (NIV)

He shall tear it open by the wings, not dividing it completely, and then the priest shall burn it on the wood that is burning on the altar. It is a burnt offering, a food offering, an aroma pleasing to the Lord. —Leviticus 1:17 (NIV)

Therefore be imitators of God as dear children. And walk in love, as Christ also has loved us and given Himself for us, an offering and a sacrifice to God for a sweet-smelling aroma.

—Ephesians 5:1–2 (NKJV)

Ok now do you believe me? This is some pretty compelling evidence that God loves the smell of death. But what are the scriptures really talking about? Let me give you an example.

Kathryn Kuhlman lived from 1907–1976. She was a powerful woman of God who traveled the world sharing Christ and had an amazing healing ministry. She preached an uncompromising Gospel, demonstrating the power of the Kingdom as many blind, crippled, deaf, and diseased were dramatically healed. She carefully revealed in a sermon the price she had to pay to have such a powerful healing ministry:

It costs everything. If you really want to know the price, it will cost you everything. Kathryn Kuhlman died a long time ago. I know the day; I know the hour. I can go to the spot where Kathryn Kuhlman died. For me it was easy because I had nothing. I know better than anyone else from whence I come, a little cross-road town in Missouri, a population of 1,200 people. I had nothing. I was born without talent. Most people are born with something. I didn’t even have hair on my head when I was born, just red fuzz. One day I just looked up and said, “Wonderful Jesus, I have nothing. I have nothing to give You but my love. That’s all I can give You. And I love You with all my heart. I give You my body, a living sacrifice. If you can take nothing and use it, then here is nothing. Take it.

Wow what a testimony! Spiritually speaking, our flesh prevents God’s glory from manifesting and limits the release of His full work of power in our life. However, when we crawl up on the altar and cry out for Him to consume us with His Holy fire, He sets fire to the flesh and burns the sinful debris. The more flesh He consumes, the more of His glory we will walk in.

Here is the thing: God calls all of us to climb up on the altar. The old ways of life, the old habits, the old mindsets, the old language, the old passions, they all have to die. Every part of the old life must die in order for God to give you new life in Christ. Paul understood this and experienced this. And he wrote to the church in Galatia, encouraging them:

I have been crucified with Christ and I no longer live, but Christ lives in me. The life I now live in the body, I live by faith in the Son of God, who loved me and gave himself for me.

—Galatians 2:20 (NIV)

I love the truth of Paul’s words, “I have been crucified with Christ and I no longer live, but Christ lives in me.” God loves the smell of death because it marks the moment that He can now give you new life. This is the very reason God sent His one and only Son, Jesus to the cross, to save us from our sins and give us new life. Jesus became the sacrifice for us all. The imagery of climbing up onto the altar as a living sacrifice simply points us to full and complete surrender.

God didn’t send his son Jesus to die on a cross and become the sacrifice for all humanity in order to have only the parts of your life you are willing to give Him. He doesn’t save parts of you; He saves and restores all of you. But all of you must be surrendered.

Kathryn Kuhlman also had this to say about sacrifice: “Its terms require a surrender which the average Christian is unwilling to make. Things that are gotten cheap are usually cheap. The things you have to pay most for are usually the things that are most valuable.”

A.B. Simpson summed up surrender best: “We must surrender ourselves so utterly that we can never own ourselves again. We must hand over self and all its rights in an eternal covenant and give God the absolute right to own us, control us, and possess us forever.”

God's ways are not mankind's ways, and God’s Kingdom functions much differently than our earthly kingdom. In God’s Kingdom, death comes before life. Will you climb up on the altar today in complete surrender and become a living sacrifice, allowing the old self, old habits, and old ways of thinking to completely die so that Christ can give you new life?

Therefore, I urge you, brothers and sisters, in view of God’s mercy, to offer your bodies as a living sacrifice, holy and pleasing to God—this is your true and proper worship.

—Romans 12:1

Everyday we offer up ourselves as a living sacrifice. Everyday we climb up on the altar, reminding ourselves that we have died to the old life, and our lives are no longer our own. Everyday we have the privilege of walking in new life with Jesus Christ, our Lord and Savior. And we quickly find that there is nothing greater and nothing better than the new life that God has given us. Thank You Jesus!

PRAYER

Today, Lord, I offer myself to you as a living sacrifice. I want my whole life to honor and please you. I want to walk with you in intimacy and fellowship. I want to hear your voice as you guide me through each day! I want to know you more. Give me the strength and the power to live my life fully and completely for you. I know you will, because you have given me your promised Holy Spirit who lives in me and is always with me. Thank you for the new life I have in You, amen.