The Fragrance of the Holy Spirit
Sunday Evening Bible Study
December 12, 1999
Introduction
We’ve talked about the Holy Spirit as a person. He’s not some impersonal force, He’s a real person. We have a relationship with real people. And we’ve talked about the deity of the Holy Spirit. He isn’t just any old person, He’s God. Sometimes we have a problem identifying just who a person actually is.
The Bible says that as Christians, the Holy Spirit dwells inside of us. Do we recognize who it is that lives in us? If we were to bump into Him in the grocery store, would we recognize Him? If we really had a clue who the Holy Spirit is, would it change how we relate to Him?
The Work of the Holy Spirit in the Believer
We’ve seen so far:
1. He dwells in us
2. He assures us of our salvation
3. He seals us – like putting God’s name tag inside of us
4. He is the Comforter
5. He works truth in us
6. He teaches us
7. He guides us – He leads us and shows us things to come
8. He testifies about Jesus
9. He helps us pray
10. He makes us "holy"
11. He produces "fruit"
12. His fragrance
Exo 30:22-33
Moreover the LORD spake unto Moses, saying, {23} Take thou also unto thee principal spices, of pure myrrh five hundred shekels, and of sweet cinnamon half so much, even two hundred and fifty shekels, and of sweet calamus two hundred and fifty shekels, {24} And of cassia five hundred shekels, after the shekel of the sanctuary, and of oil olive an hin:The fragrant ingredients:
myrrh – an Arabian gum made from the bark of a tree, one of the presents given to Jesus from the magi, used as a perfume as also in embalming.
cinnamon – hot cinnamon buns!
sweet calamus – sweet cane, perhaps sugar?
cassia – the inner bark of a tree, like cinnamon, a spice
olive oil – the medium used to mix the ingredients in.
As we've seen before, the oil represents the Holy Spirit in the Scriptures (1Sam.16:13; 1Jo.2:27).
{25} And thou shalt make it an oil of holy ointment, an ointment compound after the art of the apothecary: it shall be an holy anointing oil.
the art of the apothecary
– NAS: "the work of a perfumer"holy anointing oil – an ointment, other words used are "unction", "anointing"
{26} And thou shalt anoint the tabernacle of the congregation therewith, and the ark of the testimony, {27} And the table and all his vessels, and the candlestick and his vessels, and the altar of incense, {28} And the altar of burnt offering with all his vessels, and the laver and his foot. {29} And thou shalt sanctify them, that they may be most holy: whatsoever toucheth them shall be holy. {30} And thou shalt anoint Aaron and his sons, and consecrate them, that they may minister unto me in the priest's office. {31} And thou shalt speak unto the children of Israel, saying, This shall be an holy anointing oil unto me throughout your generations. {32} Upon man's flesh shall it not be poured, neither shall ye make any other like it, after the composition of it: it is holy, and it shall be holy unto you. {33} Whosoever compoundeth any like it, or whosoever putteth any of it upon a stranger, shall even be cut off from his people.
Lessons from the anointing oil:
1. There is a beautiful fragrance about the Holy Spirit. vs. 23-25
(Exo 30:25 NASB) "And you shall make of these a holy anointing oil, a perfume mixture, the work of a perfumer; it shall be a holy anointing oil.
Have you ever noticed how there’s a distinctive "smell" down at Calvary Chapel of Costa Mesa? Is it someone’s perfume? Maybe it’s just the janitor’s cleaning fluid, but I wonder if it isn’t the Holy Spirit.
Just like perfume, when the Spirit of God is on your life, there is a lingering "presence", a separate sense that something is on your life.
There are some folks who like to wear perfume or cologne. When you give one of these folks a hug or shake their hand, you find that their fragrance clings to you. You can walk away from them, but there’s something left with you that reminds you of your encounter with them.
God’s desire is that our lives would give off a fragrance of Jesus to those around us.
(2 Cor 2:14-16 NLT) But thanks be to God, who made us his captives and leads us along in Christ's triumphal procession. Now wherever we go he uses us to tell others about the Lord and to spread the Good News like a sweet perfume. {15} Our lives are a fragrance presented by Christ to God. But this fragrance is perceived differently by those being saved and by those perishing. {16} To those who are perishing we are a fearful smell of death and doom. But to those who are being saved we are a life-giving perfume. And who is adequate for such a task as this?
Illustration
President Woodrow Wilson told this story. He said: "I was in a very common place, I was sitting in a barber chair, when I became aware that a personality had entered the room. A man had come quietly in upon the same errand as myself—to have his hair cut and sat in the chair next to me. Every word the man uttered showed a personal interest in the man who was serving him. And before I got through with what was being done for me, I was aware that I had attended an evangelistic service. Because Mr. D.L. Moody was in that chair.
I purposely lingered in the room after he had left and noted the singular effect that his visit had brought upon the barbershop. They didn’t know his name but they knew that something had elevated their thoughts and I felt that I left that place as I should have left the place of worship.
My admiration and esteem for Mr. Moody became very deep indeed."
What kind of fragrance do we give off?
Whatever it touched was set apart for ministry. We too are made holy by the Holy Spirit.
We’ve seen this several times in recent studies.
(Rom 15:16 KJV) That I should be the minister of Jesus Christ to the Gentiles, ministering the gospel of God, that the offering up of the Gentiles might be acceptable, being sanctified by the Holy Ghost.
We are made "holy", set apart for God’s special use, through the Holy Spirit. In the same way, the anointing oil set these things apart for special use as well.
When the Holy Spirit is working in our lives, He will be changing us, taking us further from sin and closer to God.
There is nothing we do in ministry that is not to be led by the Spirit of God.
JOH 4:24 "God is spirit, and those who worship Him must worship in spirit and truth."
It’s the Holy Spirit that qualifies us in the first place for ministry.
I think it helps to acknowledge this by praying before we minister.
Whether it’s a Bible Study, band practice, or an elders’ meeting, when we stop to pray first, we ought to be taking time to acknowledge that this is God’s church, and we want Him to be in control.
What about things like the "cleaning ministry"? Is that to be anointed by the Holy Spirit? How about the guys in the parking lot?
Everything we do ought to be led by the Spirit.
4. Don’t try to imitate the work of the Spirit. (vs.33)
This mixture wasn’t to be copied.
It’s not uncommon for people to see what the Spirit is doing, and to try to conjure up some way of packaging it, and duplicating it in some way.
It seems that this might have been what Simon the magician had in mind.
(Acts 8:9-24 KJV) But there was a certain man, called Simon, which beforetime in the same city used sorcery, and bewitched the people of Samaria, giving out that himself was some great one: {10} To whom they all gave heed, from the least to the greatest, saying, This man is the great power of God. {11} And to him they had regard, because that of long time he had bewitched them with sorceries. {12} But when they believed Philip preaching the things concerning the kingdom of God, and the name of Jesus Christ, they were baptized, both men and women. {13} Then Simon himself believed also: and when he was baptized, he continued with Philip, and wondered, beholding the miracles and signs which were done. {14} Now when the apostles which were at Jerusalem heard that Samaria had received the word of God, they sent unto them Peter and John: {15} Who, when they were come down, prayed for them, that they might receive the Holy Ghost: {16} (For as yet he was fallen upon none of them: only they were baptized in the name of the Lord Jesus.) {17} Then laid they their hands on them, and they received the Holy Ghost. {18} And when Simon saw that through laying on of the apostles' hands the Holy Ghost was given, he offered them money, {19} Saying, Give me also this power, that on whomsoever I lay hands, he may receive the Holy Ghost. {20} But Peter said unto him, Thy money perish with thee, because thou hast thought that the gift of God may be purchased with money. {21} Thou hast neither part nor lot in this matter: for thy heart is not right in the sight of God. {22} Repent therefore of this thy wickedness, and pray God, if perhaps the thought of thine heart may be forgiven thee. {23} For I perceive that thou art in the gall of bitterness, and in the bond of iniquity. {24} Then answered Simon, and said, Pray ye to the Lord for me, that none of these things which ye have spoken come upon me.
The work of the Holy Spirit is not some sort of magic trick that you can purchase the rights to. It is God at work.
I get concerned with things that can be abused to create an emotional, pseudo-spiritual response in people.
Emotional speaking, voice control, gestures, facial expressions... Emotional music, soft organ music while the pastor is praying, rising to a climax, etc....
God can use music to help us, but I think we can over do it also.