Scented Saints
Incense has always played a part in all religions. Visit the religious shrines of the world and you will usually find many candles burning in different shapes and configurations. The demon gods demand that their worshippers offer perfumed honor in their behalf. The idea of incense as found in these religions is not only wrong, it is terribly distorted.
The Holy Bible has much to say about incense, but so different from the showy world of false religions. Biblical incense is a life lived in the graces of Jesus Christ and the perfume is Holiness — His Holiness — not candles of various smells. We are to be unto our God a sweet savor of Christ. Our Heavenly Father revels in a life so pure and full of grace that the aroma of Jesus Christ spreads out into our world. This aroma is a savor (perfume) of life unto life to the believers and, also, a savor of death unto death to the spiritually dead.
Listen as Apostle Paul shares His revelation of the incense. “Now thanks be unto God, which always causeth us to triumph in Christ, and maketh manifest the savor (aroma) of his knowledge by us in every place. For we are unto God a sweet savor of Christ, in them that are saved, and in them that perish: To the one we are the savor of death unto death; and to the other the savor of life unto life. And who is sufficient for these things?” (II Corinthians 2:14-16). The depth of this truth has little interest in our worldly churches. The perfume of His presence cannot be lit like a candle. The whole idea of worshipping with scented lights is pagan and blasphemous. The Holiness of His redemptive graces and life imparted to us is the only perfume that can waft its way into His presence.
Our God is exalted by saints that dwell long and patiently in His Son’s presence. As we revel in His Holy revelations and by faith allow His blood to sanctify and purify body, soul, and spirit (I Thessalonians 5:23), we indeed can offer incense (a sweet savor) unto our Father. This sweet savor is the making of revival and spiritual awakening. Conviction of the Holy Ghost will follow “Scented Saints.” Our lives will bless the church and the world. Sinners of our day have heard so much from and about religious people that show no “graces of righteousness” that religion has become a fluke. The world is plainly rejecting the false pretense that goes for Christianity today.
“Scented Saints” is the heart’s cry of Biblical truth. Soft words by “Scented Saints” will break hard hearts. Biblical Holiness is not hard, demanding, nor is it condemning. Biblical Holiness is a work of such power and beauty that it melts the arrogance of our enemies. It is His nature, the same nature that wicked men could not resist when He walked this earth. One police officer sent to arrest Him returned to those in authority without Him proclaiming, “Never man spake like this man” (John 7:46). A hard Roman soldier beneath His cross finally said, “Truly this man was the Son of God” (Mark 15:39).
“Forgive me, God, for trying to light a candle that I might shine. I surrender before such grace as is revealed in your cross. In your presence, teach me to let your aroma fill every part of my being until my Father makes me a blessing to saints and sinners alike. I surrender to be a Scented Saint in a sick and repulsive world. Amen!”
Mark A. Steiner
Scented, Salty and reflecting the True Light in Christ Jesus in all we do, Bro. Chambers. Thank you.
Sean
Forgive me, God, for trying to light a candle that I might shine.
A good prayer – if candles were lit as a personal conceit as Joseph wants you to believe.
Scented candles are not incense. Then, again, I’ve never seen scented candles in a Catholic church. The candles there must be made of beeswax, the purest being offered to God. so this theme of scented candles is a “strawman argument,” another example of Joseph’s fallacious logic based, not on reality but on fantasy and bigotry. From the way Joseph goes on, it is apparent he has never spent much time in a real Catholic church.
The only purpose of candles is to be symbolic, first of Christ: The wax representing His body, the wick representing His soul, the flame a symbol of His divinity. The burning candle is, therefore, a sacrifice of prayer rising to heaven, belivers union with Jesus in His Body. So is incense. But the two are not the same. Incense is granular, made from the sap of bushes and trees. Candles are made of wax.
I’m really amazed that Joseph is attempting to sell you folks on the idea that incense is not pleasing to God, who commanded an entire altar for incense to be burned in His honor in the Tabernacle and in the Temple. Since John in Revelation sees incense being burned in the liturgy of heaven presented to him, it is only reasonable that the followers of the Lamb on earth, seek to praise and honor Him in the same way.
C’mon, Joseph, you can do better than this. Attacking Christians for burning incense is to attack the Bible. Everything we sacrifice in union with the sufferings of the Christ fill up what is lacking in them (I know that will scandalize you so here is the citation for that: Colossians 1:24)
Anyone wishing to discuss this with me may reach me at Locksley69@aol.com. And, if you’re going to enter into discussin with me be prepared to refute the Scriptural citations I use or don’t bother. It is very difficult backing up everything I state only to have someone tell me that he will not believe what I write no matter what. That is a refuge for anyone so bigoted that he cannot change his mind even with the proof staring him in the face. That is someone who prefers opinion to Scripture.
Sean
In Revelation we see more than one mention of incense, representing the prayers of the saints rising to God.
Patrick
When Jesus lifted His voice from the cross and said, “It is finished!” and the temple veil was rent in twain, the age of the law had ended and the age of grace had begun. We now enter the holy place (worship) by a new and living way, through faith in the finished work of Christ. Through each of the ages, God had an acceptable sacrifice and an unacceptable one such as when the two sons of Adam presented themselves in worship, one having the fruit of the ground and the other having a lamb. One was an error and the other was correct. Today our acceptable sacrifice is spiritual through the crucified and risen Christ and the power of His blood to cleanse all sin. In this regard, works of the flesh, or the material world, account for nothing in the sight of God except the PREACHING of the Gospel. Incense, altars, candles, rituals, book-learning, holidays account for and amount to nothing to earn God’s favor or to make an acceptable offering. Like our self righteousness being as filthy rags, incense is only a feeble attempt to cover the stench of our sins and please our flesh. Wake up, Catholics, Protestants, Jews, Muslims, Buddhists and others, the time is short!
Jim S
Thank you Pastor Chambers. I could not agree with you more! You are one-hundred percent correct. Unfortuntely, Sean is missing the spiritual application of this great truth.
Sean
In this regard, works of the flesh, or the material world, account for nothing in the sight of God except the PREACHING of the Gospel. Incense, altars, candles, rituals, book-learning, holidays account for and amount to nothing to earn God’s favor or to make an acceptable offering, says Patrick.
I know of no one who claims that these things “earn” God’s favor – except sectarians who have no knowledge of what they claim to detest. At the same time, St Paul claims that we “fill up what is lacking in the sufferings of Christ” (Colossians 1:24) when we unite our sufferings, our disappointments and annoyances to those of Christ on the Cross.
Get over yourself, Patrick. The misinformation you’ve absorbed from liars and frauds makes you look silly. I know of no Catholic who thinks he can “earn” heaven which we Catholics know is a “free gift”. Better consult something more informative and authoritative than the forged “Oath of the Jesuits.”
Sean
Oh, really, Jimt5? I miss the “spiritual application” of an untruth? You seem to forget that God does not deceive nor can He be deceived.
I’m afraid you continue to claim something that does not exist in fact or history. How do you apply a fictitious and noxious belief to spirituality?
David R
“The only purpose of candles is to be symbolic, first of Christ: The wax representing His body, the wick representing His soul, the flame a symbol of His divinity. The burning candle is, therefore, a sacrifice of prayer rising to heaven, belivers union with Jesus in His Body. So is incense. But the two are not the same. Incense is granular, made from the sap of bushes and trees. Candles are made of wax.”
Sean, I don’t find any of that candle (wax, wick, and flame) “symbology” in God’s Word? It sounds like something from the mind of Man. If it is not given or supported in God’s Word, then it is of Satan and his angels.
In supporting or interpreting something in the Bible, it may help if one uses Dr. D.L. Cooper’s “Golden Rule of Interpretation”, which is:
“When the plain sense of scripture makes common sense, seek no other sense; therefore, take every word at its primary, ordinary, usual, literal meaning unless the facts of the immediate context,
studied in the light of related passages and axiomatic and fundamental truths, indicate clearly otherwise.” Dr. D.L. Cooper
David R
Sean, why must you attack others? I am new to this wonderful site and I am grateful that I am welcome here, as I assume you are welcome. The tone of your posts, however, indicates that you strongly disagree with what is written on this site. They are (in my opinion) mean-spirited, antagonistic, pompous, and sometimes cross over into personal attacks.
I guess I’m asking, if you disagree with the views so strongly, why do you visit and read the site? Is it just to provoke others and spread disunity? If you disagree with something, you can discuss it in a civil way without disparaging others.
Disunity tears the church apart. Nothing good comes from it.
I hope you
jaimie
Dear Pastor Chambers
The passage about Scents and Aromas has also been on my mind as well, in particular this spring.
Is there not a passage in the old testemant that tells us not to recreate the very special (recipe) incense that was used in the temple?
Some incense are very particular to GOD and some to Man, don’t need to walk through no Shamanic Smoke Rings either, got the Holy Spirit, even if my candle goes out!
God Bless my Christian Bretheren
jaimie
PASTOR’S answer: The Scripture is Exodus 30: 22-38. This is a beautiful truth and gives us the exact tryes for the truth around the Baptism of the Holy Ghost. I have a sermon on this supject, but I’m not sure where to find it,. I will take a look.
Joseph Chambers
Sean
I’m happy to note that none of you can refute the Scripture I’ve cited and noted. That means you are guided by opinion and the precepts of man.
As Jesus told Paul, it’s hard to kick against the goad.
Sean
Sean, I don’t find any of that candle (wax, wick, and flame) “symbology” in God’s Word? It sounds like something from the mind of Man.
Absolutely, David. The mind of man that is the gift of God, doing things to honor and reverence the Creator, Redeemer and Sanctifier of us all. You forget, David, that the Church is the guardian and expositor of Scripture. Acts 15 teaches this.
A council of the governing board of the Church in Jerusalem, the apostles AND their successors, the presbyters, decided, along with Peter the Apostle, that it was useless to force the Gentile Christians to bother with the command of God to circumcise the flesh, beginning in Genesis 17:10-14. Then, again, that same council set aside ALL of Leviticus 11, dropping the need to keep kosher. And then, the apostles and presbyters, claiming have been enlightened by the Holy Spirit, made up their own dietary law.
And then, David, those apostles and presbyters demanded that ALL the other assemblies united to the Mother Church in Jerusalem were to obey their directives by sending a message to them through trusted messengers.
So, David, your attempt to throw “is it in the Bible” falls flat when, as even St Paul admits, that “the Church of the Living God is the pillar and mainstay of truth” (1 Tim 3:15). That Church uses Scripture to teach and inform its members but, as shown in Acts 15, it is the Church, not Scripture that makes the final decisions.
I can prove that last statement by asking you to look around at the 29,000+ sects and denonimatinos which all claim to be the “real” Church but which reflect nothing by the opinions and prejudices of man. If the Bible does not need an authoritative interpreter and guide, why are all these sects NOT united with each other?
If Scripture alone was authoritative, then all Christians would be united in all beliefs/
That is because the Holy Spirit, “the Spirit of Truth” as Jesus said, “will guide you to ALL truth, not partial truth, not partial agreement.
Or, David, do you believe the Holy Spirit can say one thing is true for one group of Christians while denying it to another group? That would be very duplicious of the Spirit of Truth since Truth is ONE, not many.
Sorry, David. You are hoist with your own petard, as Shakespeare says.
The Bible itself claims to be incomplete (John 20:21, 21:25). Making the Bible more than it claims for itself is making it an idol, an object of worship in itself, superceding God.
So, David, I refuse to make a book my idol. I prefer the Lord God and the truth He spoke in the Scripture – truth you ignore or deny, take your pick, since you have tried to hard to tell us all that if it’s not in the Bible, it can’t be done.
David R
“I’m happy to note that none of you can refute the Scripture I’ve cited and noted. That means you are guided by opinion and the precepts of man.”
Sean, whether you agree with it or not, you have been refuted many times. Specifically, the Scripture you throw out in your arguments are either misquoted or misinterpreted.
You clearly place the Church above God’s Word – a dangerous proposition. Who is the Church, Sean? We are – Man. Christ founded the Church, but we are the Church. So, according to your arguments, Man trumps God’s Word. (I think your words were: “it is the Church, not Scripture that makes the final decisions”).
Yes, the Church is to bring the Truth of God’s Word throughout the world, but the Truth IS God’s Word, not Man’s opinion of it or changes to it. Man is flawed. And unfortunately, the Church is flawed. One only has to look around at the Church today to see how far they have fallen away from God’s Word. Man can add NOTHING to God’s Word without perverting it.
1 Tim 3:14-16 clearly state that the Church is to hold forth the SCRIPTURE and the doctrine of Christ. It does not state that the Church is to teach anything other than the Scripture. That includes rituals, rites, or other doctrines that Man/Church thinks looks good or might be religious.
Acts 15, (that chapter you noted) also makes this point. The Apostles were correcting Man’s false doctrines and misinterpretations that one had to keep the Law given by Moses and also be circumcised to be saved. The Apostles corrected the false doctrines with ONLY the Word of God. God’s Word is the Truth, not the Church.
Scripture, in itself, IS authoritative.
Mathew 4:4, “But he answered and said, It is written, Man shall not live by bread alone, but by every word that proceedeth out of the mouth of God.”
Luke 4:4, “And Jesus answered him, saying, It is written, That man shall not live by bread alone, but by every word of God.”
To state, as you have, that putting your trust in the Bible (the Word of God) is idolatry, is blasphemous.
In the end, Sean, it is through the Holy Spirit, prayer, and staying in God’s Word that guides the Christian to abide in Christ. Relying on Man’s opinion on what is right or wrong is a recipe for disaster.