Practically Silent Grace

How to Spread the Glory of Jesus Without Words

Psalm 34:12–14 (CSB)
Who is someone who desires life, loving a long life to enjoy what is good? Keep your tongue from evil and your lips from deceitful speech. Turn away from evil and do what is good; seek peace and pursue it.

Isn’t it incredible that the gospel has united us with Jesus Christ? Remember who we were before we were brought into the family of God?

• We were dead in sin.

• Prisoners of the Dark Kingdom.

• Slaves to the fear of death.¹

Just to name a few, and all of this without hope that it could ever change.

But God…

Ephesians 2:4–7 (NIV)
But because of his great love for us, God, who is rich in mercy, made us alive with Christ even when we were dead in transgressions—it is by grace you have been saved. And God raised us up with Christ and seated us with him in the heavenly realms in Christ Jesus, in order that in the coming ages he might show the incomparable riches of his grace, expressed in his kindness to us in Christ Jesus.

God destroyed everything against us! Remember our list of issues above? When we believe, by God’s grace, we are united to Jesus. This means:

• God made us alive with Christ.

• Our Father took us from the Dark Kingdom and seated us with Jesus in heavenly realms.

• And now, instead of fearing death, Our Father’s good plan is to use eternity to show the incomparable riches of His grace and express His kindness for us.

We are truly alive, set free from satan’s kingdom and plan, and now death is a doorway to unimaginable joy! All of this is because we are united with Christ.

We are so united that, in a way, we smell like Jesus.

2 Corinthians 2:15–17 (NIV)
For we are to God the pleasing aroma of Christ among those who are being saved and those who are perishing. To the one we are an aroma that brings death; to the other, an aroma that brings life. And who is equal to such a task? Unlike so many, we do not peddle the word of God for profit. On the contrary, in Christ we speak before God with sincerity, as those sent from God.

Smell is a funny thing. You can know someone is in the room because of their perfume! They don’t have to say anything or announce their arrival; their cologne's aroma declares their presence. As believers, we have the privilege of smelling like Christ in (sometimes) simple ways.

Nala is undergoing a sanctification of smell

Here is one:

When we keep ourselves from talking badly about one another, we carry the fragrance of God’s grace.

Sometimes we are invited to be a part of conversations that turn toward people with issues, flaws, and sins. Sometimes these conversations are unhelpful and happen between people who should not be discussing the situation or people involved. Have you been a part of talks like this before? Most of us have.

What do we do when a discussion like this comes our way? One of the ways we can “smell like Jesus” in moments like this is not to talk. If we do not know what happened, why it happened, all the reasons it happened, if it actually happened, and all the facts (and we never do), it is possible to simply not comment…especially when we are not a part of it! When we keep quiet in moments like this, we show people that there is grace in the world. Even those who bring us information about others are confronted with mercy when we simply stay silent.

You and I are given the great privilege of announcing that Jesus has come into the room. Often we do that with overt actions and words. Other times we wordlessly communicate Jesus’ presence by showing practically silent grace. In this way, we are the aroma of Christ.

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If you, like me, need the Holy Spirit’s help in this area, here are a few verses. It may help to bookmark them, write them out, or highlight them.

Psalm 34:12-14; James 3:2-18; Colossians 4:6;

1. Ephesians 2; Colossians 1:13; Hebrews 2:15