We tend to associate some smells with pleasant thoughts and other smells with unpleasant thoughts. Paul expands this theme in the second chapter of his second letter to the Corinthians: “I am grateful to God, who always leads us in triumph in Christ, and wherever we go reveals through us the fragrance of knowing him. We are the fragrance of Christ to God in people who are being saved and in people who are dying. To one we are the odour of death. To the other we are the fragrance of life.”
In an ideal world, followers of Jesus would smell sweet to everybody. Their selfless service of others and the way their lives reflect the love and joy of Jesus should inspire admiration and make them welcome. In reality many Christians are poor ambassadors for Christ, falling far short of reflecting the love and joy of Jesus in their lives. But even if they did come closer to the ideal, they would still be the “odour of death” to “people who are dying”.
While people who are not Christians may appreciate some of the good things that Christians might do, it is still likely that they will be offended by the exclusiveness of the Christian message. To those who believe the message, the bearers of the message have the fragrance of life; to those who do not believe the message, the bearers of the message have a more deadly stench.