The Smell of Salvation

I was sitting on the Metro rail in Miami trying to fall asleep, but with every jolt from the train, it felt like it was going to go off track, I decided it would be better for me to stay awake. So I looked around. At the end of train was this middle eastern man. His shirt and pants were a mix of brown colors. He had square glasses that wrapped around his aged face and his white hair. I couldn't tell what he was reading because he was to far away so I moved on to the next person. This person looked like a student, probably in high school. He sat directly in front of me. He had his i-pod in and his Target employee page on the right side of his shirt. From what I could hear, he was listening to "Make it Rain" by Fat Joe feat Lil Wayne. He just sat there minding his own business. The next person was a 50 to 60 year old woman dressed in floral prints and had gigantic pearl earrings on (they were fake). She looked somewhat confused about how public transportation worked and for the most part she made sure not to look around at anybody. She came and she went like everybody else, in silence, not giving a hello or a smile, not showing any hint that you were alive. Everyone(besides our group cause they knew each other) sat there in silence not showing any sort of acknowledgment that you were a human being.

Then a man about 6 foot came and sat next to me. He was wearing a torn up and extremely dirty Grant Hill Jersey. If i had any thoughts about trying to fall asleep they were now gone, due to the smell of alcohol and lack of deodorant. I sat there and thought to myself, "that is so disgusting." I felt myself do a mental "move-over" and i was completely against the idea of talking to him. So I sat there in silence. No Smile. No Hello. No Acknowledgment that I even saw Him. Then he got up and left. I would love to say that the smell of alcohol and body odor followed him as he left, but it didn't. I sat there and i thought. How could I have not said hi to him? How could i not even smile?

I am ashamed because I dont know what this man might be going through. God placed me next to him for a reason but I ignored the call to share the Gospel at that moment. I remember something the Lord taught me a few weeks ago and that is " Are you more concerned about your own comfort, or about people that are in need of God's love?" And in that moment, my heart was crying to God for forgiveness because I did NOTHING, absolutely NOTHING, to show this man the love of God. The smell was not the smell of Alcohol our sweat, but it was the Smell of Salvation. It was the Smell of someone in need of a Saviour, in need of the forgiveness that only God can provide. So now, I pray, that someone more willing than I, would penetrate this mans life, and show him true love of Christ.

I beg you all not to fall into the trap of Comfort that Satan wants us in, but to fearlessly live out the Gospel as it says in Ephesians 5:19. Let us put on the Full Armor of God and proclaim the Gospel, ready to take the suffering that comes with it. Let us remember that Christ is coming back and there WILL be judgment, and those that are not followers of Christ have offended a HOLY God and there is a price to be paid and Let us remember that Christ has fully saved us from the punishment we deserve if we believe that He died for our sins and rose again. Let us remember that Christ loves the sinner and much as He loves the pastor.
DO you want to know what separates a professing "Christian" from a real one? True understanding of the Gospel and the willingness to share it.

You can not be a Follower of God that is redeemed by Grace, and not have any desire to Share the Gospel.

So Let's share the Gospel.