I don't mean in a Catholic church sense, but what about just burning it for God, just because? Not as a sacrifice, or anything, but if God likes the scent of burning incense (at least I think that's what the old testament says) is it still ok to burn it to Him? Or is it now sinful to burn incense to Him? Maybe I'm not saying this right. I want to glorify God, and do things He likes. I also like the smell, so I was wondering if burning it for Him just because He likes it was ok?
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Is burning incense sinful?
- Thread starter SpyderByte
- Start date
According to scripture, if you offer the wrong incense, God will kill you.
Do not offer on this altar any other incense or any burnt offering or grain offering, and do not pour a drink offering on it. -- Exodus 30
Now Nadab and Abihu, the sons of Aaron, took their respective firepans, and after putting fire in them, placed incense on it and offered strange fire before the Lord, which he had not commanded them. And fire came out from the presence of the Lord and consumed them, and they died before the Lord. -- Leviticus 10
So if your intent is to emulate OT practices...better get it right.
Rather, go this way:
But thanks be to God, who always leads us as captives in Christ's triumphal procession and uses us to spread the aroma of the knowledge of him everywhere. For we are to God the pleasing aroma of Christ among those who are being saved and those who are perishing. -- 2 Corinthians 2
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Yeah, I'm not sayin what I wanna say right. It's not like a sacrifice, but just cause its something to show my love/devotion. You know, like if you know your wife/husband/girlfriend/boyfriend likes a particular meal, or a particular cologne or something, you do that to show you love them. Kinda along those lines. Am I makin sense or just rambling?
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L
Lovely Lane
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Save your money, and spend time volunteering at the food bank or shelter. God likes that.
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L
LST 1154
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Back in my unsaved days we burned incense to mask the odor of marijuana smoke. We were told it would do the trick but since we were high at the time we didn't know for sure and if it didn't we probably wouldn't have cared anyway!!!!!!!
LST
LST
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Fireinfolding
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I can't see anything wrong with burning incense, in fact I love the smell of incense myself, and enjoy watching the smoke come out of the incensor. I think every action we do should be glorifying to God, and burning incense and praising God for this earthly gift should indeed be done. Just like every morsal of food eaten, and every sip of a good wine should be eaten and drunk in a spirit of praise and thanksgiving. I think God delights in seeing us use and enjoy His gifts to us. However if you don't like incense then I don't think you should burn incense with the idea that God wants us to burn incense, or He will be particularly pleased with the smell of incense.
Check psalm 51:
"For you desire not sacrifice; else would I give it: you delight not in burnt offering. The sacrifices of God are a broken spirit: a broken and a contrite heart, O God, you will not despise"
If you want to use incense as an outward expression of this inward heart offering then by all means go for it, along with every other action you do in life. Hope this helps
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Let me tell you the purpose of incense in the church; it represents to the faithful the prayers of the saints going up to the throne of God. It reminds one as he prays that hundreds of thousands of others have prayed and are praying to the triune God. In this way it glorifies God. It is not something that is done because he 'likes' it, the mindset behind that thought is inherently pagan.
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Cappadocious
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PaladinValer
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<snip>
Is it wrong to watch television just because?
You are arguing dualism, which Christianity utterly rejects. The secular is not the opposite of the sacred.
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First I wanna thank everybody for the posts, and LST, sorry I'm not into the ganja!
I'm not arguing anything... I enjoy the smell of incense, and I was wondering if I burned it and said "I'm burning this cause you like it too God!" You know, to kinda show my love, is that a sin? I ask, cause like I saw from RDK, in the OT, it was a HUGE no no to burn it to God and not be a priest. Just wondered if that was the case in my situation. That's all.
I'm not arguing anything...
I enjoy the smell of incense, and I was wondering if I burned it and said "I'm burning this cause you like it too God!" You know, to kinda show my love, is that a sin? I ask, cause like I saw from RDK, in the OT, it was a HUGE no no to burn it to God and not be a priest. Just wondered if that was the case in my situation. That's all.
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TangoSprite
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Can a Christian burn incense?
Bible Incense Scripture
Remember that the Bible says the smell of roasting meat and blood on the altar was pleasing to God's senses. So when there are scriptures that put incense in a positive light follow your heart to see if you feel like burning them in offering to God.
If the smell of roasting flesh and blood was pleasing, certainly copal, frankincense and myrrh can't be bad. If they were imagine how wrong the Catholic church ceremonies have been all these years. :o
Bible Incense Scripture
Remember that the Bible says the smell of roasting meat and blood on the altar was pleasing to God's senses. So when there are scriptures that put incense in a positive light follow your heart to see if you feel like burning them in offering to God.
If the smell of roasting flesh and blood was pleasing, certainly copal, frankincense and myrrh can't be bad. If they were imagine how wrong the Catholic church ceremonies have been all these years. :o
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Cappadocious
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You know, where the priest shakes his incenser at the altar. I figure that's gotta be some kinda priests only thing, and its wrong for regular people to do it cause its part of a sacrifice or somethin.
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PaladinValer
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1. It is called a thurifer. Some call it a censer.
2. It has nothing to do with sacrifice actually; that would be certain vestments, particularly the chasuble, dalmatic, and tunicle. It has to do with prayers. Incense in the Holy Writ was likened in both the OT and NT to signify the prayers drifting up to God. When the cleric or thurifer (the acolyte who holds the thurible) censes something, it represents the collective prayers of all the worshipers.
3. Use of incense outside worship has never been forbidden in Christianity. Incense itself is a secular thing; it can be consecrated for Christian purpose, it could be used for profane reasons, or it could be used for secular purposes, like creating a pleasant odor in a room. Obviously Christianity forbids any profane use, but secular use bears no inherent objection. It is like using a car to go to the grocery store and back, or the use of chalk in a public school classroom.
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Cappadocious
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High church Christians use incense and censers at home, as well. It's not just for priests.
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katherine2001
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The EO priests use a censer on a chain that they swing. The entire nave and altar area are censed often during services. He censes the people as well since we are living icons. We are encouraged to use incense at home during prayer times. Our parish bookstore sells it.
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sunlover1
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I can't see anything wrong with burning incense, in fact I love the smell of incense myself, and enjoy watching the smoke come out of the incensor. I think every action we do should be glorifying to God, and burning incense and praising God for this earthly gift should indeed be done. Just like every morsal of food eaten, and every sip of a good wine should be eaten and drunk in a spirit of praise and thanksgiving. I think God delights in seeing us use and enjoy His gifts to us. However if you don't like incense then I don't think you should burn incense with the idea that God wants us to burn incense, or He will be particularly pleased with the smell of incense.
Check psalm 51:
"For you desire not sacrifice; else would I give it: you delight not in burnt offering. The sacrifices of God are a broken spirit: a broken and a contrite heart, O God, you will not despise"
If you want to use incense as an outward expression of this inward heart offering then by all means go for it, along with every other action you do in life. Hope this helps
David liked to dance for Him.
God bless you.
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Esdra
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As far as I know, everyone can burn incense.
In Austria, where I live, it is a custom to burn incense and go through every room at i.e. Christmas.
I think it is no problem if you do it for the glory of God.
I like the smell too. (This is one of the many resaons why I reverted to the RCC )
In Austria, where I live, it is a custom to burn incense and go through every room at i.e. Christmas.
I think it is no problem if you do it for the glory of God.
I like the smell too.
(This is one of the many resaons why I reverted to the RCC )
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