Ambassadors For Christ II Cor. 5: 18-20 CLICK TITLE FOR AUDIO
After we have been saved, God makes us ambassadors for Christ. According to the Merriam Webster Dictionary, an ambassador “is a diplomatic agent of the highest rank accredited to a foreign government or sovereign as the resident representative of his or her own government or sovereign or appointed for a special and often temporary diplomatic assignment.” Let’s see what this entails.
First, before we can can be ambassadors, we must be reconciled to God – 2 Cor 5:18 – you can’t be an ambassador if you haven’t been reconciled. Here’s what happens in reconciliation. We were sinners and enemies of God. Jesus Christ, on the other hand, is the sinless Savior and Son of God. The Son of God took the place of sinners and died for our sins [2 Cor 5:19a] so that we could take his place as sons of God when we receive Jesus Christ as our Savior [Jn 1:12-13]. Now, we are reconciled to God.
Second, after we are reconciled, God gives us the ministry of reconciliation – 2 Cor 5:18 – After Jesus Christ rose from the dead he spent 40 days on earth and then ascended to heaven. He is not here to personally do the work of reconciliation. He uses us to do it. We don’t have to die like he did for sinners, because he has already taken care of that. However, what he “committed unto us [is] the word of reconciliation.” He gave us his words to preach so that others will know that he died for them, that he reconciled them to God and that they can be saved by his life [Rom 5:10].
Third, in this ministry of reconciliation, God makes us ambassadors for Christ – 2 Cor 5:20 – we are his diplomatic agents of the highest rank. That’s hard to believe knowing who we are. However, we must remember 2 Pet 1:2-10. We can be ambassadors because we are partakers of his divine nature and his divine power. So, it is not us, but Christ in us. And the more that we follow what Peter said by adding to our faith the things he listed in 1 Pet 1:5-7, the more fruitful we can be. Like one preacher said. “The great men didn’t have more of the Spirit, the Spirit had more of them.”
As God’s ambassadors, we are accredited to a “foreign” government. This world is not our home; heaven is our home. We are just the resident representatives of God’s kingdom. And we are appointed for this special assignment by God. Remember our assignment is temporary. You can only do it while you live here.
God beseeches others by us, we are here in Christ’s stead. Paul said, we “pray” you in Christ’s stead, be ye reconciled to God. One preacher said, “an ambassador gets with God on behalf of sinners, and gets with sinners on behalf of God.” We pray and we preach.
Conclusion: How are you doing in your ministry of reconciliation? Do you know and can you communicate the word of reconciliation? Are you adding the things Peter mentioned to your faith? Has Jesus been able to reap the reward of his sacrifice through you?