AMBASSADORS FOR CHRIST

2 Corinthians 5:19-20 (TNIV) “… that God was reconciling the world to himself in Christ, not counting people’s sins against them. And he has committed to us the message of reconciliation. We are therefore Christ’s ambassadors, as though God were making his appeal through us. We implore you on Christ’s behalf: Be reconciled to God.”




RECONCILE (def): To reestablish a close relationship between.

If reestablishment is required then there must have been a separation. The Garden of Eden provided the separation by virtue of Adam and Eve eating of the forbidden fruit. Christ provided the reconciliation by BEING the perfect blood sacrifice Who would give Himself up for our sins. God never counts our sins against us if we confess them and embrace the cleansing flood of Christ’s blood meant to wash those sins completely away. It’s as if they were never committed in the first place. It doesn’t happen automatically though, we have to seek it out and request it. Like any gift that is offered, it must be taken from He Who offers it.

We are now reconciled to God if we have received the gift of salvation. What do we do now? Did you know God now calls you an Ambassador for Christ? He wants to use you and me to proclaim His glorious word. We get so caught up in what we can’t do or at least can’t do well that we miss the point entirely. Moses apparently had a speech impediment (Exodus 4:10), yet God used Him mightily. It is the socially insignificant ones that God can use to do great things. Probably because they don’t have problems with pride and arrogance, which can be seen from time to time in believers. It is as if they feel somehow special because they are being used by God. We are ALL special; unique creatures. One of a kind. There is not another one like us in the whole world. And God has not only chosen to love us unconditionally, without exception, but has also chosen to use us for His glory. Whatever it is that God requires of us He will equip us for. Count on it.

We have an important mission in this life as believers. It can be accomplished through the spoken word or through our actions. They say actions speak louder than words anyway, so BE like Christ rather than speak like Him. Anyone can talk a good game … but as the saying goes, “seeing is believing”.

“WWJD?” was a worn out phrase that Christians embraced for quite a while. It still is in some areas of the country. I think some people were turned off by the commercial aspect of the slogan. It was everywhere … on tee shirts, rubber bracelets, dog tags, ball caps, note cards, bumper stickers and so on. But let’s not throw out the baby with the bath water so to speak. Is it not a valid question? What WOULD Jesus do in this or that situation? First, we must KNOW Jesus. I mean, study Him. If nothing else, read the Gospels. See how He acted and reacted to different situations. If we are to be His Ambassadors we should know who we are to represent. We need to emulate Him is every way. Now this, like sanctification, is a progressive thing. You can’t expect to wake up one morning and “poof” you are just like Jesus. We are faced with trials of many sizes and sorts every day. But if we are serious about BEING like Christ, we must count the cost and then proceed. God made you and loves you and also wants to use you, perhaps in a small way or perhaps in a large way. Be available. God needs to be paramount in your life. He needs to occupy your thoughts so that your actions will be gracious and kind. He needs to consume you to your core. You know what I mean by that. This doesn’t mean you quit your job and join a monastery unless you feel specifically led by God’s Spirit to do that. It means that you give God a portion of your day. It means you focus on Him and what He may be trying to say to you. It means you go to church expecting to hear from Him. It means you have your Spiritual antennae up and functioning at all times. Maybe it means you stop to help fix a flat. Maybe you hold a door open for a struggling mother with 3 children. Maybe its saying something encouraging to a check out person, which may just be the first encouraging word they’ve heard all day. Maybe it’s cooking dinner so your wife can sit and rest for a change. There are many ways you can BE like Christ that don’t necessarily involve evangelism. And then there is ministering the word of God to others. Be prepared. Scripture tells us to be ready in season and out to defend that which we believe. God has the weapons ready and waiting. We just need to pick them up and go forth into the day. We can do this. God has enabled us. Allow your faith and trust to kick in and you might be surprised at what can be accomplished in His name.

WALK WITH THE KING TODAY AND BE A BLESSING!