2 Corinthians 5:20a "...we are ambassadors for Christ."That's a pretty lofty job assignment. Meriam-Webster Dictionary says it is:
"the highest-ranking person who represents his or her own government while living in another country."Let's take a look at the prestige which you now have. Firstly, what is your "own government" as a Christian?
John 18:36 (ESV) "Jesus answered, 'My kingdom is not of this world. If my kingdom were of this world, my servants would have been fighting, that I might not be delivered over to the Jews. But my kingdom is not from the world.'”The "kingdom of God" is where God resides!
Romans 14:17 (ESV) "For the kingdom of God is not a matter of eating and drinking but of righteousness and peace and joy in the Holy Spirit."In the kingdom of God importance will not be on the physical, but on spiritual matters: righteousness, peace and joy while communing with God's Holy Spirit. Although, it's a physical place, it's situated in a spiritual realm. Some believe that when a sinner becomes a new creature in Christ, that the person becomes a citizen of the kingdom of God. That's true. While Christians don't reside physically in the kingdom of God, they are bona fide citizens of God's realm. That's the case because an ambassador represents their own government, not another.
The song says "This world is not my home... I'm just passing through!" (Albert Brumley, 1937). While we're here, we hold two offices: 1) ambassador to the Air (world) whose Prince is Satan (a sinner), and then for the new creature: 2) ambassador to the kingdom of God. The rewards of sinner can be nothing, but could be pleasure, wealth or power. Unfortunately, those rewards are mere promises, never coming to fruition for most! On the other hand, the rewards for being an "ambassador for the kingdom o God" is hope, joy, peace, happiness and maybe even true pleasure, wealth and power! After all, an ambassador, according to the definition is "the highest ranking person"!
In effect Christians are citizens of God's Kingdom, but are here with special privileges! We have "diplomatic immunity". We are given safe haven in the foreign country (this world) and are not susceptible to lawsuits or prosecution. The only avenue against us is expulsion, and as Christians, that will happen someday and then we will be able to travel to our eternal home! For the Christian ambassador, God puts a hedge around us to protect us from utter destruction by the Prince of the Air, just as he did for Job. The only difference between a worldly ambassador and a Christian ambassador, is that we may very well be persecuted, but ultimately, it's a privilege to be a "defender of the faith" . Our living sacrifice as ambassadors to the kingdom of God may very well be us!
Secondly, ambassadors are in another realm. The "world" is our "another country". Ambassadors are expected to represent their government with dignity while they're visiting abroad. Our country's behavior is called righteousness. That's what we're to be while we're representing God!
2 Timothy 2:22 (ESV) "So flee youthful passions and pursue righteousness, faith, love, and peace, along with those who call on the Lord from a pure heart."As ambassadors on behalf of God, we are to be as God is. No, we are never to act as if we're God in this world, but we are to do God's bidding. Because he has us represent him, we are to do that while we're here! Those ambassadors who use filthy language, get drunk, curse, or are licentious and vile, are misrepresenting their King! The sinners in the world will never recognize vile people as ambassadors if righteousness is never pursued!
Romans 14:21 (ESV) "It is good not to eat meat or drink wine or do anything that causes your brother to stumble."Good ambassadors represent God well. We are to be the model which draws others to our country. We're to go out into the world and tell others about our own country (The Great Commission), but our only tourist brochure besides scripture, is our own lives. Do you talk filthy? Then some will think you represent a filthy country. Are you lascivious? Then citizens of this world will believe your kingdom is hedonistic! I hope Christians who casually sin, can see that sin isn't casual. We are at liberty to do wrong, but that doesn't magnify our Kingdom!
Thirdly, we are "the highest ranking person" in our temporary home! What rank are we? Christians are "Royal Priests"!
1 Peter 2:9 "But ye are a chosen generation, a royal priesthood, an holy nation, a peculiar people; that ye should shew forth the praises of him who hath called you out of darkness into his marvellous light..."In kingdoms there are Estates-General: the clergy (First Estate), the nobles (Second Estate), and the common people (Third Estate). The First Estate are the most powerful, followed by rulers and lastly, the ruled. As "royal priests" Christians are of the First Estate! We are "the highest ranking person" in the kingdom of God, although in that kingdom there are only two estates: the King and royal priests. There are no commoners in the kingdom of God!
At first I believed that Christians have visas here on earth issued by our home county: the kingdom of God, but we are more than that! We are here because God authorized us to be his ambassadors. We are powerful and as such, we are to use that power to represent our King as he should be honored. We are groomed to be as Christ and represent him well. He's the emissary who gave us our ambassadorship and our mediator with the King!
John 14:6 (ESV) "Jesus said to him, “I am the way, and the truth, and the life. No one comes to the Father except through me.", speaking of the "kingdom of God"!We are anointed by Jesus to our ambassadorship. We represent God by being Christlike in this foreign country. We are to be righteous, seek peace and not war, and deal with these aliens with love and charity. That's a high office we hold! Are you up to it?
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