Ambassadors for Christ

2 Corinthians 5:20

Therefore, we are ambassadors for Christ, God making his appeal through us.

As I was reading this chapter I was challenged yet again as to how privileged we are as Christians. I don’t know about you but my life is far from perfect, yet Paul teaches in verse 17 of the same chapter "Therefore, if anyone is in Christ, he is a new creation. The old has passed away; behold, the new has come.”  Not even that the new is coming but that it is here. How challenging to think that I am a new creation and that I represent God when I look at all the times I have messed up, sinned and not represented God or haven’t conducted myself in a way that is befitting ‘an ambassador for Christ.’

Ambassadors represent those they have been sent by, they portray their values and their desires. They promote the person, country , organisation or club they are representing in a positive light. The idea is that they give a good representation of those they are acting on behalf of. In this way we are to represent Christ here on the earth. We are called to promote the gospel and reach out to people as Christ reached out to people while he was on the earth. Jesus said in John 13:35 - "By this will all people know you are my disciples, if you have love one for another." God places responsibility on us to reach out to others. 

2 Corinthians 5:20 Paul states that God was making his appeal for reconciliation to the Corinthians through Paul.  The same is true today of us. God appeals to non-believers through us. It would be so easy for God to bypass us to represent himself here on the earth. There wouldn’t be the fighting about whose doctrine is right or whose style of worship is correct. There wouldn’t be conflict about who we are or aren’t going to accept in Church or how our services should run. Yet putting that aside instead he has chosen to use us. What a testimony of Grace and Mercy – demonstrations of the very thing we are supposed to be representing – that in spite of our imperfections God still chooses us to be his ambassadors. What an expression of this, that even when we get things wrong we can come to the living God and commune with him, but that he also says “hey you still wear my mark, you’re still my ambassador.”

When we mess up Satan tries to bring us down and tries to say we are of no use., that we have no right to be a representative of God.  God’s desire is to have someone who has a heart after him, that puts their trust in him, that recognises their need for a Saviour. Moses was a murderer and Abraham lied to try and keep himself out of trouble yet in Hebrews 11:16 it states ‘ Therefore God is not ashamed to be called their God, for he has prepared for them a city.’ Despite what they did these were men of Faith, that is what pleased the heart of God. In the same way even when we make mistakes God is not ashamed to be called our God.

We can’t pretend that we don’t mess up but Paul teaches that because of what Christ has done for us we are new creations and still have that title of Ambassador for Christ in spite of what we have done.  We like to complicate things and think that our performance is what qualifies us for being an Ambassador, the truth is that as soon as you make the commitment to follow Christ you are an Ambassador for Christ, what you represent is the gospel that he brought. Just as through faith you were Justified so you became qualified to represent Christ. This doesn’t mean that you will be perfect and you won’t make mistakes it doesn’t mean that non Christians, and sadly in some cases Christians, won’t question your qualification to be an ambassador, but that is the beauty of the gospel. At the heart of it is the simplicity that it isn’t about me or you and what we do but that it is about Christ and what he has done so that we can be reconciled to the Father.

We are called to be ambassadors in every area of our lives, in word and in deed. I am challenged to think about my actions, what I do and don’t do. What I should have done in certain situations, not to beat myself up when I get it wrong or to think how wonderful I am when I get it right but simply to be conscious of what my life looks like so that the next time I’m in a situation I can be a better ambassador for Christ. What are you doing today to be an ambassador for Christ to bring the message of reconciliation to those around you? It can be a small act of kindness to a friend or stranger. It could be an encouraging word or praying for someone. It could be not losing your temper where in the past you may have done. Whatever it is keep on doing and if you find you aren’t quite flying the flag as you should then where you can make the change do it and where you need a little more help ask the Holy Spirit and he will help you.