What does it mean to be an ambassador for Christ?

Ambassadors for Christ. We often think of this description of believers in Christ in terms of conveying the message of the cross to the world. But there is much more to this term. In 2 Corinthians 5:20, God's word describes believers as "ambassadors for Christ.” See 2 Corinthians 5-

“17 Therefore, if anyone is in Christ, he is a new creation; old things have passed away; behold, all things have become new. 18 Now all things are of God, who has reconciled us to Himself through Jesus Christ, and has given us the ministry of reconciliation, 19 that is, that God was in Christ reconciling the world to Himself, not imputing their trespasses to them, and has committed to us the word of reconciliation.

20 Now then, we are ambassadors for Christ, as though God were pleading through us: we implore you on Christ’s behalf, be reconciled to God. 21 For He made Him who knew no sin to be sin for us, that we might become the righteousness of God in Him.”

Very crucial to our believing is verse 19 in bold above as it is a core belief that defines all of Christ's ambassadors: Because of the sacrifice of Jesus, God is no longer imputing our trespasses to us. See The Living Bible translation-

“18 All these new things are from God who brought us back to Himself through what Christ Jesus did. And God has given us the privilege of urging everyone to come into His favor and be reconciled to Him.

19 For God was in Christ, restoring the world to Himself, no longer counting men’s sins against them but blotting them out. This is the wonderful message He has given us to tell others.

20 We are Christ’s ambassadors. God is using us to speak to you: we beg you, as though Christ Himself were here pleading with you, receive the love He offers you—be reconciled to God.”

To digress a little - notice the message that ambassadors for Christ get to preach in verse 19 above? It entails telling others that God is no longer counting men's sins against them but blotting them out. It entails pleading with others to receive the love that God offers. None of that “You will burn in hell if you don't obey the Ten Commandments and stop fornicating in Jesus' name" false doctrine that is being preached from some pulpits. God sent His Son not to condemn the world but to save(John 3:17,) even salvation from sins as it is written in Matthew 1:21-

“She will bear a Son; and you shall call His name Jesus, for He will save His people from their sins.”

Believer, just as Christ who knew no sin was made to be sin for us, we who knew no righteousness were made to become the righteousness of God in Him. This blood-bought righteousness that we have in Christ is a gift from God. It cannot be earned or deserved. See how our heavenly Father sees us through the lens of the blood of Jesus- Romans 5:9-

“And there is still much more to say of His unfailing love for us! For through the blood of Jesus we have heard the powerful declaration, “You are now righteous in My sight.” And because of the sacrifice of Jesus, you will never experience the wrath of God."

In Christ, God sees us as righteous, “…even though we are guilty of many sins"-

"And the result of God’s gracious gift is very different from the result of that one man’s sin. For Adam’s sin led to condemnation, but God’s free gift leads to our being made right with God, even though we are guilty of many Romans 5:16.

This is not so that we who believe should continue to wallow in sins as antichrist pastors who equate God's gift of righteousness to us in Christ with lawlessness love to imply. According to the Wisdom of God whose ways and thoughts are higher than man's, this is the result of believing His word in Romans 5:16 above-

"And the result of God’s gracious gift is very different from the result of that one man’s sin. For Adam’s sin led to condemnation, but God’s free gift leads to our being made right with God, even though we are guilty of many sins. 17 For the sin of this one man, Adam, caused death to rule over many. But even greater is God’s wonderful grace and His gift of righteousness, for all who receive it will live in triumph over sin and death through this one Man, Jesus Christ." Romans 5:16-17.

All of these things define us as ambassadors for Christ. Plus, our resources and provisions (including good health, peace, wisdom, mental rest and financial comfort) come from our home country - the Kingdom of God - and not from this world.

As citizens of the Lord's heavenly Kingdom and ambassadors of Christ here on earth, we also have something that is way beyond diplomatic immunity when it comes to the Law of Moses. We are not under Law but under Grace. But God’s grace is not a license to sin. It is the key to overcoming sins and earthly ills (see Romans 5:16-17 above.)

Those who think they are "okay" because of their efforts at keeping the Law have no idea how much God hates sin and are not aware that the reason why we are not committing particular sins is because God did not allow us to get tempted beyond what we can bear in those areas. See 1 Corinthians 10:13.

God hates sin and cannot see or stand sin. In fact, His word says the wages of sin is death. God hates sin because of what it does to us much like how a parent hates it when a child she loves so much has terminal cancer. Sin brings death in all areas of life (marriage, finances, health etc then physical death and the second death.)

Because He loved us so much even in our sin (the cancer) and knew that no one can be made righteous by keeping the Law (Romans 3:20) so we were all doomed for destruction, He gave His own Son, our Lord Jesus, the Great Physician, to die for us. 2 Corinthians 5:21 says “For He made Him who knew no sin to be sin for us that we might become the righteousness of God in Him.”

In Christ, we have the abundance of grace and His righteousness as a gift from our Lord God and by these gifts we reign in life (including reign over sins, addictions, sickness, oppression, etc) through the One, Jesus Christ (Romans 5:17). In Christ, we reign over the power, pleasure and penalty of sin. We are no longer under law but under grace. In Christ, the law is fulfilled in us, but not by us. We do not continue in sin because we have moved house from Sin to Righteousness. We are no longer condemned. Like the woman caught in adultery, it is Christ’s gift of no condemnation that makes us go and sin no more, much like how you don’t find diplomats from affluent countries going berserk with their immunity and using it as a license to break the law in their host country. How much more us believers with God as our Father and Heaven as our home country!

It would be difficult for you to hear about a robbery incident or a hit-and-run accident, bank fraud or murder facilitated in South Africa by Icelandic diplomats, even though they are immune from criminal prosecution and most civil suits in the country. They still respect the laws and regulations of the host country, even though they are not under these laws. Their affluent home country provides all that they need and much more so that they lack for nothing, how much more us believers with Heaven as our home country and our Abba, Father our Provider.

When we utterly depend on our Saviour Jesus for our righteousness, salvation from sins, protection/deliverance from earthly ills as well as good success in all that we do and not our own human effort- driven works, the law is fulfilled in us but not by us. This isn't to say that we who are under Grace just sit by idly as we wait for an angel to drop the keys to a Bugatti in our laps as some imply. It is we who are under Grace that are doing these works, yet not us but Christ in us. It is the MINDSET or what we believe about how we are doing these works that makes the difference. At different times, people have tried to give me credit for being a dedicated Christian, generous, a good parent or for being a hardworking employee and even tried to say that this is why God blesses me. But I know who I am of myself and apart from Christ in me- I am the worst of sinners. The most selfish! I would be wallowing in sins and utterly lacking in good deeds were it not for the Grace of God (undeserved, unearned, unmerited favour) - Christ Himself- working in me.

As ambasaddors of Christ, we get to live the “heaven on earth” life and do not feel the desire to continue in sin, not because we suppress the desire by clenching our teeth but because the Holy Spirit transforms us from inside out (2 Corinthians 3:18) and God provides all of our needs according to His riches in glory through Christ.

But this is not so for the citizens of the host country (people - even churchgoe - who are under the law; those who think that it is what they do or do not do that makes them righteous and heaven-worthy). Unlike Grace, the law cannot make anyone righteous or provide our needs. Its holiness and perfect standard condemns everyone under it, no matter how well one tries to keep it. It demands righteousness from morally bankrupt man in whose flesh dwells no good, so people who are under it continue to fail in trying to keep it. Hence Romans 6:14-

"For sin shall not have dominion over you for you are not under law but under Grace."

Try to obey the law to get God's blessing and eternal life and sin will rule over you. But many in the church have this verse backwards.

Trying to keep the law cannot justify anyone in God's sight says Romans 3:20. Preaching that keeping the Ten Commandments is how to be righteous kills people (the letter kills,) cuts people off from Christ (Galatians 5:4) and makes sin have dominion according to Romans 6:14. 1 Corinthians 15:56 says "...the strength of sin is the Law." Preaching that people should keep the Ten Commandments as a means of attaining righteousness before God strengthens the grip of sin in their lives.

This is not to say that diplomats with immunity don’t sometimes break the law in their host country, much like believers today still make mistakes and stumble. But according to Psalms 37, even though the righteous (in Christ) fall, he shall not be utterly cast down because the Lord is the one holding his hand.

“23 The steps of a good man are ordered by the LORD, And He delights in his way. 24 Though he fall, he shall not be utterly cast down; For the LORD upholds him with His hand.”

Remember that Jesus said to the rich young ruler "there is none good but God" so "a good man" in verse 23 above is not someone who is good by his own effort but the one who is made righteous by the obedience of one Man - Jesus Christ (Romans 5:19.)

Believers, when your righteousness and strength is found in Christ, you will never fall beyond the point of no return. God's word says so. In fact, as we see in the life of Peter who denied Christ thrice after trusting in his human strength to stand, our failures are meant to bring us to the end of self and cause us to see our utter need for God's saving Grace, even salvation from those sins that we think are beneath usn The Lord will uphold you and lead you on the path of righteousness. And because "The path of the righteous is like the morning sun that shines ever brighter unto the perfect day," acts of sin and all earthly ills fade away and God's glory shines brighter with each passing day in the lives of true believers.

Also, the host country (the law) has no power to prosecute the diplomat (the believer) or invoke the curses of Deuteronomy 28 on the believer because Christ has redeemed us from the curse of the Law (Galatians 3:13). An offending diplomat typically faces his sanctions at home. This can be likened to correction from our Heavenly Father. Because He chastises the ones that He loves, He corrects us when we make mistakes – but never with death, sickness, disease, poverty, lack or any of the curses and death that Christ has redeemed us from. In fact, the bible says that His correction is for our profit, for us to live, for us to be partakers of His holiness and for us to live a righteous life, Hebrews 12:9-11-

9 “Furthermore, we have had human fathers who corrected us, and we paid them respect. Shall we not much more readily be in subjection to the Father of spirits and live? 10 For they indeed for a few days chastened us as seemed best to them, but He for our profit, that we may be partakers of His holiness. 11 Now no chastening seems to be joyful for the present, but painful; nevertheless, afterward it yields the peaceable fruit of righteousness to those who have been trained by it.”

The punishment that Christ took for us was unto death. Our heavenly Father's correction in our lives is unto life.

What a wonderful Abba Father we have in Christ! Believers, by God's Grace, stop trying to get right with God with your works and start believing that you are made righteous in Christ as a gift (even this is by grace so ask Him to help you today). Take your place in His Embassy here on earth by receiving the abundance of His grace and of the gift of righteousness through Christ and watch yourself live in triumph over sin and death through the One, Jesus Christ. (Romans 5:17).

Believe Right and you will Live Right.