AMBASSADORS FOR CHRIST

“Therefore, we are ambassadors for Christ, God making His appeal through us” (2 Corinthians 5:20).

“I am an ambassador in chains” (Ephesians 6:20).

In September 2012, Islamic militants attacked the American diplomatic compound in Benghazi, Libya, and among the fourteen murdered was the American Ambassador, Christopher Stevens. Stevens was a career diplomat who had served in the U.S. Foreign Service since 1991. The outrage over the Ambassador’s death continues to this day, with many questions remaining unanswered.

In the verses above, the apostle Paul clearly states that every believer is an ambassador for Christ, just as he was. The contemporary meaning of the word ambassador is not necessarily the meaning of the word that Paul used, and we need to be clear about what he was attempting to say to us through his use of this word.

In our world, ambassadors are sometimes career diplomats, as Christopher Stevens was, and sometimes they are political appointees, such as Caroline Kennedy. After each presidential election, a number of ambassadorships are handed out by the President to some who assisted in getting him elected. There are always those who would love to spend three or four years living in the Bahamas or New Zealand with all expenses paid by the U.S. taxpayer. Some jokester has said that an ambassador is a politician who did not get elected to office but was given an office with the condition that he or she leave the country.

Paul’s use of the word ambassador is taken from the world of his day, a world dominated by Rome and the might of the Imperial Roman army. At that time the word ambassador had nothing to do with politics; rather it carried the meaning of messenger, one sent on a special mission.

Under Roman rule there were two kinds of provinces throughout the Roman Empire. Senatorial provinces were those where the population had submitted to Rome and the people were peacefully obeying the law. Imperial provinces were still rebellious and could be violent and create problems for Rome. Rome would send ambassadors to the imperial provinces but not to the senatorial provinces.

Paul is saying to us that we are ambassadors because the world system is at war with God. “For the mind that is set on the flesh is hostile to God, for it does not submit to God’s law: indeed, it cannot” (Romans 8:7). God sends His ambassadors into the rebellious world with His message of peace.

So, what are the characteristics of an ambassador for Christ and how does this relate to us?

1.    Every ambassador must be a citizen of the nation he or she represents.

All God’s ambassadors were once citizens of Satan’s kingdom. Christ, who alone can set sinners free, has given them a new citizenship in the kingdom of God. “He has delivered us from the domain of darkness and transferred us to the kingdom of His beloved Son, in whom we have redemption, the forgiveness of sins” (Colossians 1:13-14).

The word delivered means to rescue from danger and the word transferred means to move from one land/kingdom to another. When we accepted Christ as savior, we were rescued and moved into the protection of God’s kingdom.

2.    All ambassadors are commissioned. 

Every Christian is an “ambassador for Christ” whether he knows it or even agrees with it. God has given to all of us “the ministry of reconciliation” and it is our message to share with the world that they can be reconciled to God (see 2 Corinthians 5:18-19). This means that our primary job in this world is to share the gospel with others and to point them to faith in Jesus Christ.

3.    An ambassador represents his ruler at all times. 

Not every believer is called to full-time Christian service, but every believer is called to full-time Christian living.  It’s unfortunate that so many Christians act more like the world around them than like ambassadors on a mission for their God.

As ambassadors we are always representing our King. Being an ambassador is not a nine-to-five job, it’s not five days on and two days off each week. Being an ambassador of Christ is 24/7/365 — and no exceptions!

4.    An ambassador always stays in touch with headquarters. 

Our official “statement” is God’s Word — the Bible. We are never to manufacture our own statement in order to make it more acceptable to the world around us. As we stay in touch with the Word, we stay in touch with the plans and purposes of God for this world and the people of the world. The Word is a living communication (see Hebrews 4:12) that speaks directly to everything we are facing. If we get out of touch with the Word, we get out of touch with His plans.

Through prayer we are in regular communication with our Leader. Through prayer we sharpen our message to the people God has placed us among. Through the Word and prayer we receive fresh messages from God to share with those we are sent to.

In a world fascinated by reality TV, we are not called to be like the “Trashdardians” who dominate so much of the contemporary lifestyle. We are called to be ambassadors — sent ones — with a message of real life, not Hollywood-driven fantasy.

“We are Christ’s ambassadors!”