Ambassadors and Embassies – Part 1

Ecclesiastes 5:1-3 “Walk prudently when you go to the house of God; and draw near to hear rather than to give the sacrifice of fools, for they do not know that they do evil. Do not be rash with your mouth, and let not your heart utter anything hastily before God. For God is in heaven, and you on earth; therefore let your words be few. For a dream comes through much activity, and a fool’s voice is known by his many words.”

This week Michael writes: As the old Alison Krauss and Keith Whitley song says, you say it best when you say nothing at all. God has called us not only to deliver the message, but also to be the message: According to 2 Corinthians 3:2-3 You are our epistle written in our hearts, known and read by all men; clearly you are an epistle of Christ, ministered by us, written not with ink but by the Spirit of the living God, not on tablets of stone but on tablets of flesh, that is, of the heart.

God has called us to be Ambassadors for Christ.  An Ambassador is the highest ranking government official sent from his homeland to a foreign nation to represent his homeland.  As Ambassadors, our homes should be embassies: outposts for God's kingdom of heaven in the midst of a crooked and perverse nation among whom we shine as lights in the world. Because of the credentials given us by our Sovereign Lord, 2 Corinthians 5, says that we are Ambassadors for Christ. He has given us the Word of reconciliation and has committed to us the ministry of reconciliation. To reconcile is to put back together that which has been separated. But, we are not called to convince unbelievers about the Truth of the word of God with the right answers.  So, as Ambassadors, how do we communicate the message of Jesus Christ on his behalf?   2 Corinthians 5:20 says, "We are ambassadors for Christ, as though God were pleading through us: we implore you on Christ’s behalf, be reconciled to God." Our message is to declare against the adversary and the powers of darkness what God has declared us to be:  For He who knew no sin was made the perfect sin sacrifice on our behalf that we may be made the righteousness of God in Him. – 2 Corinthians 5:21 

The message of the gospel goes far beyond the self-fulfillment of the "prosperity gospel". A prideful heart cannot approach God. To come before the throne of grace requires that we approach him with a heart of humility and meekness. As Christ's ambassadors we are ministers, not of the letter, but of the spirit which gives life. We shall tear down every argument that exalts itself against the knowledge of God. We shall walk by faith and not by sight. We shall love our neighbors as ourselves and we shall love others not according to the flesh but according to the Spirit.

Let’s continue Michael’s message on being Ambassadors  for Christ.

In Christ, Brian