| CHRISTIAN LIFE AND DOCTRINE | February 2001 |
Ambassadors for Christ
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“Now then are we ambassadors for Christ.” |
AN AMBASSADOR IS A minister who represents the sovereign power and dignity of his state at a foreign court. It is customary for governments of earth to appoint ambassadors or ministers of state to foreign countries. Thus to represent one great nation of earth before another is considered a very honorable profession. How much more honorable it is to represent the heavenly kingdom and its King of kings and Lord of lords before the citizens of this world.
If we as Christians could keep this thought always prominent before our minds, what dignity it would add to our characters. It would be a transforming power, an assistance to us as New Creatures in our battle with the world, the flesh, and the Adversary.
Our citizenship is in heaven. Jesus said, concerning his followers, “They are not of the world, even as I am not of the world.” (John 17:16) While still living in the world, we are not of it, but have transferred our allegiance and citizenship to the heavenly kingdom. Our Father in heaven, has “delivered us from the power of darkness,” and has “translated us into the kingdom of his dear Son.”—Col. 1:13
As representatives and ambassadors for Christ, we should feel the dignity, the honor of the position, and the weighty responsibilities. We should ever keep in mind the apostle’s words, “Whatsoever ye do in word or deed, do all in the name of the Lord Jesus, giving thanks to God and the Father by him.”—Col. 3:17
BEARING WITNESS TO THE TRUTH
As Jesus was in this world, so as his followers, are we. Our Master said, “To this end was I born, and for this cause came I into the world, that I should bear witness unto the truth.” (John 18:37) It was the Lord’s faithfulness to the Truth that brought upon him the opposition of those who were blinded by the Adversary. It was his witness and loyalty to the Truth that brought him suffering and death.
Similarly all the Lord’s followers are to bear witness to the Truth. They are to prove their loyalty to the Truth in respect to God’s Holy Word, his character, and his great eternal purpose. It is because of such obedience and faithfulness to the Truth, that all the true followers of Christ have the privileged experience of suffering with Christ at any cost. The Scriptures say, “If we endure patiently, we shall also reign with him.”—II Tim. 2:12 (Wilson’s Emphatic Diaglott)
When Jesus walked this earth he suffered “the just for the unjust” that he might bring men to God. (I Pet. 3:18) Since his high exaltation in heaven, his followers are called upon to demonstrate their loyalty to their Lord by walking in his footsteps throughout their earthly pilgrimage.
We can expect as we are faithful ambassadors for Christ and the heavenly kingdom of light, and let our light shine before men, that the opposing forces of darkness will be in conflict with us. The darkness, and those who are of the darkness, hate the light, and therefore oppose all who are children of the light as faithful representatives for Christ.
How do we receive the appointment as ambassador? We receive it through repentance, justification, and consecration. We first recognize that we are sinners. Next we believe on Jesus as our Savior. Then it is our determination, by the Lord’s help, to live not unto self, but unto him who died for us, and to comply with Romans 12:1,2, “I beseech you therefore, brethren, by the mercies of God, that ye present your bodies a living sacrifice, holy, acceptable unto God, which is your reasonable service. And be not conformed to this world: but be ye transformed by the renewing of your mind, that ye may prove what is that good, and acceptable, and perfect, will of God.”
OUR EXAMPLE
The Lord Jesus is our example, and as we are to represent him, we do well to take heed to his example and admonitions. He was ‘the faithful witness.’ We, too, are to be faithful witnesses, and while doing so, we look unto Jesus; we attentively consider the Apostle and High Priest of our profession, Christ Jesus.
Each consecrated follower of Jesus realizes the leadings of the Holy Spirit, saying, “The spirit of the Lord God is upon me; because the Lord hath anointed me to preach good tidings unto the meek; … to bind up the brokenhearted, … To proclaim the acceptable year of the Lord.” (Isa. 61:1,2; Luke 4:18) This is the period during which God is pleased to accept a little flock as living sacrifices, through the merit of the Redeemer.
Our ambassadorship is a glorious ministry! The Apostle Paul as a faithful ambassador felt the influence of the Holy Spirit. It prompted him to engage in the work of telling all with whom he came in contact who had ‘ears to hear,’ of the ‘ransom for all,’ accomplished through our dear Redeemer’s sacrifice. It also prompted him to exhort all to be reconciled to God, and begin at once to walk in the paths of righteousness. The apostle declares, “I kept not back from announcing all the will of God to you.”—Acts 20:27 WED
Further, the Apostle Paul says, “If any one be in Christ, he is a New Creation; the old things have passed away; behold! they have become new. But all things are from that God who has reconciled us to himself through Christ, and has given to us the ministry of the reconciliation; namely, that God was in Christ reconciling the world to himself, not counting to them their offences; and has deposited with us the word of the reconciliation. On behalf of Christ, therefore, we are ambassadors; as if God were inviting through us, we entreat, on behalf of Christ,—be you reconciled to God!”—II Cor. 5:17-20 WED
EFFECTS UPON OURSELVES
Some of the effects of keeping the thoughts of our ambassadorship upon our mind and heart are:
(1) Dignity. While all the ambassadors realize that of themselves they have nothing to commend to the Lord, and that therefore not fit representatives of him and his perfect government. When we realize that we are covered with a “robe of righteousness” (Isa. 61:10, Phil. 3:9), and that we go forth in his strength and with his message, it lends dignity, nobleness, elevation to our character.
(2) Honor. We are to walk circumspectly, so that we will do nothing to cause reproach to be brought upon his name, character, word, or government.
(3) Responsibility. The position will be appreciated which, in turn, will assist us in being faithful to our trust.
(4) Transforming power. It will enable us to transfer our affections from earthly things to high, spiritual realities. At first, before becoming ambassadors of the spiritual kingdom, our hopes, aims, and ambitions were all centered upon earthly things. Now, as ambassadors, we are minding the things of the Spirit and not the things of the flesh. Being risen with Christ, we seek those things which are above, where Christ sitteth on the right hand of God. Our affections are on things above, not on things on the earth.—Col. 3:1-4
(5) Awareness. It will be of great assistance to the New Creature to keep the thought of our ambassadorship upon our hearts and minds helping greatly in the battle of the New Creature.
(6) Self-control. The thought of our ambassadorship regulates our walk in life—henceforth we walk in newness of life—after the Spirit, and not after the flesh.—Rom. 8:1,4
(7) Faithfulness. Our faithfulness as ambassadors results in a growing fruitage of the Holy Spirit, and thus an entrance is abundantly administered unto us into the kingdom.
FAITHFULNESS REQUIRED
Whoever will faithfully exercise his ambassadorship and not shun to declare the whole counsel, or will, of God, will speedily know something of the sufferings of Christ. They can say truly, “The reproaches of them that reproached thee are fallen upon me.” (Psa. 69:9) We behold the wonderful wisdom of the Divine plan. Each ambassador, in performing his priestly ministry, finds that the Holy Spirit moves him to offer up himself.
Hence the measure of self-sacrifice and sufferings for Christ endured by each of the consecrated becomes a measure of the faithfulness of each as an ambassador. Only those faithful as good soldiers of the cross will be granted the inestimable privilege of participating with the great High Priest in the glorious ‘at-one-ment’ work under the favorable conditions of the Millennial Age.
Faithfulness unto death will mean that we shall have a crown of life—immortality, the Divine nature. We shall have joint-heirship with Christ in glory; reigning with him in his throne; sharing with him in his grand kingdom honors, and in his glorious work of blessing all the families of the earth.