Matthew 5:15 KJV
Philippians 3:20 (AMP) But [we are different, because] our citizenship is in heaven. And from there we eagerly await [the coming of] the Savior, the Lord Jesus Christ;
Having our citizenship in the Kingdom of God by definition makes us aliens in the physical country in which we live. Like ambassadors of a foreign government, we cannot participate in the politics of another country, a practice that would distract us from our real spiritual goal.
Romans 12:2 (NIV) Do not conform to the pattern of this world, but be transformed by the renewing of your mind. Then you will be able to test and approve what God’s will is—his good, pleasing and perfect will.
However, we realise that the apostle Paul has challenged us to be ambassadors for Christ: “Therefore we are ambassadors for Christ, as though God were pleading through us: we implore you on Christ’s behalf, be reconciled to God” (II Corinthians 5:20).
Being an ambassador of Christ means having integrity in our words and actions. Integrity means that what you say, what you profess to believe and what you actually do match up. For us to be effective ambassadors of Christ we can’t go around claiming to love God and then not show that we love Him by our actions. If people see that we are all talk and no action they will get the impression that we are insincere in our beliefs or be seen as if we are not acting on them.
Being an ambassador for Christ means loving people without any hidden agenda. We don’t love people so that they will become Christians. We show love to them because they are God’s creation, and we know God has a plan and a purpose for everyone and sometimes as a result of that they will eventually come to accept Christ, and even if it doesn’t work out that way, we shouldn’t give up on loving them. Indeed there may be no immediate visible spiritual impact but we are to keep on praying for them, loving them and speaking the truth in love.
Loving people does not mean doing good deeds begrudgingly for them because we feel as Christians that is what we should be doing. Because then we are acting out of duty, not love. And sometimes it can be hard, but we need to remember the example of Jesus. Many of the people He showed love to turned their back on him (such as the time he healed 10 lepers, but only one came back to thank him). But we are working for a heavenly reward, not an earthly one.
Being an ambassador of Christ means making people wish that they weren’t “on the outside looking in”. It means making them want to be a part of the Christian family we are a part of. In Romans 11:14 Paul says “I want somehow to make the people of Israel [the non-believing Jews] jealous of what you Gentiles [the early Christians] have”. If people see true contentment, joy and genuine passion when they look to us they are going to be curious. But if all they see is people with the same doom and gloom as the godless world around them they won’t be interested.
John Wesley went as far as to say “Sour godliness is the Devil’s religion.”
Being an ambassador of Christ means being openly honest about your faith, not hiding it when you know you’ll get stick for it. In Matthew 5:15 Jesus says “No one lights a lamp and then puts it under a basket. Instead a lamp is placed on a stand, where it gives light to everyone in the house.” Because of course sharing your faith isn’t just about your words, it’s about actions to. As the old saying goes “Preach the gospel always, and when necessary, use words.” And the question is, if someone was watching your life 24/7 Big Brother style, how long would it take for them to realise you are a Christian? Would it be evident through the way you live your life, or would it take them until you went to Church on Sunday to make the connection?
Being an ambassador of Christ means being his hands and feet to a world that desperately needs God. Being an ambassador of Christ means we are the redeemed, Spirit-filled, tongue-talking, and prayer-walking children of the most high God.
We are the living proof to the world of Jesus’ victory on the cross! We are representatives of the kingdom of God here on earth and we must faithfully by God’s Grace be the perfect definition to the world and in this world of what true Christianity is.
The Message Bearer
Cornelius Bella
corneliusbella 