I was reading 2 Corinthians as part of my Holy Hour today and a word popped out. Strange how you read something so many times and you just miss it and then one day it just stands out. Wondering what the word is?
“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.”
-2 Corinthians 5:20
Ambassador! I have to digress with a small blast from the past before I go one. Way back when my dad used to tutor college freshman at home. One of his students was a good looking fellow that would come in early so that he can spend a few moments chatting with me before his session started. As part of his play, he slipped in the fact that he was the son of a dignitary and that he had special immunity. One of which was safety in the face of danger. For some reason it did not impress me and our friendship did not bloom into anything worth writing about. But the fact is, he used his special dignitary status purely for his own benefit. I wonder sometimes if we do the same with ours. And I wonder if he has found the greatest Ambassador of all.
Being an ambassador is a weighty thing. You have to be aware that:
- You are a foreign citizen
- You are representing someone far greater than yourself
- You have to behave with decorum
- You have special immunity
- You will be protected in the face of danger
Fortunately for us, Scripture has something to say about every single one of these.
- Foreign citizen:“For our citizenship is in heaven, from which we also eagerly wait for the Savior, the Lord Jesus Christ.” — Philippians 3:20
- Representing:“Peace to you! As the Father has sent Me, I also send you.” — John 20:21
- Decorum:“I, therefore, the prisoner of the Lord, beseech you to walk worthy of the calling with which you were called.” — Ephesians 4:1
- Special immunity:“There is therefore now no condemnation to those who are in Christ Jesus, who do not walk according to the flesh, but according to the Spirit.” — Romans 8:1
- Protection:“No weapon formed against you shall prosper.” — Isaiah 54:17
In this, our identity is revealed again. We can hold our heads high and declare that as someone washed in His blood, I am royalty. He trusts me to represent His Kingdom and behave like a beloved princess of our King Jesus in a hostile world that can never truly harm me. How can a day filled with such realization not be joyful? God bless you.
Dear Jesus,
Thank You for showing me my true identity. Thank You for trusting me to represent You and Your Kingdom. Give me an obedient heart so that I may reflect the kind of behavior You expect from Your ambassadors. I pray in Your name. Amen.