Ambassadors for Christ
There is a constant and ferocious battle within my soul. It is a battle that rages every day, fighting for my focus, desire, and longing. The two armies at war are The Temporal and The Eternal. The temporal army wants my attention, desires, and longings to focus on the here and now. The eternal wants me to see the wisdom in living life with an eternal perspective, devoted to God's Kingdom and playing the long game. One alluringly promises immediate gratification (which is hard to come by and unsustainable when it does) and the other promises abundant life.
It is so easy to turn my attention, live for, and claim the values of this world and not even realize that they compete with my Kingdom Citizenship. This battle has dire consequences for my soul and others as well.
Why?
Because, as a citizen of the Kingdom of God, this world is not my home. This world is my assignment, my mission, not my end goal. My role within this assignment is to be an ambassador representing the values and life of the Kingdom of God, drawing others into reconciliation and new citizenship. Consider Paul's words in 2 Corinthians 2:18-21
"18 All this is from God, who through Christ reconciled us to himself and gave us the ministry of reconciliation; 19 that is, in Christ God was reconciling the world to himself, not counting their trespasses against them, and entrusting to us the message of reconciliation. 20 Therefore, we are ambassadors for Christ, God making his appeal through us. We implore you on behalf of Christ, be reconciled to God. 21 For our sake he made him to be sin who knew no sin, so that in him we might become the righteousness of God."
When we, through faith, say yes to Jesus, we are assigned to the mission of reconciliation. Our God-given role is to serve Jesus by representing Him and His Kingdom to our family, friends, neighbors, city, country, and the world so that they know Jesus and His Kingdom is our one and true hope.
Look again at verse 19. It says, "...in Christ God was reconciling the world to himself, not counting their trespasses against them, and ENTRUSTING TO US the message of reconciliation." As citizens of the Kingdom of God, He has entrusted us with a message of reconciliation. This is a message that reveals the truth that life is fully experienced when we are fully reconciled, fully engaged with God! It is to be spoken both in our words and deeds. Deeds that display the values of God and represent the freedom of His Kingdom in our lives.
It is in the way we live our lives and speak our words that God is longing to "make His appeal through us." Our lives, as an ambassador, are to put on display the hope of Kingdom Citizenship, the joy of reconciliation to God, the freedom of life in Christ, and the love of our heavenly Father.
I guess the question, as the battle between the temporal and eternal rages within my heart and soul, that I need to ask is, Am I displaying the message of reconciliation God has called me to? Am I living trustworthy with what He has entrusted to me?
This is all possible when I live reconciled to God because of the gift of His Holy Spirit. Look at 2 Corinthians 5:5, "He who has prepared us for this very thing is God, who has given us the Spirit as a guarantee." Jesus confirms this message in Matthew 28:20, "And behold, I am with you always, to the end of the age." He is with us; He will empower us, He will work in and through us!
Our role is to engage the reconciliation offered so we can experience Jesus. As we encounter Jesus, "the things of this world will grow strangely dim," we will realize the lies and deceptions this world propagates and the battle between the temporal and eternal will turn and we will find abundant life in living for Jesus and eternity!
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