Monday, October 4, 2010

The Believers’ Assignment

“For the love of Christ controls us, having concluded this, that one died for all, therefore all died; and He died for all, so that they who live might no longer live for themselves, but for Him who died and rose again on their behalf. Therefore from now on we recognize no one according to the flesh; even though we have known Christ according to the flesh, yet now we know Him in this way no longer. Therefore if anyone is in Christ, he is a new creature; the old things passed away; behold, new things have come. Now all these things are from God, who reconciled us to Himself through Christ and gave us the ministry of reconciliation, namely, that God was in Christ reconciling the world to Himself, not counting their trespasses against them, and He has committed to us the word of reconciliation. Therefore, we are ambassadors for Christ, as though God were making an appeal through us; we beg you on behalf of Christ, be reconciled to God. He made Him who knew no sin to be sin on our behalf, so that we might become the righteousness of God in Him.” 2 Corinthians 5:14-21

Have you realized that if you claim to be a Christian (a follower of Jesus Christ), others look at you as an example of what God Himself is like? Now, nobody may actually say it in those words; but in reality, you and I are representatives of God to the rest of humanity. As representatives, we are literally ambassadors for Christ.

What does an ambassador do? He or she functions as a go-between for their homeland to a foreign land. Those foreigners develop their view of the ambassador’s homeland through the attitudes and deportment of the ambassador.

As the redeemed children of God, we may be someone’s only opportunity to become acquainted with the love of God. We have been commissioned as ambassadors for Christ. Do your attitudes and deportment reflect the true character of God, or are people getting a tainted view of the One you represent?

Ambassadorship is a high calling. It is a position of great responsibility and influence. Use it to accurately represent the King of kings and Lord of lords. When the world looks at you, what do they see? Jesus?