Ambassadors

This is the final post I have from 2 Corinthians chapter 5.  Please read this short chapter so you have a context for what the following verses are about.

"All this is from God, who reconciled us to Himself through Christ and gave us the ministry of reconciliation: that God was reconciling the world to Himself in Christ, not counting men's sins against them.  And He has committed to us the message of reconciliation.  We are therefore Christ's ambassadors, as though God were making His appeal through us.  We implore you on Christ's behalf: Be reconciled to God.  God made Him who had no sin to be sin for us, so that in Him we might become the righteousness of God."  2 Corinthians 5:18-21

We are reconciled to God.  This means we were at odds with God and we are now no longer at odds with Him.  We were enemies of God, but now we are not His enemy.  Who initiated reconciliation?  God did.  We would have continued to be His enemy if He had not initiated reconciliation.  We are reconciled to Him by Him.

We who were reconciled to God have now been made ministers of reconciliation.  As one commentator put it, "The reconciled is now the reconciler."  This is amazing!  Be sure to read this correctly.  We do not reconcile people to God; rather we announce that God has reached out the olive branch of reconciliation to the people of the world.  We announce the Good News that Jesus has made reconciliation with God possible if the hearers of the Good News would just accept the olive branch extended by God Himself.  What a great privilege!

We are ministers of reconciliation because we are ambassadors of Christ.  We speak the words of God, not our own words.  Charles Rivkin is the United States ambassador to France.  Does he speak his own message to the French government?  Absolutely not.  Rivkin appeals to the French as if the U.S. government was doing it itself.  This is how we are to be as Christ's ambassadors to the world.  We speak His words "as though God were making His appeal through us."

Ambassadors of Christ, here is our appeal straight from God that we are to make to all the people of the world: "God made Him who had no sin to be sin for us, so that in Him we might become the righteousness of God."  Our message is the Gospel... it is Christ and Christ crucified.

Ambassadors of Christ, we are to be like the town cryer.  We are to proclaim the Good News of the Jesus.  "Hear ye, hear ye, one and all, God made Christ to be sin for us, so that in Christ we might become the righteousness of God!"

Those of you reading, Christ died for you.  He took your sins upon Himself and died the death you deserved.  He was buried and rose again conquering sin and death.  He has offered you life where you deserved death, heaven where you deserved Hell.  He will give you an inheritance beyond anything you can dream of.  He will give you His righteousness.  This is Good News and as an ambassador of my King I want you to hear this Good News.  Accept what Christ has done for you.  Be reconciled to God through Christ today.