Royal Ambassadors

Read: 2 Corinthians 5

He gave us this wonderful message of reconciliation. So we are Christ’s ambassadors; God is making his appeal through us. 2 Corinthians 5:19-20

IN WORD

Our King is on a mission. He isn’t content with the current population of His realm. There are people who were designed to relate to Him who nevertheless are at odds with Him and standing outside His domain. Many kings would let them go, but not ours. He’s a rescuer at heart. He will pursue the ones who can still respond to Him. He will gather all He intends to gather.

How does He do that? Through us. The sovereign God could reach them entirely on His own, but He has decreed another way. He has commissioned His own citizens to build bridges—even to be the bridges—of reconciliation between Him and those who don’t know Him. Why? Perhaps because long ago in a garden, He designed those in His image to steward His creation. A tempter exploited that privileged position, but the mandate hasn’t changed. Human beings are still the stewards of this planet’s welfare. Whether or not that’s the reason, the mission is clear. God’s people are His ambassadors, and He has never offered a plan B. Those who have been reconciled become the carriers of reconciliation. We make appeals as though God Himself were working through us. Because He is.

IN DEED

The reconciled are meant to be an everexpanding community because we are called to be representatives of the rescuing God. Not all of us take on that mission, but the mission still stands. Paul emphasized that Christ’s love compelled him to pursue the yet-to-be-reconciled in our world, implying that if we’ve experienced that love for ourselves and sensed it for others, we’ll be compelled to do the same. And he’s right; the more we bask in the love of the Lord, the less we’re able to keep it to ourselves. Kingdom ambassadors are driven by the heart of the King.

ADDITIONAL READING: Ephesians 6:19-20

God is not saving the world; it is done. Our business is to get men and women to realize it.

OSWALD CHAMBERS