We serve as ambassadors for Christ. Paul clearly states in II Corinthians 5:20 “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.”
The word used for ambassador here is presbeuo which in the Greek means “to act as a representative.” It is only used twice in the Bible and both times it is the Apostle Paul who uses the term. In Ephesians 6: 19 & 20 after detailing the various pieces of the armor of God, Paul concludes with calls for prayers including for himself that he may always have the courage to “open my mouth boldy, to make known the mystery of the gospel, for which I am an ambassador in chains: that I may speak boldly, as I ought to speak.”
In both II Corinthians 5 and Ephesians 6, Paul calls on himself and us to act as representatives of God. In both instances, that responsibility is directly linked to preaching and sharing the gospel message of reconciliation.
The first usage of this representative language appears in II Corinthians. Here, Paul tells us that we serve as ambassadors or representatives for Christ on this earth. Through our life, God pleads with the world. What does he plead through us and through our lives? To be reconciled to Him. In Esphesians, Paul is an ambassador for Christ while in chains (clearly making reference to his imprisonment). Yet, even in that situation he asked for the Esphesians to pray for him that he may continue to speak boldly the gospel message. Paul was in prison waiting trial and what we know and what he most likely knew as well his death. There are tons of other things he could to use his time with and other prayers he could have prayed but he prayed for courage to continue to preach the gospel boldly.
As an ambassador for Christ, we must live a life that first reflects Christ in us. Paul tells us in Galatians that “it is not longer I that live but Christ lives in me (Galatians 2:20).” If we are to be effective representatives we need to live in a way that reflects Christ like service and attitudes. But our ambassadorship doesn’t stop there. We need to be messengers of the Gospel. Paul after identifying himself as Christ’s ambassador in chains asks for prayers for boldness – “as I ought to speak.” Paul linked his ambassadorship with his duty to speak out for God.
In the Old Testament the word ambassador is translated from two different Hebrew words. Tsiyr meaning herald or errand-doer or malak meaning a deputy or messenger. Both words are associated with that of a messenger giver and a worker. To truly be an ambassador for Christ, we need to be His herald and messenger. We need to speak the gospel boldly to a work that so desperately needs to be reconciled to God. We need to be the errand-doer for God in this service. God pleads through us.
The last commandment Jesus gave his disciples was to go into the world and teach them the commandments of God and to baptize those who believed into the name of the Father, Son, and Holy Spirit. In other words, make more ambassadors for Christ (Matthew 28:18 – 20). In doing so we add more workers to the field for the harvest is plentiful but the laborers – errand-doers – are few (Matthew 9: 35 – 38).
If we live as a representative for Christ, why would we keep the most important, life changing, and eternally important information to ourselves. Why would we not wan to help God find more laborers? Why would we not want others to be reconciled to God? To be an effective and obedient ambassador, we must do God’s pleading for him – we must implore the world to be reconciled to Him. We must speak as we ought.
So, reflect on your ambassadorship this week and think back to the insight Paul gives us about how God sees our service to Him in this world:
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.
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