"Would you like to be an Ambassador?" (2 Corinthians 5:17-6:10)

Context

In these chapters of 2^nd Corinthians, the apostle Paul was establishing beyond doubt, that despite his past, he was now a true “ambassador” for Jesus, and that his was a ministry wholly in line with the serving ministry already lived by Jesus. This then sets a pattern for the rest of us.

Introduction

Would you, too, like to be an ambassador for Jesus? An “ambassador” is a diplomat sent by one sovereign state to another state … with a mission of representing their interests in that other state or nation. So this idea, from Paul, in verse 20 (of 2 Corinthians 5) of being an “ambassador”, is a very appropriate concept, concerning how followers of Jesus interact with their society. We, who are primarily ‘citizens of heaven’, or the ‘Kingdom of God’, are called to represent Jesus, or the interests of God, in the world.

It is interesting that an “ambassador” is a public servant also described as a ‘diplomat’ – meaning that, in representing the interests of another, we have to be ‘diplomatic’ … we need to use tact, wisdom and common sense. We also read here that, “God is making his appeal through us” – now that is something NOT to be trifled with. God speaks to the world through our ‘diplomatic’ life – all of our actions and words. This is, as if, Jesus is speaking through us!!

Being an “Ambassador”

Would you like to be an Ambassador?

The question I’m asking is slightly incorrect, because, when we decide to believe in, follow and accept Jesus, we are by definition “ambassadors” anyway (for good, or for ill)! Paul says simply, “we are ambassadors for Christ”. It is NOT a question of take it or leave it. So, my question is really directed towards being the type of “ambassador” that our nation state – the ‘Kingdom of God’ – requires us to be! How does that become possible? It starts with being reconciled to God in all ways. That means receiving the forgiveness God offers, determining to live in the right way, and adopting God-like attitudes to what is happening around us. {Or, as John put it last week, deciding to love.}

It is interesting … that before Jesus asks us to be his ambassadors, he was our ambassador. Jesus fully represented our interests by coming to earth and engaging in human life, and dealing with some of the best … but also a lot of the worst … that human life brings. Jesus empathised completely with the situation that we have become burdened and trapped in sin; and though sinless himself, took the total weight of this upon himself to the cross. And Jesus’ work did NOT stop with this act of mercy – he rose again to lead us into an experience of resurrected and re-created life.

In his death Jesus represented us; so, in his physical absence, we now represent him. Read verse 21. We are appointed “ambassadors” as a result of receiving grace, and this appointment is activated as we are in the process of being “reconciled to God” in all the aspects of our lives. In short, being “reconciled” means being brought back into harmony with God. If we want to be a good “ambassador”, then we have to ask ourselves questions about our level of ongoing reconciliation to God. Are we changing into the image of Jesus?

Are we open to the Holy Spirit’s transforming work in our lives? No matter how old we are, or how young we are?!? No matter what stage of life we’re in!?! We need to have our heart fully changed, so that we can be an effective channel of God’s restoring work for others. Like, and in connection with, our salvation, ‘reconciliation’ is an ongoing process that we need to engage with – everything “old” passing away, everything “new” emerging … more so each day (v 17)!

We need to live in a way worthy of Jesus! This includes the way in which we live, work and interact with each other (in the church and in the community). With all this in mind, an ”ambassador” for the Gospel promotes: honouring the Creator, loving our neighbour, serving the community, standing up for what is good and just, and bearing hope for the future.

What is then, the particular purpose, that Paul raises, of us being “ambassadors”??

The answer ...

Reconciling the world (v 18-19)

This is a mission of grace … to all those we can come into relational contact with. Let us never grow tired of drawing from the well of God’s mercy, so that we can bring it [God’s mercy] to the world. This is NOT about (moral) correction or judgment. This IS about … “not counting their trespasses against them” (v 19), and leading them into an experience of forgiveness. This is so that the lost and broken can be brought back into relationship with their Creator. This is also so that the presumably happy, yet purposeless, can be redirected into a ministry that really counts for something.

To “NOT count trespasses against them” is to get through and past our own reaction to what we see (what might even repel us), and consider what such a person might be like if Jesus was in their life!! This is about looking beyond past failure and present turmoil … toward future redemption. This is about … NOT being an obstacle, or putting up barriers, or making the pathway harder, but RATHER being channels of transformation and hope. If God can forgive {including us}, we can forgive, and we can promote forgiveness. There are big significant matters at hand – whole life outcomes!! Sometimes (common sense wise) boundary lines need to be established, because we don’t exist in an ideal world; but even these should NOT prohibit us from finding ways of loving people … toward others experiencing the Kingdom of God for themselves.

Paul says in chapter 6 verses 3-4, “We are putting no obstacle in anyone’s way, so that no fault may be found with our ministry, but as servants of God we have commended ourselves in every way …”. We would need to consider what possible “obstacles” {or “stumbling blocks”} there are, that we may put in the way of people experiencing Jesus, appreciating the Holy Spirit, and being reconciled to God. If we are the “ambassadors” of Jesus, then people could be choosing for or against Jesus on the basis of what they see in us! Take a deep breath on that thought!! People may make their judgments about Jesus by what they observe in us!

What could be “obstacles” to people finding faith?? Unfair and uninformed criticism, ridiculing the views of others, judgmentalism and a sense of superiority, being dogmatic and closed to dialogue or seeing things in different ways, and, of course, hypocrisy – saying one thing while living another. We should ask ourselves, “In this situation, are we being a true ambassador of the Gospel”? {Jesus, whom we represent, when he disagreed strongly with the Pharisees and the like, usually told stories, allowing his opponents to discover the truth for themselves.} Yes, we need to confront darkness, but mostly this needs to be de-personalised, and seen as external to the person (especially in terms of their potential for change).

It is often how we knee-jerk react to things that lets our witness down, especially when we are tired! In the verses that follow in chapter 6 (4-10), Paul reflects on the sort of character traits that properly promote the gospel. These are: resilience, pure motives, honesty, patience, joy, kindness and love; and these traits are recommended no matter what crosses our path – through the whole varied experience of life, through thick and thin, good days and bad. We follow one who suffered, and wholeheartedly served all humanity … without prejudice. As Paul lived this way too, as a true representative of Jesus, he brought credit onto his ministry.

Challenges of Being an “Ambassador”

1. Balancing Grace and Truth. We need to stand firm with what we believe to be true about God. But we also need to be prepared to grow in our understandings, and appreciate where other people are coming from. People believe and live different to us for a reason – which is connected to their particular journey in life. We should never ridicule anyone. It’s actually possible to ‘stand firm’, but influence nothing or nobody for good. At the same time, there is the possibility of loving expansively, but never seeing sin dealt with. In all this, Jesus provided the perfect balance and the perfect example.

Basically, if you want to know how to be an authentic “ambassador” for Jesus … read about Jesus in the four Gospels. In John chapter 1 we read, “And the Word became flesh and lived among us, and we have seen his glory, the glory as of a father’s only son, full of grace and truth. From his fullness we have all received, grace upon grace. The law indeed was given through Moses; grace and truth came through Jesus Christ. No one has ever seen God. It is God the only Son, who is close to the Father’s heart, who has made him known (V 14, 16-18).

The ‘law’ of ‘Old Testament’ times concerning right living was a blunt instrument. Also, if people only see a religious institution, they will not be able to see the person of God. Jesus, on the other hand, as the perfect representative or “ambassador” of God, lived out his righteousness in relationship with others – balancing perfectly grace and truth, with “grace” always central and first.

I’m definitely NOT saying that we shouldn’t speak the truth, I’m saying that we need to speak the truth in a way that encourages someone towards a relationship with Jesus and NOT away from that! And anyway, we reveal 'truth' more through how we live (than what we say)!! And too, if our roots are deep into God, we can ably and graciously deal with conversations with people very different from ourselves. 

2. Being Seeker-friendly and Spirit-filled (at the same time). Sometimes, in an attempt to attract more people, the church has dumbed itself down to the extent that you could hardly recognise what it stood for. On the other hand, the church sometimes seems so strange (or irrelevant) as to be inaccessible to the honest spiritual-seeker. The only way to properly balance being seeker-friendly and Spirit-filled (at the same time), is for everyone to be totally honest as to where they are at – all … works in progress … worshipping a great God. In this way there will be relevant entry points of connection for most people, as they see faults being admitted and lives being transformed. It is being real – where our lives, our attitudes, our way of going through life … all become a concrete sign of the fact that God is truly close to us … redeeming us.

3. Engaging Culture to Create Spiritual Hunger. This is probably the more sophisticated way to say 'in the world but not of the world'. This involves being a normal person, involved in a variety of community activities, with authentic care for our neighbours, that at the same time causes people to wonder about their own lives and where they are going. If people actually see a true picture of God, especially in terms of the availability of forgiveness, then they would want this God! [God's love in us ... completely alters the way we treat people who are different to us.] 

David Fitch relates this incident:

I once heard Charles Galbreath, a pastor of Clarendon Road Church in Brooklyn, tell the story of a black man gunned down by police in his neighbourhood. Anger seethed in the neighbourhood. Frustration from years of racial oppression was about to erupt in violence. Many people lined up to march down the main street while police gathered, expecting violence. Charles and a group of pastors rushed to the gathering place and found themselves caught in the middle between the police and the people. Tensions were rising. Insults were being hurled across the divide. One side picked up rocks, the other side clutched their guns. The pastors feared for their lives; bullets could fly at any moment. Galbreath said that some of the pastors spontaneously walked into the middle of the street between the two warring parties, bowed their heads, and started to pray. They implored God to visit this place. As Charles tells it, slowly the tension died down, the people put down the rocks, and the police took their hands off their holsters. Those who cared stayed. And without a shot fired or rock thrown, conversations began and God's presence appeared that night in that community. It was the beginning of something new God was doing to bring justice and reconciliation to a street corner.

Living as ambassadors for Jesus!!

Conclusion

The first two verses of chapter six are remarkable! They excite me!! Four points to make:

1. We can work together with Jesus (verse 1a). While we are his “ambassador”, he goes before us, with us, and behind us. As we will discuss in two weeks time, Jesus also prays for us. This is a partnership we are invited into. We are being absorbed into the Holy Community of God … as an earthly representative of a heavenly reality. We also work together in partnership with each other – cooperating together in unity and oneness.

2. Our cry of need has been heard, and we are receiving the salvation our souls require (verse 2a). The beginning of Psalm 32 reads: “Oh, what joy for those whose disobedience is forgiven, whose sin is put out of sight! Yes, what joy for those whose record the Lord has cleared of guilt, whose lives are lived in complete honesty! (v 1-2, NLT).

3. This is the “day of salvation” for many people (verse 2b). We don’t want them to miss out. God is working – we need to get on board. Sometimes we will need to make, and repeat, a definitive (sometimes public) statement; something like: “I want to collaborate with God’s creative and redemptive work in the world” (from Mark Scandrette).

4. We should NOT accept the grace of God in vain (verse 1b). What does that mean? It means that we respond to God’s mercy for ourselves personally, but then do nothing with it, either in terms of discipleship – really following Jesus, and in terms of sharing it … indeed NOT sharing the good news of Jesus. God’s grace should bring visible change and obvious purpose. God’s grace is also given to us so that we can join in with bigger things – the ‘Kingdom of God’ and the ‘Body of Christ’.

So, would you like to be an ambassador? It’s NOT easy, but it is our calling! People are depending upon us. God is establishing us. Opportunities exist in great number. We should pray!