Therefore, if anyone is in Christ, he is a new
creation. The old has passed away; behold, the new has come. All this is from
God, who through Christ reconciled us to himself and gave us the ministry of
reconciliation; that is, in Christ God was reconciling the world to himself,
not counting their trespasses against them, and entrusting to us the message of
reconciliation. Therefore, we are ambassadors for Christ, God making his appeal
through us. We implore you on behalf of Christ, be reconciled to God. For our
sake he made him to be sin who knew no sin, so that in him we might become the
righteousness of God. (2 Corinthians 5:17–21 ESV).
An ambassador is a government official who represents their country to another nation. This is often a pivotal role in bridging gaps between nations. An ambassador aims to promote goodwill and cooperation while minimizing outbreaks that could lead to hostility. The aim is to build understanding and tolerance between nations and cultures.
This means ambassadors need to listen
and communicate effectively. They should express themselves with tact and
diplomacy, demonstrating unwavering loyalty to their own nation while also
caring for the people of their host nation. Rather than viewing the host nation
as an adversary, competent ambassadors seek to build bridges, not walls. As a
result, they are deeply invested in the outcomes of diplomatic negotiations.
What does it mean, then, for believers
in Christ to be his ambassadors? As believers, we have been called to be
official representatives of God and his kingdom in this world. We serve as
emissaries for our Lord and King, speaking and acting on his behalf. This
appointment carries honor as well as responsibility. We are entrusted with a
message, becoming the voice of the Lord to a broken, hurting world. Under his
authority, our aim is to build bridges instead of barriers, seeking to share
the good news of Jesus so that people can come to know him as their Savior and
King.


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