Ambassadors
for Jesus
2 Corinthians 5:17-20 [ESV] (emphasis added)
"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
(word) 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 (Jesus) to be sin who knew
no sin, so that in him we might become the righteousness of God."
The context of this post is about spiritual government
and our duty as an ambassador.
Firstly, please wipe out of your mind the current
church-world definition of ministry and minister. The different perspective in
this blog does not cast away what you know about these words. It is simply an
approach from the Lord that may be helpful to someone else.
If you are newly saved without a recent or any Christian
foundation, please practice the elementary principles of the faith before engaging
in some aspects of spiritual authority. However, understanding spiritual authority
and the maturity to practice it does not come with age. It comes from spending
time with the Lord and the Word.
The Ministry of Reconciliation
Paul, the apostle, is a great teacher on the subject of our citizenship in the Kingdom of God/ Heaven. He tells us that we received more than a transformed life when we became followers of Jesus. We received an assignment to be available as a Kingdom representative on the earth, with full diplomatic and spiritual authority. Paul tells us that we have the Ministry of Reconciliation, which makes us Ambassadors for Christ.
The simplest definition of a ministry in the context of this post is executing the commands of another. A ministry is a high-level government organization. For example, our Department of Education is the Ministry of Education in Canada. The head of a government ministry is a minister who is responsible for carrying out decrees in a specific area of government (e.g., the Minister of Education). Our heavenly kingdom’s Ministry of Reconciliation has ministers who carry the word or message of reconciliation on the earth to those who do not know our Lord.
We communicate to the world that our King heals broken hearts and diseases, delivers from sins against God and others, and ensures eternal life after death. The citizens of the foreign government (the world) where we reside need to know that dual citizenship is not necessary to live on this planet. Through our King Jesus, they can defect (be translated) from the kingdom of darkness into His kingdom of light (Colossians 1:13). Therefore, followers of Jesus become a governing entity with spiritual jurisdiction (John 3:8b, Rev 3:18) where they worship, live, work, and play.
We are Ambassadors
An ambassador resides in an embassy in the hosting country. Usually, the hosting country recognizes an embassy as a territory belonging to the foreign government. We received diplomatic jurisdiction over the territory where we reside (permanently or temporarily) through the Kingdom’s Ministry of Reconciliation. Now that we have an assignment and residence, we can share the message of reconciliation in our territory.
JURISDICTION
Authority, dominion, influence, power, control,
rule, say command, sway, prerogative (right, privilege)
The hostile, spiritual enemies in the foreign territory (the earth) do not respect who we are in Christ. Therefore, we must use spiritual diplomatic jurisdiction to resist them. As a reminder, our authority is not based on what we have available in our personal arsenal of credentials and intelligence. Holy Spirit’s power and the Kingdom’s forces in the heavenly realm support our right to exist on earth.
We are NOT Goodwill Ambassadors
A goodwill ambassador is an unofficial representative of a government with no authorization to make official decisions on behalf of the
government. They are generally notable individuals such as celebrities, retired
public officials, etc. Goodwill ambassadors promote friendship and goodwill for
a cause such as UNICEF (United Nations Children’s Fund), global environmental
and social causes, and even specific cuisine. As you can see, we are not goodwill ambassadors.
Many
believers see themselves as a goodwill ambassador of the gospel, occasionally sharing
the Kingdom’s Ministry of Reconciliation message with the world. They do not accept
the fact that they are full-fledged ambassadors, with authority and power on
the earth (Luke 10:18).
Who are you?
- Would you classify yourself as an ambassador or a goodwill ambassador?
- Have you accepted your position in the Ministry of Reconciliation to be an official envoy and diplomatic agent of the Kingdom?
- Do you use your diplomatic jurisdiction and a sovereign appointment to share with the world that God can wash away the burdens, guilt, and broken-heartedness of the soul and spirit?
We have a position in the Kingdom’s Ministry of Reconciliation and the message of reconciliation to share with others wherever we are. In this capacity, we have the authority to do what Jesus did, what He told His disciples to do, and what He told His apostles/disciples to teach others to do. The mission has not changed since the resurrection (Matthew 28:18-20, Mark 16:15-20).
Have a prosperous New Year with a renewed focus on being an ambassador of the Kingdom of God/Heaven wherever you are. Do not forget you are the highest diplomatic agent in your territory for the Ministry of Reconciliation. Reach out to someone, whether a believer, follower, or non-believer, and encourage them to be reconciled to God.