Duty of an Ambassador

 

1 Peter 2:18-21

I’ve often heard this statement, “ Many who attend church on a very regular basis are lost.”  Before you write me off, that is not my quote, I have no way of looking into someone’s heart, but I will be bold and make this statement, “not many who claim the name of Christian are following His steps.”  And yet, all who make the claim that they are in Christ and Christ is living in them are called to be followers of Christ.  If we take serious the commands of Scripture, we who claim to be Christians are called to live holy as our Father in heaven is holy, and we are called to first be reconciled to God; and because of that we are called to give out the message of reconciliation as an ambassador of Christ.  An ambassador has only the message of his leader; they stay on message, and keep any other opinion to themselves.  Paul the apostle lays out the program in 2 Corinthians 5:17-21, “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.”

If we are going to be followers of Christ, the apostle Peter tells us we must watch-out for the following in verse 11 of chapter 2: “abstain from the passions of the flesh, which wage war against your soul.”  When we entered into Christ a war began, John 10:10 gives a clear picture of that battle.  In 1 Peter 2: 18-21, we are told to be subject to your masters with all respect; it is my opinion that means your employer, your pastor, and for sure we should honor authority placed over us.  But then it gets hard, very hard, we are told to honor the unjust leader.  For most Christians verses 19-20 are not going to happen, they just believe that is for someone else.  I hope you read those verses, let us look at verse 20, “For what credit is it if, when you sin and are beaten for it, you endure?  But if when you do good and suffer for it you endure, this is a gracious thing in the sight of God.”  Would you have signed up, would you have asked Jesus Christ to forgive your sins, and to take up residence if you had been given this information: “For to this you have been called, because He also suffered for you, leaving you an example, so that you might follow in his steps.  (1 Peter 2:21)  I believe the American Church is getting ready to experience that call, very soon, it will never work if we are not abstaining from the passions of the flesh, flesh cannot please God.

From the Back Porch,

Bob Rice