An Ambassador For The Light Series

ONE THING I HAVE SEEN, TIME AFTER TIME, IN MOST WESTERN MOVIES AND TELEVISION SHOWS IS THAT JUSTICE CANNOT BE TRULY SERVED UNLESS THE REAL WITNESSES COME FORWARD TO TELL THE TRUTH TO CONVICT THE “BAD GUYS” TO KEEP THEM FROM LITERALLY “GETTING AWAY WITH MURDER.”

IT IS A GREAT INJUSTICE IF THOSE IN POSSESSION OF THE TRUTH REMAIN SILENT OR, PERHAPS, LIE OR MISLEAD THE AUTHORITIS. WE HAVE LAWS AGAINST THAT….IT IS CALLED PURJURY, WHICH IS “THE OFFENSE OF WILLFULLY TELLING AN UNTRUTH IN A COURT AFTER HAVING TAKEN AN OATH OR AFFIRMATION.”

THAT’S WHY CHRISTIANS MUST NEVER HOLD BACK THE TRUTH THAT CAN SET PEOPLE FREE FROM SIN! JOHN 8:31-32, “JESUS SAID TO THE PEOPLE WHO BELIEVED IN HIM, “YOU ARE TRULY MY DISCIPLES IF YOU REMAIN FAITHFUL TO MY TEACHINGS. AND YOU WILL KNOW THE TRUTH, AND THE TRUTH WILL SET YOU FREE.”

LEARNING AND BELIEVING GOD’S WORD TO US IS CRUCIAL. CHRISTIANS CONTINUALLY WORK TO EDUCATE THEMSELVES BY DIGGING INTO SCRIPTURE, GLEANING ITS TEACHINGS, LEARNING ITS TRUTH, AND THEN LIVING IT OUT AND DOING WHAT IT SAYS.

WE SURRENDER OURSELVES AND FALL UNDER THE AUTHORITY AND LORDSHIP OF JESUS CHRIST. WE MUST MAKE THE WILFUL CHOICE THAT IT IS NO LONGER ABOUT “US,” BUT ABOUT JESUS.

THIS IS THE SAME ATTITUDE DESCRIBED OF JOHN THE BAPTIST IN JOHN 1:8, “HE WAS NOT THE LIGHT, BUT CAME TO BEAR WITNESS ABOUT THE LIGHT.”

THE BOTTOM LINE IS THIS FOR CHRISTIANS: IT’S ALL ABOUT JESUS. PERIOD. OUR LIVES SHOULD NOT BE SEGREGATED AND LIVED OUT INDEPENDENTLY FROM OUR FAITH. RATHER, OUR FAITH SHOULD BE THE HUB WHERE THESE EVENTS FLOW OUT FROM OUR LIFE.

WE INVITE JESUS INTO ALL THAT WE DO. JESUS IS WITH US AND MANIFESTS THROUGH OUR ACTIONS. 2 CORINTHIANS 5:20, “SO WE ARE CHRIST’S AMBASSADORS; GOD IS MAKING HIS APPEAL THROUGH US. WE SPEAK FOR CHRIST WHEN WE PLEAD, “COME BACK TO GOD!”

THE ROLE OF OUE U.S. AMBASSADOR IS TO REPRESENT THE PRESIDENT’S INTERESTS WHEREVER THEY ARE SENT. THIS SOUNDS A LOT LIKE JOHN THE BAPTIST, DOESN’T IT?

JOHN 1:6-7, “THERE WAS A MAN SENT FROM GOD, WHOSE NAME WAS JOHN. HE CAME AS A WITNESS….” GOD’S PLAN WAS TO SEND JOHN AHEAD OF JESUS TO BE HIS REPRESENTATIVE OR “AMBASSADOR” TO ANNOUNCE THE COMING LIGHT OF JESUS THE MESSIAH.

OUR RESPONSIBILITY IS NO DIFFERENT! WE TOO HAVE BEEN SENT OUT INTO THE WORLD AS GOD’S AMBASSADORS. WE HAVE BEEN “SENT OUT” TO BE ILLUMINED WITNESSES, LIKE JOHN, TO TELL AND SHOW OTHERS ABOUT THE LIGHT OF JESUS. WE ARE TO, AS STATED IN MATTHEW 28:19, TO “GO, MAKE, BAPTISE AND TEACH!”

THE LIGHT JESUS OFFERED COULD NEVER BE DEFEATED NOR SNUFFED OUT. JOHN 1:4-5, "LIFE ITSELF WAS IN [CHRIST] AND THIS LIFE GIVES LIGHT TO EVERYONE. THE LIGHT SHINES THROUGH THE DARKNESS, AND THE DARKNESS CAN NEVER EXTINGUISH IT."

IF WE ARE EVER TO HELP OTHERS OUT OF SPIRITUAL DARKNESS, TO HAVE VICTORY OVER SIN IN THEIR LIFE, AND TO LEAD THEM TO JESUS, WE HAVE TO BE READY AND CAPABLE OF OFFERING THEM THE LIGHT OF JESUS AT ANY MOMENT AND IN ANY PLACE.

2 TIMOTHY 4:2, “PREACH THE WORD OF GOD. BE PREPARED, WHETHER THE TIME IS FAVORABLE OR NOT. PATIENTLY CORRECT, REBUKE, AND ENCOURAGE YOUR PEOPLE WITH GOOD TEACHING.”

THE ULTIMATE PURPOSE OF ALL TRUE CHRISTIAN TESTIMONY IS TO LEAD OTHERS TO FAITH IN JESUS. BEARING WITNESS TO THE LIGHT PROVES THAT JESUS IS REAL AND THE ONLY LIGHT CAPABLE OF PENETRATING THE DARKNESS OF THE ABYSS TO SET THE CAPTIVES FREE. JESUS IS THE ONLY TRUE LIGHT FOR THE ENTIRE WORLD.

WE MUST INVADE THIS DARKNESS WITH THE JOY OF TELLING EVERYONE THIS GREAT NEWS! WE INVADE THE DARKNESS WITH CONFIDENCE, YET AWARENESS OF WHAT AND WHO WE ARE UP AGAINST SO AS TO BE PREPARED FOR SUCH A BATTLE!

EPHESIANS 6:12, “FOR WE ARE NOT FIGHTING AGAINST FLESH-AND-BLOOD ENEMIES, BUT AGAINST EVIL RULERS AND AUTHORITIES OF THE UNSEEN WORLD, AGAINST MIGHTY POWERS IN THIS DARK WORLD, AND AGAINST EVIL SPIRITS IN THE HEAVENLY PLACES.”

THIS WAS PART OF THE SAME MISSION OF JOHN THE BAPTIST WE SEE IN JOHN 1:7, “TO TELL ABOUT THE LIGHT SO THAT EVERYONE MIGHT BELIEVE BECAUSE OF HIS TESTIMONY.” OUR TESTIMONY OF WHAT JESUS HAS DONE IN OUR LIVES CAN LEAD OTHERS TO BELIEVE!

THE WORD FOR “BELIEVE” MEANS “TO HAVE CONFIDENCE IN” OR “BE FULLY PERSUADED ABOUT.” THAT IS ENCOURAGING NEWS THAT OUR PERSONAL TESTIMONY AND HOW YOU LIVE OUT YOUR FAITH COULD PERSUADE SOMEONE TO SURRENDER TO JESUS!

THAT’S WHY WE NEED TO FULLY UNDERSTAND THAT THE MOST DESTRUCTIVE FORCE BEHIND DISMANTLING AND THWARTING GOD’S WORK IS OUR SILENCE AND/OR REFUSAL TO ENGAGE OTHERS TO SPEAK THE WORDS OF LIFE TO THEM.

MARTIN LUTHER KING IS CREDITED WITH STATING, “"THERE COMES A TIME WHEN SILENCE IS BETRAYAL…IN THE END, WE WILL REMEMBER NOT THE WORDS OF OUR ENEMIES, BUT THE SILENCE OF OUR FRIENDS" SPEAK THE TRUTH IN LOVE AND SPEAK IT OFTEN.