“George Shultz, when Secretary of State during the Reagan administration, kept a large globe in his office. When newly appointed ambassadors had an interview with him . . . Shultz would test them. He would say, ‘You have to go over the globe and prove to me that you can identify your country.’ They would always go over, spin the globe, and put their finger on the country to which [they were being] sent. But, when former Senate majority leader Mike Mansfield was appointed ambassador to Japan and was put to the test, Mansfield spun the globe and put his [finger] on the United States. He said: ‘That’s my country’.”(1)
Shultz said, “Never forget you’re over there in that country, but your country is the United States. You’re there to represent us. Take care of our interests and never forget [that] you’re representing the best country in the world.”(2) And this morning, as we look at being an ambassador for Christ, we will come to see how we, while being sojourners on earth, must represent our real homeland, the kingdom of heaven. So, at this time, I want to invite you to stand in honor of God’s Word, as I read 2 Corinthians 5:18-21:
18 Now all things are of God, who has reconciled us to Himself through Jesus Christ, and has given us the ministry of reconciliation, 19 that is, that God was in Christ reconciling the world to Himself, not imputing their trespasses to them, and has committed to us the word of reconciliation. 20 Now then, we are ambassadors for Christ, as though God were pleading through us: we implore you on Christ’s behalf, be reconciled to God. 21 For He made Him who knew no sin to be sin for us, that we might become the righteousness of God in Him.
A Message of Reconciliation from the King (vv. 18-19)
So, let us begin with verses 18-19. In these verses, God made known His plan of reconciliation, which must be proclaimed to all people through what is called “the word of reconciliation” (v. 19). You might say the King of our heavenly country has made a decree. It is His word; one that must be proclaimed to the entire world. It is a message of restoration; of being made right with God through the forgiveness of sins. You see, “because of his rebellion, man was the enemy of God and out of fellowship with Him. Through the work of the cross, Jesus Christ has brought man and God together again . . . The basic meaning of the word reconcile is ‘to change thoroughly.’ It refers to a changed [or mended] relationship between God and [a] lost world.”(3) 1 Peter 3:18 says, “For Christ also suffered once for sins, the just for the unjust, that He might bring us to God, being put to death in the flesh but made alive by the Spirit.”
Now, “another key idea in [these verses] is imputation. This is a word borrowed from banking; it simply means ‘to put to one’s account.’ When you deposit money in the bank, the computer (or the clerk) puts that amount to your account, or to your credit. When Jesus died on the cross, all our sins were imputed to Him – put to His account. He was treated by God as though He had actually committed those sins. The result? All those sins have been paid for, and God no longer holds them against us, because we have trusted Christ as our Savior. But even more: God has put to our account the very righteousness of Christ!” (v. 21).(4)
We read in Ephesians 1:13-14, in the New International Version, “You also were included in Christ when you heard the message of truth, the gospel of your salvation. When you believed, you were marked in Him with a seal, the promised Holy Spirit, who is a deposit guaranteeing our inheritance until the redemption of those who are God’s possession – to the praise of His glory.” This is good news that must be shared with the world; and Jesus give us a charge to do just that in what is called the Great Commission. He said, “Go therefore and make disciples of all the nations, baptizing them in the name of the Father and of the Son and of the Holy Spirit, teaching them to observe all things that I have commanded you” (Matthew 28:19-20).
Ambassadors Must Share the King’s Message (vv. 20-21)
In verse 20, we learn that as we go forth proclaiming “the word of reconciliation” (v. 19), we are acting as Christ’s ambassadors, to negotiate with others regarding their reconciliation unto God. The Greek word that Paul used for “ambassador” is presbeuein. If you have ever heard the word Presbyterian, then the word presbeuein might sound familiar. In addition to “ambassador,” this word can also mean, “an aged man” or “an elder.”(5) For example, in 1 Timothy 5:19, Paul said, “Do not receive an accusation against an elder [presbeuteron], except from two or three witnesses,” and the word that Paul used for “elder” is the same word that he used for “ambassador.”
So, what is an ambassador? “An ambassador is . . . employed by one prince or state at the court of another, to manage the concerns of his own prince or state, and representing the dignity and power of his [own] sovereign.”(6) In today’s time, an ambassador would stay at an embassy located on neutral soil. You might envision the local church as an embassy located in foreign territory, from which we represent our sovereign, the Lord, Jesus Christ. An ambassador “is sent to do what the sovereign would himself do, were he present. [He is] sent to make known the will of the sovereign, and to negotiate matters of commerce, of war, or of peace; and in general, everything affecting the interests of the sovereign among the people to whom [he is] sent.”(7) He does not go to promote his own welfare, nor to seek and honor for himself,(8) but rather, honor for his state and his sovereign.
Allow me to share three comparisons between the ambassador and the Christian: 1.) An ambassador’s life “is spent among people who usually speak a different language, who have a different tradition, and different way of life. The Christian . . . lives in the world; but he is a citizen of heaven; to that extent, he is a stranger.”(9) In Hebrews chapter 11, we read of the forefathers of faith how they “confessed that they were strangers and pilgrims on the earth” (13b), and that “if they had called to mind that country from which they had come out, they would have had opportunity to return. But now they desire a better, that is, a heavenly country” (vv. 15-16). Our true country is heaven, and while on earth as Christ’s ambassadors, we are as strangers in a foreign land.
2.) “An ambassador speaks for his own country . . . [and] there are times when the Christian [must] speak for Christ. In the decision and the counsel of the world, his must be the voice which brings the message and the word of Christ to the human situation.”(10) His must also be the voice of reason. What ambassador refuses to speak and just watches people make bad decisions leading to conflict or war? In Ephesians 6:18-20, Paul requested that “supplication [be made] for all the saints” (v. 18), “and for me, that utterance may be given to me, that I may open my mouth boldly to make known the mystery of the gospel, for which I am an ambassador in chains; that in it I may speak boldly, as I ought to speak” (vv. 19-20).
3.) “The honor of a country is in its ambassador’s hands. His country is judged by him. His words are listened to, his deeds are watched . . . By every word and action, he can make men think more – or less – of the church of which he is a member and of the Master whose he is.”(11) In 1 Peter 2:11-15, we read, “Beloved, I beg you as sojourners and pilgrims, abstain from fleshly lusts which war against the soul, having your conduct honorable among the Gentiles, that when they speak against you as evildoers, they may, by your good works which they observe, glorify God in the day of visitation. Therefore, submit yourselves to every ordinance of man for the Lord's sake . . . For this is the will of God, that by doing good you may put to silence the ignorance of foolish men.” As strangers in a foreign land, we must uphold the laws of that land while we temporarily dwell there; and the reason why is to have a good witness before others.
When Paul spoke of being reconciled unto God, he did so amidst the backdrop of Roman occupation; making a comparison with rebellious provinces that needed to be reconciled unto Rome. The word presbeuein for ambassador corresponds with the Roman word legatus,(12) used “to describe an important official in the Roman Empire. Roman provinces that were peaceful, [called senatorial provinces], were under the direct control of the emperor and his representative on the scene, called a legate or ambassador. He was the direct personal representative of the emperor.”(13) In contrast, “imperial provinces were not peaceful. They were dangerous because they would rebel against Rome if they could.”(14)
When a country was in the process of becoming a Roman province [or reconciling with Rome], the senate would send ten ambassadors to arrange the terms of peace.(15) They would also “determine the boundaries of the new province, and draw up a constitution for its new administration; and who then returned and submitted what they had done for the approval of and ratification by the senate.”(16) We can understand the role of an ambassador as being one who brought former enemies of Rome into the family of the Roman Empire.(17)
So, allow me to apply this information. “Since Christians in this world are the ambassadors of Christ, this means that the world is in rebellion against God. This world is an ‘imperial province’ as far as God is concerned.”(18) We read in Romans chapter 3, “There is none who seeks after God. They have all turned aside; they have together become unprofitable; there is none who does good, no, not one . . . for all have sinned and fall short of the glory of God” (vv. 11-12, 23). The punishment for rebellion against God is found in Romans 6:23, which says, “The wages of sin is death.” In the Roman world, the death penalty was carried out on a cross, which explains why Jesus died on a cross as He paid the price for our sins.
“Paul saw himself as the direct representative of God in a foreign, hostile territory, inviting former enemies to come into God’s family.”(19) He thought “of himself as the man who [brought] to [other] men the offer and the conditions of God, whereby men [could] become citizens of the empire of God and members of His family.”(20) As ambassadors, Christians are to make known and explain the terms by which God is willing to be reconciled unto men. They are not to negotiate any new terms, nor change those which God has proposed, nor follow their own plans.(21) Now, the terms of peace are stated in Acts 2:38: “Repent, and let every one of you be baptized in the name of Jesus Christ for the remission of sins.” The terms are 1.) repent, which means to turn from one’s rebellion, 2.) submit to the empire of heaven and its ruler, which is King Jesus, and 3.) be baptized in His name.
Commentator Warren Wiersbe says that God has sent His ambassadors into the world to declare His offer of peace. “But one day, He will declare war; and then it will be too late for those who have rejected the Savior,”(22) and Wiersbe points to 2 Thessalonians 1:7-10, which tells us this: “When the Lord Jesus is revealed from heaven with His mighty angels, in flaming fire [He will take] vengeance on those who do not know God, and on those who do not obey the gospel of our Lord Jesus Christ. These shall be punished with everlasting destruction from the presence of the Lord and from the glory of His power, when He comes, in that Day, to be glorified in His saints and to be admired among all those who believe.”
We can avoid the wrath and vengeance of God by choosing to become a citizen of the kingdom. Verse 21 says, “For He made Him who knew no sin to be sin for us, that we might become the righteousness of God in Him.” We are supposed to suffer judgment and death as a rebel against God, but Jesus took our punishment on Himself. He bore the penalty for our sins when He died on the cross. He took on the sins of the entire world and became sin. He temporarily became as unrighteous before God, because of the sin that He bore; and He received the punishment of sin, which is death, in order that “we” might be the ones to be seen as righteous in the eyes of God. But His sacrifice only takes effect in our life by believing that Jesus Christ truly died for us, and by believing that He arose from the grave to conquer sin and death on our behalf (Romans 10:9-10).
Time of Reflection
I want to share something in closing. In Acts chapter 22, we see the apostle Paul bound in chains waiting to be scourged. He asked the centurion on watch if it was lawful to scourge a Roman citizen, such as himself. The text says, “Then the commander came and said to him, ‘Tell me, are you a Roman?’ He said, ‘Yes.’ The commander answered, ‘With a large sum I obtained this citizenship.’ And Paul said, ‘But I was born a citizen.’ Then immediately those who were about to examine him withdrew from him; and the commander was also afraid after he found out that he was a Roman” (vv. 27-29).
In this account, Paul was innocent and yet, he faced judgement – and because of our sins, we too face judgement – but, unlike Paul, we are guilty. However, if we become a citizen, we are exempt from examination and scourging. Our accuser, the devil, will withdraw from the scene. In Matthew chapter 17, Jesus asked Simon Peter, “‘From whom do the kings of the earth take customs or taxes, from their sons or from strangers?’ Peter said to Him, ‘From strangers.’ Jesus said to him, ‘Then the sons are free’” (vv. 25-26). The sons of the kingdom are free from payments and prosecution.
There were three ways to become a Roman citizen: by one’s own purchase (like the commander); through birth (like Paul); or through adoption by a Roman citizen. We certainly cannot buy our way into heaven. Paul said in Ephesians 2:8-9, “For by grace you have been saved through faith, and that not of yourselves; it is the gift of God, not of works, lest anyone should boast.” And none of us are born a citizen of the kingdom. But, when we are born again through faith in Jesus Christ, we are adopted by the King Himself. Paul said in Romans 8:15-16, “For you did not receive the spirit of bondage again to fear, but you received the Spirit of adoption by whom we cry out, ‘Abba, Father.’ The Spirit Himself bears witness with our spirit that we are children of God.”
We are adopted by the King, to become children of God, by repenting of our sins, and by confessing Jesus Christ as Savior and Lord (Romans 10:9-10). If you wish to be forgiven of your sins and receive eternal life as a citizen of the kingdom, then I invite you to come today and confess Jesus as the Christ, the Son of the living God, your Savior and Lord.
NOTES
(1) Guy Mcgraw, “That’s My Country,” Sermon Central: https://www.sermoncentral.com/sermon-illustrations/81071/that-s-my-country-by-guy-mcgraw (Accessed October 29, 2024).
(2) Ibid.
(3) Warren Wiersbe, “The Complete New Testament in One Volume,” The Wiersbe Bible Commentary (Colorado Springs, CO: David C. Cook, 2007), p. 518.
(4) Ibid., pp. 518-519.
(5) Albert Barnes, Barnes’ NT Commentary (Bronson, MI: PowerBible CD, 2007).
(6) Ibid.
(7) Ibid.
(8) Ibid.
(9) William Barclay, “Letters to the Corinthians,” The Daily Study Bible (Philadelphia: Westminster Press, 1956), p. 234.
(10) bid., pp. 234-235.
(11) Ibid., p. 235.
(12) Ibid., p. 233.
(13) David C. George, “2 Corinthians, Galatians, Ephesians,” Layman’s Bible Book Commentary, vol. 21 (Nashville: Broadman Press, 1979), p. 32.
(14) Wiersbe, p. 519.
(15) George, p. 32.
(16) Barclay, p. 234.
(17) George, p. 32.
(18) Wiersbe, p. 519.
(19) George, p. 32.
(20) Barclay, p. 234.
(21) Barnes, Barnes’ NT Commentary.
(22) Wiersbe, p. 519.
