GOD'S AMBASSADORS
Nepal is the birthplace of Siddhartha Gautama, the
founder of Buddhism. It is the only official Hindu kingdom in the world.
According to C. Peter Wagner, professor emeritus of church growth at Fuller
Theological Seminary, "many missiologists considered the Himalayan region
a hopeless case for Christianity." However, several years ago, the Lord
saved Lok Bhandari, a revolutionary "freedom fighter," a national
martial arts champion whose father had groomed him to become prime minister of
Nepal.
Today, Lok is an ambassador for Christ in his home
country and is not discouraged by the fact that he has been detained and
arrested more than 30 times and persecuted for preaching the Gospel. Now Lok
tells crowds of 65,000 to 70,000 how Jesus revolutionized his life. According
to some estimates, there are 3 million Christians in Nepal now, a great work of
God considering that only 50 years ago there were no known Christians in Nepal."[1]
All that great work resulted because of Christians
like Lok Bhandari, whose life was transformed by the love of Christ. A
revolutionary "freedom fighter" became an ambassador for Christ. He
decided not to live for himself but for the one who died to give him eternal
life. Not only in Nepal, but we see such fearless and selfless ambassadors for
Christ worldwide.
Looking at chapters 3 and 4, we learned about our
mortal bodies and their final destiny in the past couple of weeks. We also
learned that the right ambition in life is to please God. In II Corinthians
5:11-21, we will see how pleasing God works out in our lives as we look at how
the apostles persuaded others and what controlled them in their persuasion. Why
did Christ die for sinners? What is expected of Christians who are saved by
grace? What are Christians called? What task and message are they given to
share with the world? Let us begin our study.
Vs. 11-13, "Because we
understand our fearful responsibility to the Lord, we work hard to persuade
others. God knows we are sincere, and I hope you know this, too. Are we
commending ourselves to you again? No, we are giving you a reason to be proud
of us, so you can answer those who brag about having a spectacular ministry
rather than having a sincere heart. If it seems we are crazy, it is to bring
glory to God. And if we are in our right minds, it is for your benefit."
After addressing inevitable afterlife matters, it
appears that Paul had to do some convincing work regarding his ministry among
the Corinthian believers. In chapters 3 and 4, we learned how some people
doubted Paul's ministry and apostolic credentials. Out of the reverential fear
of God, Paul persuaded those doubters in the Corinthian Church that he was the
authentic apostle appointed by God, and none of those false prophets were as
they claimed to be.
I
A Spectacular Ministry Or A Sincere Heart?
It was apparent that some false prophets during Paul's
time were priding themselves on outward appearances and bragging about their
achievements and successes. In contrast, Paul was content to take a humble
stand and paid attention to what was in his heart.
Paul reminded
the Corinthian Christians to watch their hearts and remain sincere in their
service to God and one another. There has always been, and more so now, an
emphasis on outward appearance and performance. But God has always looked at
the heart of man.
Christian ministry is not all about performing
spectacular things for God but doing it with a sincere heart. In a highly
consumerist world, people want to do spectacular things, as if the likes and
reviews on social media matter most. But on the other hand, God is least
concerned about our spectacular ministry. We read in II Samuel 16:7, “The Lord
does not see things the way you see them. People judge by outward appearance, but
the Lord looks at the heart.”
Vs. 14-15, “Either way,
Christ’s love controls us. Since we believe that Christ died for all, we also
believe that we have all died to our old life. He died for everyone so that
those who receive his new life will no longer live for themselves. Instead,
they will live for Christ, who died and was raised for them.” Here we see
Paul’s assertion of what controlled them.
II.
The Compelling Love of Christ.
Some of us have a hard time with the word ‘control.’
We often associate control with authority, command, power, and sway. We do
not like to be controlled, especially when people abuse their authority and
leadership. That is not how Christ's love works. It does not exercise its
authority over us or demand our obedience; instead, it implores, urges, or
compels us to action.
When the apostle Paul wrote, “The love of Christ
compels us,” he was describing the powerful, Spirit-filled motivation that
drives followers of Christ to share the Gospel in ways that persuade people to
commit their lives to Jesus. Let us see how Paul approached the Gospel.
Romans 1:16, “For
I am not ashamed of this Good News about Christ. It is the power of God at
work, saving everyone who believes—the Jew first and also the Gentile.” I Cor
9:6, “Yet
preaching the Good News is not something I can boast about. I am compelled by
God to do it. How terrible for me if I didn’t preach the Good News!” Are you
ashamed of the Good News?
Because of Christ’s love for His people, He died for
us while we were yet sinners. The love of Christ compelled Paul to share the
Gospel. It motivated him to take the Gospel to distant lands in the face of
opposition and persecution. Paul was willing to die to himself (Gal 2:20).
This testimony of Paul encourages us to ask ourselves,
“What motivates us to share the good news of Jesus with others?” If the love of
Christ compels us, we will not live for ourselves; instead, we live for Christ,
who died for us. We will go anywhere and do anything to share the good news of
the Gospel with people because God loves all people and wants them to be
saved.
III
We are God’s Ambassadors. (Vs. 18-21)
These verses talk about how God brought us back to
himself through Christ in His mercy and love. It was purely a gift from God, so
we cannot boast about it. He entrusted us with the task and the message of
reconciliation. It is the job of leading people back to God. Paul further
dignified that reconciliation job, calling it as we are God’s Ambassadors.
Sounds excellent!
God’s Ambassadors! It is a badge of honor for every
follower of Christ to wear with pride and responsibility. Now some practical
matters, what does a real-time ambassador do? An ambassador is the official
representative of their government; in a sense, they bear the image of their
nation. They represent the interests, values, intentions, and expectations of
the country that sent them to a foreign country. To do their job well, they
must thoroughly understand their nation’s domestic and international policies.
Their government places absolute trust in them.
So, it is with God’s Ambassadors. We are the image
bearers of God in this world. We are to represent and reflect God’s character,
redemptive plan for humanity, and the consequences of not following His plan
for their lives. Real-time ambassadors are well educated and informed in
various fields. Similarly, as God’s ambassadors, we want to be well equipped in
matters about life and the life to come. We want to study and understand the
person and the work of Christ.
Paul encouraged a young ambassador of Christ named
Timothy with these words. II Timothy 2:15, “Work hard so you can present
yourself to God and receive his approval. Be a good worker, one who does not
need to be ashamed and who correctly explains the word of truth.” To the extent
we read and study God’s word to that extent, we will come to know God.
As God’s Ambassadors, let us take every opportunity to
tell our friends, family, and neighbors about our merciful and loving God. We
want to represent our God and his purposes rightly to the people we meet
through love and utmost graciousness. Amen!
[1] God's
Kingdom Grows in the World's Only Official Hindu Nation: Mission to the Himalayas,
Missions, and Missionaries (August/September, 2002) p. 3
