Ambassadors for Christ

2 Cor. 5:11-21

2 Corinthians 5:11–21 ESV

Therefore, knowing the fear of the Lord, we persuade others. But what we are is known to God, and I hope it is known also to your conscience. We are not commending ourselves to you again but giving you cause to boast about us, so that you may be able to answer those who boast about outward appearance and not about what is in the heart. For if we are beside ourselves, it is for God; if we are in our right mind, it is for you. For the love of Christ controls us, because we have concluded this: that one has died for all, therefore all have died; and he died for all, that those who live might no longer live for themselves but for him who for their sake died and was raised. From now on, therefore, we regard no one according to the flesh. Even though we once regarded Christ according to the flesh, we regard him thus no longer. 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.

Jesus came to build His Kingdom and to bring us into it.

Two themes in our text: 1. Reconciliation - bringing two things that were separated back together again. (Atonement) 2. Ambassadors - high ranking diplomats who represent their country’s government in another country.

Paul’s ministry is one of an ambassador and ours is too. We are called to the same ministry that Paul was in. We don’t have the same authority as an apostle, but we still hold the same calling as an ambassador. We represent the Kingdom of God in the midst of the kingdoms of this world.

Paul’s Defense of His Apostleship and His Message as an Ambassador

Paul was condemned for being bold in letters and timid when he showed up in person. He was ridiculed as being a weak speaker. And the false apostles accused Paul of claiming apostleship without official credentials.

These Super-Apostles (as Paul sarcastically calls them) were larger than life. They were big time speakers. They looked good and sounded good. They supposedly had official papers from the Jerusalem church to name them as accredited apostles in the church. They were trying to ridicule Paul and take leadership for themselves.

Paul’s Defenses:

Everything we do is in fear of God, not for the praise of man (v.11).

We argue from the heart, not our outer appearance (v.12).

However you perceive us, we speak for God and for your sake (v.13).

God’s Proclamation and Invitation of Reconciliation

Paul moves into the why and what of his proclamations.

Everything that Christ has done is the fuel for what they say and it is the message that they have to give for all the world to hear.

The Proclamation 1. Christ has died for all, making the provision of salvation for all.

“all have died” is not a promise to save all, but a promise that salvation has been provided for all. The condition of who is saved is based solely on faith. The gift is there, we must choose to receive it in faith.

2. Christ died for us in order that we would live for Him.

We have been freed from sin to follow Christ. This goes back to the fuel of our effort or our work as a follower of Christ. Everything that we do is based on all that Jesus has done for us.

3. Our standing before God is not based on our works and outward appearance.

The false teachers relied on their appearance, but their heart was crooked as seen in their desire to defame Paul’s character and lead others astray.

Paul says that we should not judge by physical appearance. In the same way, we would judge Christ as weak and a failure by fleshly standards. But He was far from weak and a failure. In fact, it was through weakness and a supposed failure that He brought forth our salvation.

4. In Christ, we are not who we once were.

There should be a stark difference in who we once were and who we are becoming in Christ. It wont be perfect and immediate, but there should be some noticeable differences in works and desires and motives. We enter into the Kingdom of God and become ambassadors of that new Kingdom. We are not wordly. We are not sinners. We are disciples of Christ.

The Invitation (vv.18-19)

The greeks of Paul’s time taught that the gods were estranged from us. The jews taught that man was estranged from God.

Paul sides here with the jews, in that God has already reconciled Himself to us. When Jesus died, the righteous requirement against sin was satisfied. God, through Christ, made the invitation for us to enter into His Kingdom.

But to go beyond the Jews, there was no work for us to do for salvation other than to choose in faith to accept what Christ had done and surrender to Him and His Kingdom.

We are commissioned to go as ambassadors of God’s Kingdom.

Paul writes in verse 19 that we are entrusted with this message of reconciliation. “God has made a way for us to be with Him. God has invited us into His Kingdom.”

God makes His appeal to others through us.

We go in the strength of knowing what Jesus did for us.

Never knowing the weakness, the thirst, the wrath of God, …Jesus took all of our sin upon Himself and received all the pain and eternal punishment that should’ve been ours.

So that in Him, receiving Him in faith, we can also receive His righteousness. We are literally seen by God as if we lived a holy life. It is only on the basis of what Christ has done and what He has given us. Our entrance into God’s Kingdom in through Jesus alone.

Will you be His Ambassador?

Will you see your role wherever you are as an extension of God’s Kingdom?

Will you receive Christ’s invitation and enter into His Kingdom?