2 Corinthians 5:20-21 "Ambassadors of Christ"

Introduction:

Whenever we think of someone being an Ambassador we usually think in the context of the political arena.

Someone who is appointed by a King or head of state to represent him in a foreign land.

The Apostle Paul is using language from the political arena to make a spiritual point to the Church at Corinth regarding the Apostolic ministry of the gospel in the early Church.

Paul sees his Apostolic ministry as being that of an Ambassador on behalf of his sovereign King Jesus.

And it is through the Apostolic ministry that God is making His appeal. Look back at your text to verse 20:

I. God’s Appeal (20).

A. God’s appeal that He is making through His ambassadors is for lost sinners to be reconciled to Him.

Now this is not in the trivial arena of the political world of human political engagement. This is something greater and more definate and not of a temporal but an eternal nature.

God’s King has once and forever been established. We could go back and read Psalm 2 and see the declaration of God reflecting His eternal decree of King Jesus being enthroned upon the Holy Hill of God.

B. Paul says “We implore you on behalf of Christ”. Paul is pleading with them with a sense of intense urgency for them to be reconciled to God.

C. Brothers as Ambassadors of Christ this is what we do. We plead with people to be reconciled to God on behalf of Christ.

I was thinking this week what God would have me say to seminary students after being out of seminary for over 20 years.

Even though we are Ambassadors for Christ I have found that the world will try to get you to compromise on the ministry that He is calling you to.

The enemy will seek to capitalize on your insecurities and your weaknesses. He will attempt to convince you of you being inadequate for the task.

And believe me there will be times when the challenge in front of you will attempt to sway you. And there will be people who will point it out to you as well.

But It is in these times that verse 20 reminds us of a core truth that we must always remember and cling to with every ounce of faith in our being.

Namely that it is God who is making the appeal through us. We are just the vessel that He is working through.

Not only is he the Primary Agent of ministry operation but He has also set up the arrangement that contextualizes the ministry. Look back a verse 21:

II. God’s Arrangment (21).

A. He does this to maximize His glory by exalting His King in righteousness.

He made Him (Christ) who knew no sin to be sin for us. This is a key text on the doctrine of double imputation. God imputes our sin to Christ and Christ righteousness to us.

This is what some have referred to as the “Great Exchange” in Church History. Christ righteousness for our sin.

Christ took our sin to remove it from being counted against us and imputed His righteousness to us by grace through faith alone to reconcile us to God.

B. Brothers this is the meat and potatoes of our justification before God. This imputed righteousness is the basis of our reconciliation and without it there is no gospel.

Just as God is the primary Agent of ministry the gospel of the imputed righteousness of Christ is the message of the ministry.

There are literally 1,000s of church programs on the market but not a single one has a better gospel than the gospel of the imputed righteousness of Jesus Christ.

And there will be those voices in our ears that come from time to time attempting to sideline the gospel for something that is the latest hip and sucessful church growth program.

Nothing wrong with programs the problem is when they seek to sideline the gospel.

C. The Ambassador of Christ knows there is only One message of reconciliation through which God is making His appeal.

May we always be ready to preach and proclaim it to the glory of God in Christ.