This morning we looked at 2 Corinthians 5:14-21 and at our identity as ambassadors for Christ. An ambassador is a diplomat or representative of a country working abroad, often to strengthen economic and cultural ties and to promote the home country’s foreign policy. In our time, it is a highly privileged position, with ambassadors having ‘diplomatic immunity’ (exemption from prosecution in certain instances). When Paul talks about being an ambassador for Christ, there is no such privilege, for an ambassador must learn from Jesus and be a servant (see John 13:1-13), coming to serve and not to be served. (Mark 10:45)
Paul’s words in this chapter give us a new identity (as new creations), a new motivation (Christ’s love), a new reason for living (God), and a new message (the gospel, God’s message of reconciliation.)
Our identity as new creations (2 Cor 5:17) means we have to leave our old ways behind and put on the new self. (Eph 4:22-24) Now it is Christ’s love which compels us, love being the greatest virtue of all and the motivating force behind all we do (as it was for God, John 3:16). Paul says we now live not to please ourselves but to please God: as the Message version puts it, “Cheerfully pleasing God is the main thing, and that’s what we aim to do, regardless of our conditions.” (2 Cor 5:9, The Message) As such, our eyes must be opened to the needs of others (Phil 2;4) and we understand that our primary reason for living is to fulfil Christ’s Great Commission (Matt 28:18-20), seeking to pass on the message of the gospel, that we can be reconciled to God through Christ’s death and resurrection. There is no plan B: we are God’s ambassadors. This is our new identity, and our purpose is to embrace this new identity as new creations, accept Christ’s love as our motivation, live to please God and go with the gospel, God’s message of reconciliation into the whole world.
The children looked at this theme as well, making megaphones to help them spread the message of reconciliation (not that we really think they need help with volume!)
