Ambassadorship – 2 Corinthians 5:11-21

Recent hearings into President Trump’s alleged quid pro quo with Ukraine has led to some fascinating behind the scenes looks at United States ambassadors and their work around the world. And I’ve been encouraged and impressed. These men and women who represent our nation in foreign lands are quite competent and effective. I am grateful to have such people in this service.

According to Paul, we followers of Christ have an ambassadorship as well.

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. (2 Corinthians 5:11-21 ESV)

Having the New Covenant ministry and the hope of resurrection after the dying of our outer man to face Christ’s judgment, Paul and all true believers make it their aim to persuade others to embrace Jesus Christ for salvation.  God knows Paul’s heart and so should the Corinthians and they should feel free to boast in Paul’s zeal for the Lord and for the Corinthians, unlike the false leaders the Corinthians are following who boast in outward appearance.  If Christ died for all, that means all deserved death, but that also all might have life and live for Christ alone.

True leaders, like Paul, are not judging things from a fleshly perspective like he used to judge Christ but are new creations in Christ and are fulfilling God’s commission to bring all into reconciliation with God through Christ.  There is real forgiveness of sins and Christ’s ambassadors must make appeal to all others to be reconciled to God.  God made the way possible by regarding Jesus, who never sinned, as if he had sinned and as if he were our sin and worthy of death and so punishing him in our place.  Then he regarded Jesus’ righteousness as our righteousness so we might have a reconciled relationship to God.  This is what the Corinthians should have been all about, and what we should be about as well.

We have to ask ourselves two questions. One, are we reconciled to God? Have we reckoned that Christ has become our sin and we his righteousness? Are we saved? And two, if we are saved, what kind of ambassadors of this message are we? Are we “beside ourselves” like the false teachers characterized Paul, zealous to implore others to be reconciled?

Discussion Questions for Small Groups

1. Is there a skill or hobby that you would like to learn?
2. What do you think would be crucial skills for ambassadors to have?
3. What role do you think zeal would play in an ambassador’s work?
4. What should be our motive for serving as ambassadors for Christ?
5. How effective do you feel you are as an ambassador for Christ?
6. What do you need to develop skill-wise to be an effective ambassador for Christ?