Kingdom Ambassadors 2 Corinthians 5:18-20

“Therefore we are ambassadors for Christ, as though God were making an appeal through us; we beg you on behalf of Christ, be reconciled to God” (2 Cor. 5:20, NASB).

I receive a brochure from the Franklin Graham Ministry. It is an appeal for financial assistance so that the Gospel can be preached throughout the world. In the brochure Franklin Graham quotes his father the late renowned evangelist Billy Graham. According to the brochure Billy Graham said on one occasion, “I do not come as an emissary of my government or my nation, but as a citizen of the Kingdom of God... to preach the Gospel.” I believe that Billy Graham’s statement is sound advice for all Christians; and especially those of us that call ourselves preachers of the Gospel of Jesus Christ. In this article I want to share with the readers my views on Billy Graham’s statement and the reasons that I believe that this should be the primary focus of our ministry.

As we look at Billy Graham’s statement, the first thing that we can see is that Dr. Graham makes it clear who he is representing. He says, "I do not come as an emissary of my government or my nation.” This statement is not a denial of his American citizenship. It does not mean that he is not a loyal and devoted patriot of his country. Rather, the statement shows that he thinks highly of his nation and its government. However, the government did not call him and empower him to preach the Gospel He preaches because he is a citizen of the Kingdom of God. The Kingdom of God is the place where God rules. The Kingdom of God is ruled by God. Jesus Christ is the ruling king of God’s kingdom.

Those that preach the Gospel must always keep in mind that the government of the United States looks out for the interest of its citizens. It has laws that seek to maintain the sovereignty of the nation. It has laws that protect the rights of all citizens. In like manner the Kingdom of God is a sovereign kingdom. It too, protects its citizens from all outside entities. It provides safety and security for its citizens. Now, this is an important concept because there are many Christians struggling with what the United States government says and what the Kingdom of God government says. For many Christians this causes a great confusing dilemma. Why is this true?

There are two principle reasons for this ambiguity. First, the laws of the two kingdoms do not always agree. The prophet Isaiah brings a message to the Israelites that are in captivity in Babylon. He explains that their captivity is the result of their disobedience to God. Do you think that these citizens of Judah thought they had done anything wrong? They had done what they thought was right. They had been good citizens. They worshiped God. They followed the religious practices that were common in the nation. In fact, they were living according to what their religious leaders preached and practiced. Yet, they are in captivity and they do not know or understand why the Lord has called a pagan people to take advantage of God’s own people (Hab. 1:5, 6, 12). Isaiah brings a message from the Lord. They are in captivity because the things that they think are right God see them as sin; and in particular idolatry. Through His prophet the Lord says, “‘For my thoughts are not your thoughts, Nor are your ways My ways’” (Isa. 55:8, NASB).

The second reason for our confusion is that we have not been able to separate our citizenship in our country from our citizenship in the Kingdom of God. We are unable to decide which government will have the final say in our decisions. Who has final authority over my life? For sure this is a difficult decision. Christians need to be made aware of the persecutions that the early Christians suffered because of their determination to live by their faith in Jesus Christ. They made the decision to make the teaching of Jesus their guiding light; their way of life. They valued what they believed to be the truth of Jesus more than the many philosophies that existed in their day. The Christians of this day cannot escape their responsibility to make the same difficult choices. Will we live according to the government of our nation or will we live according to the government of the Kingdom of God?

In 2 Corinthians the apostle Paul writes to the church to clarify some important questions. Who is Paul? Why does the message that he preaches often disagree with what the traditional leaders of the Jews teach? What are his views on the various philosophies common to the Greeks and the Romans? What is Paul’s purpose?

Paul declares that he is an apostle of Jesus Christ. The word apostle means “sent one.” His apostleship is authorized not by human authorities. Rather, he is authorized by Jesus Christ, the ruling king of the kingdom of God; the head of the church. He represents the Kingdom of God; therefore he puts the Kingdom of God over the kingdoms of the world. The interest of the Kingdom of God always takes priority over any earthly kingdom. So, this leads us to this question: What is the primary message of the Kingdom of God? What is the Gospel?

In our text, Paul says that the primary message of the Kingdom of God is that God desires that people be reconciled to Him. This message declares that all people are estranged from God. It might sound harsh to some, but the truth is that all are slaves to sin. All are enemies of God. “For all have sinned and fall short of the glory of God” (Rom. 3:23). The central message that Paul preaches is stated differently in the many writing of Paul. Yet the core of the message is the same. God sent His Son Jesus to die for our sins because the Law could not save us from our sins (Jn. 3:16). We are made right in the eyes of God because we have been justified by faith in Jesus Christ (Rom. 5:1). Since we are justified by faith we also have peace with God. We are no longer the enemies of God. We have been sanctified by the blood of Jesus and now we are to live a life consecrated to God.

Paul writes to encourage the people of God. Now that the message is established, how do I face the difficulties of living by the government of the Kingdom of God in a world that is hostile to the kingdom, the government of the kingdom and the citizens of the kingdom? Paul explains that while we are in the body we are absent from the Lord. There awaits a new house “not made with hands, eternal in the heavens” (2 Cor. 5:1). “Therefore, being always of good courage, and knowing that while we are at home in the body we are absent from the Lord” (5:6, NASB).

Paul writes to encourage the church because he knows from his own experiences that those that choose to live as citizens of the Kingdom of God will suffer in the world. Let us make no mistake about it, the world is not a friendly place for those that declare their citizenship in the Kingdom of God where the teaching of Jesus Christ is the law that we live by. The apostle John agrees with Paul. He writes, “Do not love the world nor the things in the world. If anyone loves the world, the love of the Father is not in him” (1 Jn. 2:15, NASB). We must remind ourselves and each other of what is at stake. We all will choose which kingdom we will be citizens in. At the same time, we choose which government will have the authority over our life.

Ambassadors of the Kingdom of God preach the Gospel for the primary purpose of reconciling people to God. Two statements found in the Franklin Graham brochure are helpful in Christian ministry. First, “Jesus used the truth of His Word to draw men to Himself. The Gospel is a hook that snags a hungry lost soul.” Also, “We must come to Jesus with open hearts and open hands so that we can be about our Father’s business, compelling lost souls to seek Jesus anxiously.”

Our pastors are leading their congregations in forming ministries that seek to improve the conditions of all citizens in the world. While feeding the poor and working for social justice are good things, the Scriptures make it clear that ministries that satisfy the needs of the flesh do not change the hearts of people. Jesus Christ is coming back with a new heaven and a new earth. The old heavens and old earth will be done away with. Until Jesus returns us who are citizens in the Kingdom of God are to be ambassadors of Christ carrying the message of reconciliation.