Have you ever thought about your purpose in the world? Have you ever thought about what it means to be an ambassador? I am sure many of you have thought about your purpose in the world, but few of you have probably thought about what it means to be an ambassador, let alone if you are an ambassador.

In my last post, What is My Purpose in the World?, I answered the first question by concluding that,

When we image God to others by our actions and our words, we are taking up God’s mission to reach the nations with His gospel. When we take up God’s mission, then and only then are we accomplishing our purpose in God’s story, which means we have found our purpose in this world.

So we know what gives us purpose, namely, imaging God. It is possible for us to image God by reflecting His character and sharing His gospel because we are redeemable.

Why We are Redeemable

We are redeemable because we have been made in God’s image. Since we are made in His image, we are able to understand His actions in Jesus Christ, as well as we are able to understand His Word, which tells us what His actions in Christ mean.

My last statement brings up an important point. Without God’s Word, the Bible, we would not know the importance of Jesus’ actions. God’s Word is then a crucial aspect to our understanding of God’s plan, and it is what we must share with others. As God’s ambassadors, we are to share His Word with our neighbors and the nations.

We are God’s Ambassadors

An ambassador is someone who delivers a message on another’s behalf in their authority. The United States has ambassadors who travel to other countries to conduct business on its behalf. Just like the US has ambassadors, God has ambassadors. Those who are saved by Jesus Christ, who are professing believers, are God’s ambassadors.

In 2 Corinthians 5:17-20 we read:

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.

We who are reconciled by God through Christ are God’s ambassadors. Our job as His ambassadors is to implore (call someone earnestly) to believe in Jesus Christ, so that they will then be reconciled to God and enjoy the salvation we enjoy.

Looking Forward

In my next post, I will discuss our motivation and how we are empowered for this task. For now, let me give you some questions for reflection.

Questions for Reflection

1. Do you see God’s Word as crucial for understanding God’s work in the world?
2. Do you see yourself as God’s ambassador, or do you believe this is left up to the professionals?
3. What are some ways you can begin acting as God’s ambassador right where you work, play, and live? (Need some ideas? Read: How to Meet the Unchurched.)

Resources

Bill Clem, Disciple: Finding your identity in Jesus, 11-35.

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