Wednesday, June 18, 2025

A LIVING EMBASSY

Embassies are fascinating to me. They are literally territories in foreign nations that legally, politically belong to the host nation. USA embassies in England, Germany, Japan, Egypt don’t belong to those nations. They are as much a part of the USA as any American State or city.

Because of this, embassies are not subject to the laws or political and social parameters of the foreign country. They operate independently and in accord to the host nation.

2 CORINTHIANS 5:18-20
18 Now all things are of God, who has reconciled us to Himself through Jesus Christ, and has given us the ministry of reconciliation, 19 that is, that God was in Christ reconciling the world to Himself, not imputing their trespasses to them, and has committed to us the word of reconciliation. 20 Now then, we are ambassadors for Christ, as though God were pleading through us: we implore you on Christ's behalf, be reconciled to God.
(We are to be peacemakers between GOD and this planet in rebellion against Him! MATT 5:9).

We live in a wicked, evil, rebellious world that thumbs its nose at the LORD Jesus Christ (properly represented in the Scriptures, not any of the varieties of “[other] Jesus” that are out there!). The Law of GOD is routinely trodden down, the name of Jesus cursed, His followers ridiculed, persecuted, even martyred (just as with the religious leaders of Jesus’ day: MATT 23:33-36)!

We understand that "evil men will grow worse and worse" (2 TIM 3:13), that people will be so devoted to their sin, that GOD will “give them over” to a mind void of conscience (ROM 1:21-32; note esp. vss. 24, 26, 28). An apt description of how this Rebyl Planet will be is found in Scripture:

2 TIMOTHY 3:1-7
1 But know this, that in the last days perilous times will come: 2 For men will be lovers of themselves, lovers of money, boasters, proud, blasphemers, disobedient to parents, unthankful, unholy, 3 unloving, unforgiving, slanderers, without self-control, brutal, despisers of good, 4 traitors, headstrong, haughty, lovers of pleasure rather than lovers of God, 5 having a form of godliness but denying its power. And from such people turn away! 6 For of this sort are those who creep into households and make captives of gullible women loaded down with sins, led away by various lusts, 7 always learning and never able to come to the knowledge of the truth
. (See also 2 PET 3:3-7; JUDE 1:15-19).

As Christ’s ambassadors we are not in this world to represent ourselves, to do “our own thing” (that old, “You do you, and I’ll do me” line doesn’t apply to the disciple of Christ!) NO! If we are born again citizens of heaven, we are to represent JESUS and His Kingdom! Do you realize that if you claim to belong to Christ, if you identify as a Christian and yet live your life anyway that you want, that you’re actually “taking the Name of the LORD in vain”? – that is, appropriating a claim to be a child of GOD but live like a child of the devil!

We are to represent Christ Jesus our LORD and King of "the Holy Nation" He has birthed us into (1 PET 2:9). As citizens of heaven (PHIL 3:20 – NKJV translates “conversation” from the KJV as “citizenship”) our conduct, our daily living, the words we speak, the attitudes we portray, our mannerisms and relationships should all mirror “the culture of heaven” – our holy host country, even while we dwell in this “foreign land” of this fallen world.

PHILIPPIANS 2:15-16
15 that you may become blameless and harmless, children of God without fault in the midst of a crooked and perverse generation, among whom you shine as lights in the world, 16 holding fast the word of life, so that I may rejoice in the day of Christ that I have not run in vain or labored in vain
. (See also: MATT 5:14,16,45; EPH 5:1,8; 1 PET 2:11-25).

While we are IN this world, still we are not to be OF this world. Stand apart in righteousness, seeking to please our Holy King JESUS until He arrives to take us Home!

No comments: