Ambassadors of Reconciliation (Part 2)

In His wonderful prayer, recorded in John 17, the Lord Jesus said concerning His disciples: “They are not of the world even as I am not of the world.” John 17:16. The qualification for an ambassador is set forth in Colossians 1:12 to 15. “Giving thanks unto the Father, which has made us meet to be partakers of the inheritance of the saints in light: Who hath delivered us from the power of darkness and hath translated us into the kingdom of His dear Son; in Whom we have redemption through his blood, even the forgiveness of sins: who is the image of the invisible God, the first born of every creature. “In Colossians 1:12, the expression “has made us meet” could be translated “hath qualified us”.-

In other words, before we can acceptably represent Christ we must qualify. We must be delivered; we must be redeemed. In Colossians 1:20, we are told how this is accomplished. It is through the blood of His cross. Here we note that by the blood of the cross of Christ the believer is reconciled and is at peace with God. We quote Colossians 1:20 to 22:

“And having made peace through the blood of his cross, by Him to reconcile all things unto himself;
by him, I say, whether they be things in earth, or things in heaven. And that were sometime alienated
and enemies in your mind by wicked works, yet now hath he reconciled. In the body of his flesh
through death, to present you holy and unblameable and unreprovable in his sight”.

Here we note that alienated enemies are made holy unblameable and unreprovable because of what Christ did through death. Peace and reconciliation by the blood of his cross. What a wonderful message God’s ministers have to proclaim to lost sinners. And what glorious news the sinner may receive and be saved for time and
eternity.

We go back now to II Corinthians 5:17, to 21:

”Therefore if any man be in Christ, he is a new creature; old things are passed away; behold, all things are become new. And all things are of God, who hath reconciled us to himself by Jesus Christ, and has given to us the ministry of reconciliation; to wit, that God was in Christ, reconciling the world unto himself, not imputing their trespasses unto them; and hath committed unto us the word of reconciliation. Now then we are ambassadors for Christ, As though God did beseech you by us; we pray you in Christ’s stead, be you reconciled to God. For he has made him to be sin for us, who knew no sin; that We might be made the righteousness of God in Him”.

Here we note that the ambassador for Christ is a new creature. According to Ephesians 2: 10, He is God’s workmanship, created anew in Christ Jesus. Man by nature belongs to the old creation. He is identified with Adam, the sinner. The most important transformation that can come to any man Is to get out of Adam and in Christ; that is to be identified with “the last Adam” who is now the glorified Man in heaven.. All who are in Adam are in sin, In the flesh, and under condemnation. If any man be In Christ there is a new creation. The new creature is no longer dead in sin. He is dead to sin. The believers old man has been crucified with Christ. He is in the spirit. He is made accepted in Christ, the beloved. He is complete in Christ. He is waiting to appear with Christ in glory. His citizenship is in heaven. He is in the world, but not of the world. And now he has a new responsibility. For unto him is committed the word of reconciliation. To him is given the ministry of reconciliation.