“Ambassadors for Christ”
BIBLE
READING: 2 Corinthians 5-9
An “ambassador”, as we
understand it in the English language, means “an authorized representative or
messenger”. That makes perfectly good
sense when we look at what Paul says to the church at Corinth, “we
are ambassadors for Christ, God making His appeal through us”
(2 Corinthians 5.20). However, when we
look at the original word that Paul uses in his letter it adds a different
dimension to that concept. According to
Vine’s Expository Dictionary, the word was also used to mean “"to
be elder or eldest, prior in birth or age". That doesn’t mean that we are not
representatives for Jesus while we are here on this earth, because the New
Testament echoes that concept in several other places. What is does add is a certain responsibility
to those who have been Christians for a long period of time. It means that those who have been Christians
for a long period of time understand the importance of being more active in the
role in imploring people to become reconciled to God. Sadly, in many of our churches those that are
older are not as involved as they should be in helping people understand what
Jesus offers. In many cases they are not
as involved because they feel left out in the work of church. This group of Christians (in my experience)
seem to be the most neglected group in our churches. However, the “elderly, the aged or the older”
are to be the ones with the most experience making them the most appreciated
source of believers we have at our disposal.
I want to encourage you, if you are younger, to appeal to those who have
more experience and understanding than you do.
If you are older, don’t wait for someone to include you in the work of
the church, be assertive, take the initiative and insert yourself into doing
what God expects of you; be an “ambassador for Christ”.
Prayer
Requests:___________________________________________________________________________________
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