The Work of the Ambassador for King Jesus
The kingdom of God is like an embassy of one country in the midst of another country, with which relations are very tenuous. This is the church of Jesus Christ in this world of sin, ruled by Satan (Jn 12:31; 14:30; 16:11), the usurping authority over all the kingdoms of the world.
The nations of the world deal with King Jesus Christ’s embassy with varying degrees of resistance. The adversary knows what is going on in his realm, but he has blinded his citizens to such a degree that most of them dismiss his very existence. They faithfully serve Satan in obliviousness.
The work of God in this world hostile to Him, is a reconnaissance mission to retrieve His elect people in every generation (Rom 8:30; 11:5; 2 Tim 2:10; 1 Pet 2:9). To do this He has put His embassy, the church, in the world. The church is the kingdom of Christ here on earth (Rom 14:17).
The kingdom of God is spiritual so the work of an ambassador in Christ’s embassy is spiritual (Eph 6:12).
The ambassador of heaven’s kingdom promotes the interests of God’s kingdom in a foreign land. He heralds good news of the country he represents (Rom 1:16–17; 1 Cor 1:18; 2:2, 4). More than that, he proclaims the excellencies of his King, Jesus (1 Pet 2:9).
The citizens of this world are assured by their king sin that the ambassador for Christ is a fool for Christ (1 Cor 4:10). The world’s citizens press on with their material enterprise, only giving occasional thought to the claims of Christ’s ambassador, especially before they die and leave this world for their eternal home (Eccl 12:5).
The primary task of the ambassador of God’s beloved Son is to preach a true message about a King who is true. In proclaiming the news of another King and country, the ambassador tends to provoke the status quo — much like Moses did in returning to serve God before Pharaoh, king of Egypt (Exodus).
Egypt was no longer Moses’ home, but he had become an ambassador for a promised land, one he had only seen with the eyes of faith. He set captives free and spoke to the people as God spoke to him. Their sojourn was grueling, but God was with them day and night.
The ambassador for Christ was himself a refugee from Egypt (the world) and with grace and knowledge (2 Pet 3:18), he has become a liaison for other pilgrims God has called out of the kingdom of this world. The work of the ambassador is to speak life and truth to those in sin’s grasp and also to spur on pilgrims in their wanderings toward the heavenly city of Zion (Rom 15:5; 1 Thess 5:11; Heb 3:13).
The ambassador is embedded in enemy territory reconciling men to God by his proclaimed word of reconciliation (2 Cor 5:18–20), which is simply, “Be ye reconciled to God.” The slave of sin balks that he is a slave to no one, and that he is not at enmity with God and His kingdom. The ambassador works in the power of the Holy Spirit. and with the wisdom of Christ, to show every man the plight he is in (Gen 6:5; Ps 51:5; Is 64:6; Jer 17:9; Rom 1:18–32; 3:10–12, 23; 6:23; 8:7; 2 Cor 5:10; Eph 2:1–3, 14; Jas 4:14; Rev 20:11, 14–15).
When a man is convinced by the ambassador’s preaching, he is also shown the way of salvation (Mt 11:28; Jn 1:12–13; 14:6; Eph 2:8–9). This is the way of defection. The slave of sin must exit his old life of sin and enter the door of Christ’s embassy. He must come into the church while his transfer is in process (1 Cor 12:13). It is by God’s doing that this transfer occurs (1 Cor 1:30; Col 1:13).
The church is where the ambassador’s work is most apparent. Visitors to the church are given a small taste of the heavenly kingdom, by sampling the bread of life and drinking from the pure fountain of living water. Of course, we speak of the preaching of God’s Word (Jn 6:63).
In conclusion, we have considered the work of Christ’s ambassador of reconciliation (2 Cor 5:18–20). That the world may know of the kingdom of God, and that many sons may be brought to glory, the embassy laborer preaches the Word of Christ, so that other elect souls might see the kingdom with eyes of faith, opened by the Holy Spirit of God.
When the Spirit’s work is done on the last day, and the last of the elect remnant is brought into the church, then comes the end. At the end of history, not one of God’s elect will be missing from His fold (Jn 10:28–29; Rom 8:35–39). This is good news to be preached to all creation and to the whole world (Mt 24:14; Mk 16:15). The elect ambassador believes what he preaches, while the reprobate rebel does not believe, which is why he continues to serve Satan and not the King of kings and King of glory, Jesus Christ.
David Norczyk
Spokane Valley, Washington
March 16, 2022
