We are therefore Christ’s ambassadors, as though God were making his appeal through us. (2 Cor. 5:20)
Have you ever visited a recipe website where the story or the advertisements took up more space than the content you actually wanted—i.e., the recipe? These websites have learned that personality sells products, so they tell you a story to get your attention and generate advertising revenue. However, this can be frustrating when you just want the recipe of the dish you are making.
We know from the Corinthian letters that there were strong personalities in Corinth. These personalities were at the root of some of the conflicts Paul wrote about. People attempted to persuade others of the veracity of their message by appealing to their personalities. Personality is not bad in and of itself, but our lives should point toward Christ, not ourselves. When we are reconciled to God through Christ, our personhood is changed to reflect the reconciliation. This change endures as we commit ourselves to the ongoing work of the gospel.
You are called to be an ambassador for Christ. We often think of Christ being an ambassador for God to us, but Paul shared that we can be ambassadors of Christ. Ambassadors are not just influencers who use their personalities to sell a product. They are people with authority and power to represent the one who sent them. You are imbued with authority from Christ.
Be Christ’s ambassador by living a life of holiness.
Scott Donahue-Martens lives outside of Boston. He is on staff at Awaken City Wesleyan Church and is completing a PhD in practical theology.
© 2022 Wesleyan Publishing House. Reprinted from Light from the Word. Used by permission. Scriptures taken from the Holy Bible, New International Version®, NIV®.
