Royal Representatives

Royal Representatives
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A Calling We All Possess

There are certain ministries we have as individuals. Some of us are called to pastor or teach (Ephesians 4:11) while others are used by God as helpers, givers, and exhorters. (Romans 12:6-8) Our unique offices make us a powerful team called the body of Christ.

Yet, there are ministries we all have without exception. For example, in 1 Peter 2:9 we are all said to be "a chosen generation" and "a royal priesthood." First, God has hand-selected us above all generations and time periods which have ever existed. Then, He has made each and every believer a priest in the royal family of God. We no longer need to go to a man on this earth to confess our sins and get right with God. We can all go directly to Jesus, our great High Priest.

There is another ministry we all have: we are all called to be witnesses for the Lord Jesus and to give the gospel to everyone. (Mark 16:15, Acts 1:8) We may not all be evangelists, but we are all called into evangelism. We can all expect the power of the Holy Spirit to be present to lead others to the Lord. This is not a job to be passed off to the pastor or missionary, we all have the responsibility of telling the "good news" of Jesus.

Another term for a "witness" for the Lord Jesus is an "ambassador." As ambassadors we are royal representatives in this earth for the Lord Jesus. We now stand in His place, in His absence, to tell others of the gospel of reconciliation, God's message of peace.

Since each of us has been made an ambassador for Christ, let's take a closer look at just what an ambassador is and does:

1. An ambassador is a high-ranking minister of state, often chosen from a royal family, sent to another country to represent his own nation.

We are all members of the royal family of God. We joined this family when we received the Lord Jesus as our Savior. There is no higher family in the universe and no greater royalty than God's family. We are chosen from the best family to represent the kingdom of the Lord Jesus in this earth.

2. An ambassador does not appoint himself, but rather is appointed by the king, president, or prime minister of his country.

We did not choose ourselves to represent the Lord Jesus — God the Father chose us. If God chose us. He must have faith in us. He also must know we can do the job. He has supplied us with the message of the gospel and the power of the Holy Spirit to accomplish our task. (Acts 1:8)

3. An ambassador does not become a citizen of the country in which he is living, but remains a citizen of the country he came from.

In other words, an ambassador is in the host country, but not of it. We also are in the world, but not of it. Philippians 5:20 says, "...our conversation is in heaven." The Greek actually says, "our citizenship is in heaven." The moment we were born again, our citizenship was changed from this world to heaven. As citizens of heaven living on earth, we are now able to enjoy many of the blessings of heaven, including love, joy, peace. Our thoughts and actions reflect our heavenly citizenship. One day, the Lord Jesus will come for us and take us home!

4. An ambassador does not support himself

An ambassador's needs are supplied from his home country. Because he does not live off the economy of the host country, he is not worried about his own needs when the local economy is tight.

As God's ambassador, our needs are not supplied according to Wall Street or the First National Bank. Even if our host country went into a depression, God would still supply for us just like He does for the birds. (Matthew 6:25,26) The birds and other animals of the earth are not connected to man's economy. The birds never even knew we had a depression in the 1930's! We never read of birds committing suicide when the stock averages fall.

Why then should we worry? Are we not more valuable than birds to God? After all, we are His ambassadors!

Being an ambassador of heaven gives a whole new meaning to Matthew 6:54: "Take no thought for (don't worry about) the morrow (tomorrow )." We know we will be provided for and that the economy of our home country is secure. God's riches will never be depleted. Philippians 4:19 tells us, "My God shall supply all your need according to his riches in glory by Christ Jesus."

5. An ambassador's instructions are always in written form so he has no doubt as to what he should do.

We have the written Word of God. The only way the world or Satan can deceive us is when we are ignorant of our rights. We need to study the Word and stay current on our daily instructions.

6. Ambassadors do not live under the laws of the country they are in, but the laws of the country they are from.

In most cases, the laws of both countries will be the same. Yet there may come a time when the laws will differ. The ambassador will then be obliged to honor the laws of his homeland over those of the host country. In such a case, he is free from prosecution. He can claim diplomatic immunity. When the world or Satan tells us we have to accept worry, sickness, sin, immorality, or religious philosophy, we can claim diplomatic immunity. Our written instructions tell us "There shall no evil befall thee, neither shall any plague come nigh thy dwelling." (Psalm 91:10)

There are seven thousand such promises in the Word of God. This is another good reason to carefully read our written instructions. They will ensure our daily success.

7. An ambassador does not live in the host country for his own personal interests but to further the interests of his homeland. If he is insulted, he does not take it personally.

This is our function in this world: to represent Jesus Christ. If we suffer persecution because of our stand for the kingdom of God, we are to hold no grudges. God will be our defense. The Apostle Paul called himself "an ambassador in bonds (chains)." (Ephesians 6:20) He left his deliverance in the hands of the Lord, his King and Master. We are God's prize possession, the apple of His eye. To touch us is to touch Him. (Matthew 25:40,45) He will always vindicate His ambassadors.

8) When one nation declares war on another nation, the first ones removed are the ambassadors.

In fact, the recall of ambassadors constitutes a declaration of war. A nation never bombs their ambassadors along with their enemies. Ambassadors, good or bad, are brought back and dealt with at home.

One day, the trumpet of God will sound and the ambassadors of God's kingdom will be recalled. Satan knows what this means: God has declared war on a Christ-rejecting world. All ambassadors will be taken to heaven where we will appear before the judgment seat of Christ. (Romans 14:10, 2 Corinthians 5:9,10) Here, we will be rewarded for our witness for Jesus, our ambassadorship in the earth. And our reward will never fade, rust, or pass away!

Bob Yandian

If you like this article, check out Pastor Bob's series Royal Representatives at the BYM Store.