"Now then we are ambassadors for Christ, as though God did beseech you by us: we pray you in Christ’s stead, be ye reconciled to God. For he hath made him to be sin for us, who knew no sin; that we might be made the righteousness of God in him. " (2 Corinthians 5:20-21, KJV) Intro: Few verses more precisely summarize Paul’s ministry and message (cf. Acts 26:16-18). • As Christ had preached peace to all men (Eph. 2:17) on the basis of what He would accomplish (Eph. 2:16), • Paul continued that proclamation in His stead. The immediate representative of God’s message of reconciliation was Paul, whose ministry is shared by all who are “in Christ” (2 Cor. 5:17, 19). • All believers should serve Christ as His ambassadors. • Paul’s appeal was not a perfunctory pronouncement but an impassioned plea (“we try to persuade men” [v. 11]) addressed to the world on Christ’s behalf: Be reconciled to God (cf. 1 Tim. 2:3-4). So when we read this chapter we will notice, Paul is not only discussing his ministry, and answering the accusations of his enemies. He points out that his ministry is serious, not careless; that he works from honest motives and not fleshly desires. Paul explains four motives that control his life and his ministry. I. His Confidence of Heaven (5:1–8) See Vs. 8 II. His Concern to Please Christ (5:9–13) See Vs. 9 III. His Constraint of Love (5:14–17) See Vs. 14 IV. His Commission from God (5:18–21) See Vs. 18 1. THE MESSENGER 1. Like Paul, believers should recognize that we are in a foreign land 1. Peter says that we are pilgrims and strangers down here. 2. Paul says, “For our conversation [citizenship] is in heaven; from whence also we look for the Saviour, the Lord Jesus Christ” (Phil. 3:20). 3. Since our citizenship is in heaven, we are ambassadors down here.1 Paul was an ambassador for Christ! His message was one of peace: God had paid the price for sin; God was not at war with sinners; sinners could now believe and be saved. What a tremendous message! Consider some facts about ambassadors. 1. Ambassadors are chosen, and Christ had chosen Paul to be His representative. Paul did not represent himself (see 4:5) but Christ. His message was the Gospel Christ had committed to his trust (1 Thes. 2:4). His aim was to please Christ and be faithful to the task given to him. 2. An ambassador is a minister of state, representing his own ruler in a foreign land. Paul always speaks of the Christian ministry as an exalted and dignified calling. Here he likens himself to an envoy sent by Christ to the world in which we live. He was a spokesman for God, and God was pleading through him. This seems rather strange language to apply to an ambassador. Usually we do not think of an ambassador as pleading, but that is the glory of the gospel, that, in it, God is actually on bended knee and with tear-dimmed eye begging men and women to be reconciled to Himself. If any enmity exists, it exists on man’s part. God has removed any barriers to complete fellowship between Himself and man. The Lord has done all he can possibly do. Now man must lay down his arms of rebellion, must cease his stubborn revolt, and must be reconciled to God. 3. Ambassadors are protected. An ambassador must be a citizen of the nation that he represents, and Paul (as is every Christian) was a citizen of heaven (see Phil. 3:20 where “conversation” is equated with “citizenship.”) The nation supplies their ambassadors’ every need and stands ready to protect them. Likewise Christ supplied Paul’s every need and stood with him in every crisis. 4. Ambassadors are held accountable. Ambassadors represent their countries and say what they are instructed to say. They know that they must one day give an account of their work. 5. Ambassadors are called home before war is declared. God has not yet declared war on this wicked world, but one day He will. There is a coming day of wrath (1 Thes. 1:10) that will judge the wicked, but Christians will be called home before that day comes (1 Thes. 5:1–10). The church, God’s ambassadors, will not go through the Tribulation. 2. THE MESSAGE A. Reconciliation 1. The message of the church today is one of reconciliation: God in Christ on the cross has reconciled the world to himself and is willing to save all who will trust His Son. 2. Ours is not a message of social reform (although the Gospel reforms lives, Titus 2:11–15); ours is a message of spiritual regeneration. We represent Christ as we invite the lost to receive Him. What a privilege—what a responsibility! 3. All believers are ambassadors, whether we accept the commission or not. “As the Father has sent me, so send I you,” said Christ (John 20:21, KJV). 2 4. In addition to His reconciling work, God has also committed to His servants the word of reconciliation. In other words, He has entrusted them with the marvelous privilege of going forth and preaching this glorious message to all men everywhere. Not to angels did He give such a sacred charge, but to poor, feeble man. 5. In the previous verse the apostle said he has been given the message of reconciliation. He has been sent forth to preach this message to mankind. 6. Paul lets us listen to the message which he preached to the unsaved as he went from country to country and continent to continent, this is the message which he preaches to the unsaved wherever he goes. B. The Basis for Reconciliation 1. This verse gives us the doctrinal foundation for our reconciliation. How has God made reconciliation possible? How can He receive guilty sinners who come to Him in repentance and faith? 2. The answer is that the Lord Jesus has effectively dealt with the whole problem of our sins, so now we can be reconciled to God. 3. In other words, God made Christ to be sin for us—Christ who knew no sin—that we might become the righteousness of God in Him. 4. We must beware of any idea that on the cross of Calvary the Lord Jesus Christ actually became sinful in Himself. Such an idea is false. 5. Our sins were placed on Him, but they were not in Him. What happened is that God made Him to be a sin-offering on our behalf. Trusting in Him, we are reckoned righteous by God. The claims of the law have been fully satisfied by our Substitute. 6. What a blessed truth it is that the One who knew no sin was made sin for us, that we who knew no righteousness might become the righteousness of God in Him. No mortal tongue will ever be able to thank God sufficiently for such boundless grace. 3 7. Let us make sure that our message, methods, and motives are right, so that our work might be lasting and might stand the test of fire when we stand before Him.