An Ambassador or Warrior ?
2nd Corinthians 5:11-21

Deliverance into eternal life is given like a battle won over Jericho, Joshua 6:1-2.  We are in a Spiritual battle today, Ephesians 6:10-20. Christians that live real “Ambassador”, lives, 2nd Corinthians 5:20, can say they are more than conquerors, Romans 8:37. Christians, who do not try to cooperate with God and grow, cannot rejoice in the victory. Obeying Philippians 4:4 is a sign of maturity. The nature of war is this; not every soldier survives to enjoy the victory. Not every soldier fights on the front line, but they all work together for one cause of victory over Satan, overcoming evil with good, Romans 12:21.  Some soldiers are fighting on the frontline, some soldiers are on the backing support groups, and some soldiers are trying to set up ‘talks’ with the enemy to convert them over to the winning side, just like a good ambassador should do.  Jude v22-23 shows us that lost people sometimes need a soldier to pull them out of the danger of the fire, and others need an ambassador to compassionately help them discern right from wrong in their foolish lifestyle flaunting dangerously with sin.

The word “Ambassador” has a connotation of being elderly (Phm v9).  It seems obvious that God uses younger people differently than older people for obvious reasons.  Sometimes it seems like men and women are used differently by God in spreading the good news.  Men seem to be more factual and direct in conclusions, while women seem to be more intuitive, making inferences instead of conclusions.  We know that God looks at us differently in the family as sons & daughters, Paul calls all sisters in The Faith, ‘daughters of the Lord Almighty’, 2nd Cor. 6:18, while referring to us men as ‘sons’.   The Hebrew writer tells us that Jesus is now not ashamed to call us brethren, Heb. 2:11, so since we are younger siblings of the King of kings, we are royal soldiers, which is truly an ambassadors role in Biblical days.  The Latin Vulgate translates ‘ambassadors’ (2nd Cor. 5:20) as “legationem”, these people were part of the audience in the Roman Senate. “It was decreed that from the 1st of February to the 1st of March., the Senate should every day give audience to foreign ambassadors, there was in Rome, as Varro expresses it, a place on the right hand side of the senate-house called Graecostasis, in which foreign ambassadors waited.  All ambassadors, whencesoever they came, were considered by the Romans throughout the whole period of their existence as sacred and inviolable.”  -Smiths Dictionary of Greek & Roman Antiquities, ed.1842, pg 555. 

Today, an ambassador is more of a politician with diplomatic immunity, but in the days of the Roman Empire, high ranking soldiers were set up with political roles, acting as ambassadors for their King in a foreign or Roman province. Soldiers who were mature and experienced in presenting treaties of peace and terms for allies, were often made ambassadors.  The apostle Paul surely has this practice and attitude in mind for every Christian that grows into maturity spiritually. God sanctifies us in union with His Son, and no one can tear us apart or snatch us from His hand. Jn. 10:28-30.
However, just because we are physically mature, doesn’t necessarily mean we are spiritually mature.  Soldiers in the Lord’s family/army, come in all sizes, sexes, ages and backgrounds. You may be more apt in sharing your faith as an active soldier on the frontline of the war overcoming evil with good in your own family.  Taking action against other family members, which they consider drastic, draconian or downright wrong!   “Therefore…. stand firm. Let nothing move you. Always give yourselves fully to the work of the Lord, because you know that your labor in the Lord is not in vain.” 1st Corinthians 15:58. If you feel your not quite yet, “ambassador” material, then be a front line soldier, no matter what the world might think of you, as diplomatic as an ambassador or as a fool for the Lord, 1st Cor. 3:18-20 & 4:10. Be strong in His strength to speak the word of truth in love.

By Jeff Wealand