Tuesday, November 07, 2006

Being An Ambassador

There are some people that I sincerely pity. I enjoy the study of history and once while reading a book called, "The Guns Of August" I came across a man whose situation I truly found pitiable. I fail to recollect his name, but briefly this is his story:

He was in the Prussian diplomatic corp, they posted him to Turkey, just in time for the Uprising by the Young Turks. The whole diplomatic corp had to be evacuated. Then they sent him off to China, right on schedule for The Boxer Rebellion. He had a souvenier from that one, it was an ash tray with a bullet hole in it, from when he was under seige. Then they sent him to Belgium, he liked Belgium and used to entertain his guests with stories of his adventures and end off by saying, "But this is Belgium, and nothing ever happens in Belgium." Then on August 2nd, 1914 came the fateful telegram...

It ordered our ambassador to deliver an ultimatum to Belgium, one he knew would be refused, war would be declared and yet again he would have to leave the country he was posted in. I am sure he had some reservations, it certainly would not be a duty that he relished, but he was an ambassador and that means he does not give his own opinions or feelings, but he speaks on behalf of another.

The Apostle Paul brings out the fact of our being ambassadors in 2 Cor. 5:20, "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."

As ambassadors we are not at liberty to declare our own feelings, we are bound to declare what we are told by the one we represent. If we have Biblical reason to feel that God is angry with someone, we cannot tell them that they are fine and God is happy with them that is being a false ambassador. If our Prussian friend had done that, it wouldn't have helped Belgium at all, and it would have gotten him in deep trouble with his superiors.

We need to tell the world, "you are at war with God, you are God's enemies... You need to be reconciled to Him." Show them God's ultimatum.

One interesting example of an ambassador calling for surrender is found in 2 Kings 18:17-25. Now this ambassador represented the most powerful nation of his day, but he denied the power of the God of Israel and it was his undoing. But notice how he calls for surrender, he looks at every source of hope and trust the people could rely on to resist him and he discounts it.

This is somewhat like what Jonathan Edwards used to do, take every possible excuse someone has to think they are good enough to make it to heaven apart from Christ and show them its impossibility. Show them the futility of fighting God, and show them they have no option but surrender.

I recently heard a preacher giving an interview, and in that interview, when asked if those who do not believe in Jesus can go to heaven. He said, "They have no assurance of heaven."

I am sure this was done so as to sound more friendly and kind to the unsaved. But if salt doesn't sting it, it ceases to be salt. People who refuse to believe in Christ go to hell. I didn't say that He did. Telling people they are alright or have a chance without Christ is being a false ambassador. Those people will not thank you for soothing them with lies when they stand before the Judge of all.

Let's be true ambassadors. We don't have to be obnoxious about it, but firm.

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