WE ARE CHRIST’S AMBASSADORS

2 Corinthians 5:11-6:2 Key Verse: 5:20

“We are therefore Christ's ambassadors, as though God were making his appeal through us. We implore you on Christ's behalf: Be reconciled to God.”

A NEW CREATION IN CHRIST (5:11-17)

1. Note some of the Corinthians' criticisms of Paul (1:16,17,23; 4:2; 10:10; 12:11,16). How did Paul respond to these criticisms, and with what motive? (10,11) How might they have misunderstood him, and what was his real intention? (12) Who were those taking pride in what is seen? (11:12,13)

2. How did some misunderstand Paul's intense love for God and for the Corinthians? (13) Read verses 14,15. What compelled Paul to love them so much? How did Christ show his love for us? How should we live from now on?

3. Read verses 16-17. How did receiving God's love change Paul's view of Christ and others? What happens to those who are in Christ? What does "the old has gone, the new has come" mean? (Jn5:24; Col1:13; Ro6:4) How should we now view ourselves and others?

BE RECONCILED TO GOD (5:18-6:2)

4. Read verse 18. Who made our change possible, and how? What has God done through Christ, and what ministry and message has he committed to us? (18b-19) Think about how glorious this commissioning is.

5. When we accept this, what new identity do we have? (20a) What attitude should we have as Christ's ambassador? What appeal is God making through us? (20b) How would their being reconciled to God resolve their broken relationship with Paul? What principle can we find here?

6. What did the Holy Son of God do for our reconciliation? (21a; Isa53:4-6) How does this show the greatness of God's love? What happens to us when we accept this? (21b)

7. Read 6:1,2. In light of this reconciliation, what was Paul's final appeal? How should we respond to God's gracious invitation? What happens if we do not?

WE ARE CHRIST’S AMBASSADORS

2 Corinthians 5:11-6:2 Key Verse: 5:20

“We are therefore Christ's ambassadors, as though God were making his appeal through us. We implore you on Christ's behalf: Be reconciled to God.”

In the first part of this chapter, Paul shared his desire for the heavenly dwellings in a new body. His goal is to please God whether by death or life, looking forward to the day of heavenly reward.

In today’s passage, Paul is reminding us of the gospel and a Christian’s identity and attitude. We are Christ’s ambassadors for the sake of reconciliation between God and men and between men and men. There are two parts.

1. A NEW CREATION IN CHRIST (5:11-17)

Look at verse 11. “¹¹ Since, then, we know what it is to fear the Lord, we try to persuade others. What we are is plain to God, and I hope it is also plain to your conscience.”  Verse 11 is the extension of verse 10, which is about God’s inevitable judgment on the day of salvation. As Paul believed that each one of us is going to appear before the judgement seat of Christ and receive according to what we have done, whether good or bad, we should live in the reverent fear of God the Judge. With such fear, he was persuading Corinthian Christians not to misunderstand. They misunderstood that Paul was fickle in planning to visit them. They were influenced by Jewish Christians who insisted that Paul was not an apostle but needed a letter of recommendation from the super apostles, even though they were the letter of recommendation from the Holy Spirit because they were the fruits of his labor. They even misunderstood that he was deceiving them by twisting the word of God, even though he shared the plain gospel, through which they came to believe in Jesus. This fact proves that what Paul and his companions were doing was plain to God, being recognized by His work in them. Now, he is hoping that it becomes plain to their conscience.

Look at verse 12. “We are not trying to commend ourselves to you again, but are giving you an opportunity to take pride in us, so that you can answer those who take pride in what is seen rather than in what is in the heart. If we are ‘out of our mind,’ as some say, it is for God; if we are in our right mind, it is for you.” Instead of trying to commend himself, Paul wanted to give the Corinthians an opportunity to take pride in Paul and his companions based on the work of the Holy Spirit in their heart, so that they could answer those who take pride in visible things, such as letters of recommendation from the super apostles. Most people are taking pride in what was seen, such as number, but Paul appealed to the heart of the people. They even thought that he was out of his mind, preaching the gospel like a crazy man, risking his life and losing everything he had. It is because they did not understand his heart. Here are two opposite examples: one president appealed to the heart of his people to fight against their enemies and many young people came back to the country to fight, while another president forced to recruit more number of soldiers while they were running away from the country. As the gospel is appealing to the hearts of the people, as did Paul to the hearts of the Corinthian Christians, though not everyone would respond but a few. Yet the few are important because they are doing things out of their grateful hearts, which is the mysterious power of the gospel.

Why is Paul doing his best to persuade them? He is reasonably explaining the reasons in order to help them understand in the light of the gospel. Look at verses 14-15, “For Christ’s love compels us, because we are convinced that one died for all, and therefore all died. ¹⁵ And he died for all, that those who live should no longer live for themselves but for him who died for them and was raised again.” Love is the most powerful motivation. Human love is the motivation of most music, though it is fundamentally selfish, limited and conditional. But Christ’s love is sacrificial, unconditional and everlasting. He died for all, including Paul, and Paul is not living for himself anymore but wanted to follow the way of Christ’s love. Because of love of Christ, Paul was doing all these for them. Jesus’ love was so crazy that he gave his life for his enemies. Likewise, Paul loved Corinthians like crazy even though they rejected him, who planted the gospel to them.

Paul’s way of life was very different from that of most people. Why? It is because God’s love changed Paul’s perspective from a worldly viewpoint to godly. Look at verses 16-17. “So from now on we regard no one from a worldly point of view. Though we once regarded Christ in this way, we do so no longer. ¹⁷ Therefore, if anyone is in Christ, the new creation has come: The old has gone, the new is here!” According to the context of the verses, when we accepted Christ as our savior, we have become the new creation, which mean the old perspective has gone but the new one has come. The old perspective is seeing ourselves and others from a worldly point of view. Most people of the world see themselves and others according to outward appearances; such as title, income, education, IQ and finally their look. As a result, they follow the pattern of this world; trying to get little more income, better education, smart, and better cosmetic products. As if life on earth is everything, they are trying to get more wealth and self-glory.

But Christians should be different. Remembering what God has done enables us to put our faith in him. We should see ourselves and others in Christ’s perspective. It does not mean that we should never try to get a better job or higher education but check our motivation and have a biblical perspective through deep Bible study and the help of the Holy Spirit. Romans 12:2 says, “Do not conform to the pattern of this world, but be transformed by the renewing of your mind. Then you will be able to test and approve what God’s will is—his good, pleasing and perfect will.” Through Bible study we learn Biblical perspectives. There are many, but two fundamentals in Chapter 5; from earthly to heavenly perspective and human centered to Christ-centered perspective. Our old way should die with Christ so that Christ can live in us. We should not follow the pattern of this world any longer, but renew our minds through deep Bible study and change our way of life through living as a new creation, following not our natural desires but the desire of the Holy Spirit, that is the life of Christ. Then, we will be able to test and approve what God’s will is-his good, pleasing and perfect will because we can no longer follow our will but the will of God. Amen!

1. BE RECONCILED TO GOD (5:18-6:2)

Look at verses 18-19. “All this is from God, who reconciled us to himself through Christ and gave us the ministry of reconciliation: ¹⁹ that God was reconciling the world to himself in Christ, not counting people’s sins against them. And he has committed to us the message of reconciliation.” All new perspectives come from God. There are two in these verses. 1) we are reconciled sinners, forgiven sinners. All have sinned and fall short of the glory of God. Due to our sins, our relationship with God was broken. There is no way that we could get rid of our sins and be reconciled to the Holy God. Therefore, God had to reconcile all sinners to himself through the perfect ransom sacrifice because God so loved the world. He sent his Son, Jesus Christ to suffer and die on the cross. Through faith in Jesus’ death and resurrection, God is not counting our sins against us because Jesus paid for the penalty of our sins and God promised that whoever believes in him shall not perish but have eternal life with him.

2) we are ministers of reconciliation. God entrusted us the most important message, the glorious message of reconciliation. What does this mean? It means we are to share this important message to the people of the world so that they can be reconciled to God. Jesus commanded this to his disciples and all four gospel writers recorded it, summarizing that the disciples should preach the gospel to all creation and raise disciples with the power and authority of the Risen Christ, teaching them to obey Jesus’ word, beginning from Jerusalem to the end of the earth. It is not only witnessing the risen Christ but also shepherding Jesus’ sheep as Jesus did. (Mt 28:24, Acts 1:8, Matthew 28:18-20, Jn 21:15-19)

When we accept these new perspectives, we have a new identity and new attitude. Look at verse 20, “We are therefore Christ’s ambassadors, as though God were making his appeal through us. We implore you on Christ’s behalf: Be reconciled to God.” Our new identity is Christ’s ambassadors. An ambassador has the identity of the country, representing his or her country and speaking on behalf of their king. With such an identity, he or she is not going to live or speak at random but with authority and dignity. We are chosen to be the ambassadors of Christ; therefore, we cannot live and speak at random but with authority and dignity. One’s identity changes his or her attitude toward God and toward others.

There is a new president who used to a chief prosecutor. But he does not know his identity changed, speaking vulgar words and filling administrative positions with all his old friends among prosecutors or lawyers. He is still acting like a chief prosecutor, not understanding how weightier his words and actions than before. As a new creation, we should have the new identity and new attitude and get rid of our old way of life. As a new ambassador, we should have a new attitude; austere and dignified, yet humble and prayerful, as we administer the ministry of the reconciliation. As necessary, appealing the message of our King, Jesus, to the people. As an ambassador, Paul strongly urged the Corinthian Christians to be reconciled to God so that they could be reconciled with him as well. The principle is to be reconciled to God first. Then, they may be reconciled with Paul and others.

In order for them to be reconciled to God, Paul is reminding them of the gospel again. Look at verse 21. “God made him who had no sin to be sin for us, so that in him we might become the righteousness of God.” God made Jesus a sinner though Jesus did not commit any sin. Jesus became a sin offering. When John the Baptist saw Jesus, he said, “Look, the Lamb of God who takes away the sin of the world.” It was even prophesied that the Messiah will suffer and die in order to take the punishment of their sins. Isaiah said, “Surely he took up our pain and bore our suffering, yet we considered him punished by God, stricken by him, and afflicted. ⁵ But he was pierced for our transgressions, he was crushed for our iniquities; the punishment that brought us peace was on him, and by his wounds we are healed. ⁶ We all, like sheep, have gone astray, each of us has turned to our own way; and the Lord has laid on him the iniquity of us all.” (Isa 53:4-6) No one is righteous, not even one. When we accept Jesus’ sacrifice, God promised to forgive our sins and consider us the righteous. By faith in Jesus’ sacrifice, we become righteous before God.

In light of this reconciliation, what was Paul's final appeal? Look at 6:1-2, “As God’s co-workers we urge you not to receive God’s grace in vain. ² For he says, “In the time of my favor I heard you, and in the day of salvation I helped you.”^[c] I tell you, now is the time of God’s favor, now is the day of salvation.” Paul appeals to them not to receive God’s grace in vain. It is forgetting God’s grace and living in the worldly perspective. Again, he is reminding them of God’s warning to the people of Israel from Isaiah, asking them to repent and cry out to God for God’s favor and salvation. This was the reason why Paul reminded them of the gospel in the previous letter, saying, “By this gospel you are saved if you hold firmly to the word I preached to you. Otherwise, you have believed in vain.” (1 Co 15:2) Remembering the love of Christ was the power source of Paul’s life and work. This is the way to be renewed day by day, repenting our sins daily and remembering God’s grace, so that every day is the day of God’s favor and the day of salvation! Otherwise, we will still live in the old and sinful way of life.

Here is what the most famous preacher in the last century, Charles Spurgeon said, “Repentance grows as faith grows. Do not make any mistake about it; repentance is not a thing of days and weeks, a temporary penance to be got over as fast as possible! No; it is the grace of a lifetime, like faith itself. God's little children repent, and so do the young men and the fathers. Repentance is the inseparable companion of faith… Do not sit down and try to pump up repentance from the dry well of a corrupt nature. It is contrary to the laws of your mind to suppose that you can force your soul into that gracious state. However, if you believingly think of Jesus dying for you, repentance will burst forth.” May God bless you to remember God’s grace upon you through deeper repentance and make today, the day of God’s favor! Amen!

In today’s passage, we were reminded of the gospel of Jesus and our true identity in Jesus. In Christ, we are a new creation; the old has gone but the new has come. We are reconciled to God because Jesus became the sin offering on our behalf so that we become righteous by faith in His grace. With the new identity, as Christ’s ambassadors, we should live a new life with a new perspective and new mission with a new attitude. Amen