One of the questions I feel most in need of a good solid answer these days is, “Since Christians are suffering restrictions, or what might even be considered persecution, not only in the United States but around the world, what should we Christ-followers be doing?” The short answer is “Whatever!” I am not being flip when I say that, as you will see in a moment. The medium answer is found in Colossians 3:17
“And whatever you do or say, do it as a representative of the Lord Jesus,
giving thanks through him to God the Father.”
Taking that thought a step or two further, I would like to talk about the idea of representing the Lord Jesus. The scripture tells us
So, we have stopped evaluating others from a human point of view. At one time we thought of Christ merely from a human point of view. How differently we know him now! This means that anyone who belongs to Christ has become a new person. The old life is gone; a new life has begun! And all of this is a gift from God, who brought us back to himself through Christ. And God has given us this task of reconciling people to him. For God was in Christ, reconciling the world to himself, no longer counting people’s sins against them. And he gave us this wonderful message of reconciliation. So, we are Christ’s ambassadors; God is making his appeal through us. We speak for Christ when we plead, “Come back to God!” For God made Christ, who never sinned, to be the offering for our sin so that we could be made right with God through Christ.
2 Cor 5:17-21 EEV
Ambassadors is a terrific word for the Christian’s job title. Jobhero.com defines the job description of an ambassador as follows:
“Ambassadors represent the policies and interests of their home countries around the world. This is the highest-ranking diplomatic position, requiring the ambassador to attend and host events with foreign leaders and representatives while promoting their home nation’s policies abroad. An ambassador typically lives in a foreign country for an extended period of time and has varied day-to-day duties.”
When you replace the word “ambassadors” with your name, it really packs a punch! Allow me to use myself as an example.
Jon Maremont represents the policies and interests of his King and His Kingdom around the world. This is the highest-ranking diplomatic position, requiring Jon to attend and host events with foreign leaders,( or teachers, auto-mechanics, store clerks, delivery drivers) and (any) other representatives while promoting their Kingdom’s policies abroad. Jon typically lives in a foreign country (anywhere outside of Heaven) for an extended period of time and has varied day-to-day duties.
Now you try it.
You might notice that church attendance is not singled out as one of the duties, although many churches that I have attended personally could definitely benefit from some committed Christ Ambassadors taking up residence in them for an extended period of time. Many gatherings have large numbers of attendees, while at the same time having few, or no true representatives of the King. In fact, quite often rather than seeing Ambassadors of the King representing His interests and policies to the world, we see instead ambassadors of the world promoting the world’s policies and interests to the church.
There are other places, besides church, where we have the opportunity to really shine, and it directly answers the question asked at the beginning, “what should we, as Christ-followers be doing?” The long answer is
“But to you who are listening, I say: Love your enemies, do good to those who hate you, bless those who curse you, pray for those who mistreat you. If someone slaps you on one cheek, turn to them the other also. If someone takes your coat, do not withhold your shirt from them. Give to everyone who asks you, and if anyone takes what belongs to you, do not demand it back. Do to others as you would have them do to you. “If you love those who love you, what credit is that to you? Even sinners love those who love them. And if you do good to those who are good to you, what credit is that to you? Even sinners do that. And if you lend to those from whom you expect repayment, what credit is that to you? Even sinners lend to sinners, expecting to be repaid in full. But love your enemies, do good to them, and lend to them without expecting to get anything back. Then your reward will be great, and you will be children of the Most High because he is kind to the ungrateful and wicked. Be merciful, just as your Father is merciful.” Luke 7:27-36
Don’t misunderstand me, praising God is good because He’s a good God and worthy of all our praise, but we will have eternity to praise Him. However, we are currently in the midst of a battle of truly Biblical proportions, where billions are lost and dying and we have no idea how long this window of opportunity will last. God does not need any more worshippers at the moment. What He needs are more ambassadors. The King has assigned us the task of representing Him to the world. He has sent us forth, and we keep trying to return to the safety of our churches until He closes the door on all the badness. Sadly, that won’t get done what the King wants to be done.
Therefore, I urge you, brothers and sisters, in view of God’s mercy, to offer your bodies as a living sacrifice, holy and pleasing to God—this is your true and proper worship. Romans 12:1 NIV
The King wants people to know He loves them. He wants them to know He forgives them. He wants them to know the power of His peace, the goodness of His government, and the miracle of His mercy and grace. And He wants us to be His living representatives, walking out His claims, and we can do that anywhere and everywhere, in every circumstance.
There was a song that came out in 1988 called Be Ye Glad which is as timely today as it was then if not more so. The Lyrics went
In these days of confused situations
In this night of a restless remorse
When the heart and the soul of a nation
Lay wounded and cold as a corpse
From the grave of the innocent Adam
Comes a song bringing joy to the sad
Oh, your cry has been heard and the ransom
Has been paid up in full, be ye glad
So be like lights on the rim of the water
Giving hope in a storm sea of night
Be a refuge amidst the slaughter
Of these fugitives in their flight
Oh, be ye glad
Oh, be ye glad
Every debt that you ever had
Has been paid up in full by the grace of the Lord
Be ye glad, be ye glad, be ye glad.
I finish this thought with an excerpt from John F. Kennedy’s inauguration speech from 1961. Most people are familiar with one line from it that went “Ask not what your country can do for you. Ask what you can do for your country”. It was a great word, but it wasn’t even close to the best word in the speech. Allow me to add the context of the entire last paragraph of that address.
And so, my fellow Americans: ask not what your country can do for you — ask what you can do for your country. My fellow citizens of the world: ask not what America will do for you, but what together we can do for the freedom of man. Finally, whether you are citizens of America or citizens of the world, ask of us the same high standards of strength and sacrifice which we ask of you. With a good conscience our only sure reward, with history the final judge of our deeds, let us go forth to lead the land we love, asking His blessing and His help but knowing that here on earth God's work must truly be our own.
And here is our answer folks. Ours is not to run and hide. Ours is to “go forth and lead the land and people we love…knowing that here on earth God’s work must truly be our own.”
So let’s get to work people!
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