Now picking back up where we were in yesterdays post.
II Corinthians 5:20a
"Now then we are ambassadors for Christ,…"
To be an ambassador, or elder as the ones who are His witnesses because if our citizenship is in heaven and we’re here on this earth, where are we? Well, we’re in a foreign territory. If we’re a citizen of one country an are representing that country in a foreign area, what do we have to be? An ambassador, an elder, a witness. We are to be a reflection of our homeland, at least we’re supposed to be. We're to exhibit God's Character through Christ, no long Satan's. We've been separated from the world, just as Israel was separated from Egypt and was to be holy into God. Remember that He told them to 'be holy as I am Holy'. This is repeated in 2 Corinthians 6:17 as we've shared elsewhere.
Alright and so the Apostle Paul is bringing it out that when we identify ourselves with the death and reproach that was the cross. The world knows that now because we’re identified in His death, burial and resurrection; that we’re different, that we’re not like they are and hopefully that they can see we’re different in a better vein. But see this is what I think gets to be such a reproach to the Lord - so many Christians are not good ambassadors, elders or witnesses, they’re anything but. They are a bad reflection. This is a result of remaining in religion and doing the religious thing be they what they are. Unless one has gone through the experience of a crucifixion and the cutting away of the dead flesh of sin from the heart they can not be a witness of its effects both on them and in them. If one has not been in the scene of a crime they can not be a witness to that crime and if they give testimony to a crime without actually being in it their testimony if false. This is what Saul of Tarsus and then those who had received Christ on the day of Pentecost as the Holy Spirit, experienced and was then witness of and too. This experience though copied to some degree by Satan within religion can not actually be lived out by those who have gone through the counterfeit, they remain frustrated and perplexed. Many may get lost in rabbit trails seeking and searching for what they don't know. Why, because they remain among the unbelieving and lost within religions shield of deception. Just as the early Hebrew children did after coming out from among them. They wondered through the wilderness of sin ie...Sinai and desired it more than the light of God.
In fact, whenever I speak of our being an ambassador I’m always reminded of the title "The Ugly American." We heard this while serving in Southeast Asia, they called us ugly Americans. We could write the samething of many who call themselves Christians. Ugly Christians are Christians who are a bad reflection of their homeland in heaven. They just don't have the change of character that they through the Holy Spirit are to reflect as He imparts God's character both in and then through us. They are not what they've labeled themselves to be.
So here we are to identify with the reproach of the cross, not a place of something beautiful. It’s the place that becomes glorious when He overcomes all this with His resurrection power. But the cross itself was a thing of reproach. It was God’s wrath being poured out for sinful, religious mankind, on God the Son. Now verse 15.
Hebrews 13:15
"By him (in other words, because of what Christ has done for us in the horrors of the cross) therefore let us offer the sacrifice of praise to God continually, that is, the fruit of our (what?) lips giving thanks to his name."
Now that’s the kind of sacrifice God is looking for. The fruit of our lips, giving thanks to Him continually. Saying Yes Lord Yes! And Holy Holy Holy is Your name! We join the angels exclaiming His righteousness. Not as the worlds church does with banners and dancing as is the custom and manner of some. But with shouts of thanksgiving and praise. Now I think I made a comment - there is nothing that God demands more or appreciates more from the life of a believer than, what? Thanksgiving. If you’re not living a life of thanksgiving, don’t expect God’s blessings, because God has every right for a believer to just constantly be thankful. Whenever I think of this, a verse just comes, I have to think of Romans 12.Come back with me to Romans chapter 12, and I think this will make sense. Here Paul writes to us as blood-bought believers.
Romans 12:1
"I beseech you therefore, brethren, by the mercies of God, that ye present your bodies (your flesh and blood body as being hung on the tree) a living sacrifice, holy, acceptable unto God, which is your reasonable service."
Now we normally think of a sacrifice as something that what? Gives up its life. But Paul isn’t talking about us going out and laying down our lives and all that. But we are to be "a living sacrifice, holy, and acceptable unto God, which is your reasonable service." In other words, it isn’t something that God is being unreasonable about. This is something that every believer should be able to do without any problem whatsoever, and that is to present our bodies a living sacrifice, holy and acceptable unto Him. That is the Will of God and the purpose of Him who came as the seed of man. Now, keep that thought as you come back again the Hebrews chapter 13, and see why I make the connection. Verse 15 again:
Hebrews 13:15-16 "By him therefore let us offer the sacrifice of praise to God continually, that is, the fruit of our lips giving thanks to his name. But to do good and to communicate forget not: for with such sacrifices God is well pleased."
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