Yes—an ambassador for Christ is a citizen of heaven who represents his home government on earth and carries God's word of reconciliation.
Les Feldick teaches that believers are left on earth as ambassadors, serving heaven's government in a foreign environment. Their citizenship is in heaven, and their assignment is to share the message that God in Christ reconciled the world to Himself and to urge people, 'Be ye reconciled to God.'
2 Corinthians 5:18-20 — This is the passage where Paul explicitly calls believers ambassadors for Christ and defines their ministry as the word of reconciliation.
Philippians 3:20 — It shows the believer's citizenship is in heaven, which is why the believer acts as an ambassador of heaven on earth.
Second Corinthians 5:18-20 lays out the office of ambassador. God 'hath reconciled us to himself by Jesus Christ' and has given believers 'the ministry of reconciliation.' Verse 19 says, 'To wit, that God was in Christ, reconciling the world unto himself, not imputing their trespasses unto them; and hath committed unto us the word of reconciliation.' Verse 20 makes the ambassadorship explicit: '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.' Philippians 3:20 adds the basis: 'For our conversation is in heaven; from whence also we look for the Saviour, the Lord Jesus Christ.' The believer's true home is heaven, so being Christ's ambassador on earth is a heavenly citizen's assignment.
Les Feldick defines an ambassador as a representative of a government serving in a strange land, not in his own homeland. Once a person becomes a child of God by faith in the gospel, he becomes a citizen of heaven; although physically left on earth, his citizenship is in heaven, and he is to represent that citizenship 'as we walk on this earth.' Les connects this directly to 2 Corinthians 5: God has committed to believers the word of reconciliation, and believers are left as ambassadors to carry out God's bidding in foreign territory. He stresses that God left His Word in the hands of human beings rather than angels, so the work of evangelization belongs to believers. The ambassador's appeal is the same appeal Paul made: 'Be ye reconciled to God.'
Les defines an ambassador as a representative of one government living in a strange land, not in his own homeland. Using the book The Ugly American, he shows how American foreign service personnel gave foreigners the wrong picture of America; in the same way, believers are to represent heaven's government in this foreign environment. As Les says, 'an ambassador is someone who is serving his home government, but in a foreign environment.'
Les teaches that as soon as we become a child of God by faith, we become citizens of heaven. Though left here on the earth, our citizenship is in heaven. This is what got the early Christians in trouble with the Roman government—their allegiance was to their God first, and their Roman citizenship was secondary. Believers are 'left here as ambassadors of heaven, where our home really is,' and are to represent that heavenly citizenship as they walk on earth. Paul's words in Philippians 3:20—that our 'conversation is in heaven'—show the same truth.
Les ties ambassadorship to 2 Corinthians 5: God was in Christ reconciling the world to Himself, not imputing their trespasses, and He committed to us the word of reconciliation. As ambassadors, believers are to tell a lost world that reconciliation has been accomplished and appeal, 'Be ye reconciled to God.' Les emphasizes that the work of the cross was the reconciling of the whole world—Christ tasted death for every man—so the ambassador's message is big enough for everyone.
God has seen fit to leave His Word in the hands of human beings, not angels. He did not appoint angels to evangelize; He left that work in the hands of believers. Until the day believers are with Christ and all things are completed, they are left as ambassadors on the earth, carrying out God's bidding in foreign territory. This is a responsibility that belongs to the believer now.
Why the Gospels Aren't for the Church — 2 Corinthians 5
walnut. That old black walnut's got that great big outer covering. Inside of that is the hard shell. Inside of that is, in the little crevices, the meat. You see that? That's where we are. Oh, God is all around us. Nothing can touch you or I but that God has to permit it. And then, to make it even better, that hard shell that is so hard to break, that's Christ, and we're in Him.
The Ambassador Definition
An ambassador is a representative of a government living in a foreign land, not his own homeland; believers are exactly that for heaven.
Heavenly Citizens as Ambassadors
Believers become citizens of heaven at salvation and are left as ambassadors for Christ, pleading with the world to be reconciled to God.
Human Believers Carry the Message
God chose to put His Word in the hands of believers, not angels, so believers are the ambassadors who bring people to reconciliation with God.
The Reconciled World and Foreign Territory
Because the cross reconciled the whole world—and Christ tasted death for every man—the ambassador's message is for all humanity, carried out in foreign territory.
Union with Christ Until Completion
Believers are already in union with Christ while the Head is in heaven, and are left as ambassadors on earth until they are finally with Him.
Ambassadors of Reconciliation
Being an ambassador means carrying the tremendous message of reconciliation to every person, so no one will stand before God and say they never had a chance.
Citizenship in Heaven and Earthly Walk
Believers' citizenship is in heaven, which is why they live on earth as ambassadors representing that citizenship and giving their highest allegiance to God.
2 Corinthians 5:18: And all things are of God, who hath reconciled us to himself by Jesus Christ, and hath given to us the ministry of reconciliation;
This verse introduces the ministry that makes believers ambassadors for Christ.
2 Corinthians 5:19: To wit, that God was in Christ, reconciling the world unto himself, not imputing their trespasses unto them; and hath committed unto us the word of reconciliation.
This identifies the message of reconciliation that an ambassador is commissioned to carry.
2 Corinthians 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.
This directly calls believers ambassadors for Christ and shows the ambassador's appeal to the world.
Philippians 3:20: For our conversation is in heaven; from whence also we look for the Saviour, the Lord Jesus Christ:
This supplies the basis for the ambassador role: the believer's true citizenship is in heaven.
Hebrews 2:9: But we see Jesus, who was made a little lower than the angels for the suffering of death, crowned with glory and honour; that he by the grace of God should taste death for every man.
Les uses this truth to show that Christ's reconciling work on the cross was for the whole human race.
Yes. Les teaches that as soon as we become a child of God by faith, we are citizens of heaven and are left as ambassadors for Christ until we are finally with Him. The Bible says it plainly: 'Now then we are ambassadors for Christ' (2 Corinthians 5:20).
God was in Christ reconciling the world to Himself and not counting people's trespasses against them. He has committed this message to believers, and the ambassador's job is to tell people to be reconciled to God.
The book showed American foreign service personnel giving foreigners the wrong impression of America. Les used it as a warning that ambassadors are supposed to represent their home government in a foreign environment, not misrepresent it.
Because their allegiance was to God and their citizenship was in heaven, making Roman citizenship secondary. This challenged Roman expectations and caused conflict with the Roman government.
Watch the Teaching: Why the Gospels Aren't for the Church — 2 Corinthians 5