A believer's role as an ambassador for Christ is to live as a citizen of heaven in a foreign world and let a lost world know it can be reconciled to God.
In 2 Corinthians 5, Scripture says believers are 'ambassadors for Christ,' given the ministry and word of reconciliation. Les Feldick explains that the moment we believe the gospel we become citizens of heaven, yet God leaves us here on earth as ambassadors — representatives of heaven in foreign territory. Our job is to be ministers of reconciliation, telling the world that God has already done everything to reconcile them.
2 Corinthians 5:20 — This verse directly names believers as ambassadors for Christ and gives the ambassador's plea: 'be ye reconciled to God.'
2 Corinthians 5:18-19 — God has given believers the ministry of reconciliation and committed to them the word of reconciliation, which is the message ambassadors carry.
Second Corinthians 5:18-20 declares: 'And all things are of God, who hath reconciled us to himself by Jesus Christ, and hath given to us the ministry of reconciliation; 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. 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.' These verses plainly identify believers as Christ's ambassadors who have been given the ministry and the word of reconciliation, and who plead with the world in Christ's place to be reconciled to God.
Les Feldick teaches from 2 Corinthians 5 that the moment a person becomes a child of God by faith in the gospel, he becomes a citizen of heaven — yet God leaves him here on earth as an ambassador. An ambassador, Les explains, is a representative of a home government living in a foreign country, like America's ambassador to Japan living in Tokyo. As citizens of heaven living in foreign territory, believers are representatives of heaven itself and are to carry out the designs, hopes, and aspirations of their homeland (clips 2, 4, 7).
Les Feldick defines an ambassador as 'a representative of a government, not in his own homeland, but in a strange land.' He illustrates with America's ambassador to Japan, who lives in Tokyo and represents the home government in a foreign environment. Believers are ambassadors for Christ in exactly this sense: their citizenship is in heaven, yet they live in foreign territory on earth, and they are to represent heaven by carrying out the designs, hopes, and aspirations of their homeland.
The ambassador's message is the word of reconciliation. Scripture says God 'hath committed unto us the word of reconciliation' and 'we pray you in Christ's stead, be ye reconciled to God' (2 Corinthians 5:19-20). Les sums it up: 'What are we to tell a lost world? Hey, everything has been done for you to be reconciled. It's all been accomplished, and we're to let the world know that.' The ground of that accomplished work is 2 Corinthians 5:21 — God made Christ, who knew no sin, to be sin for us, that we might be made the righteousness of God in Him.
God has left believers here to be ambassadors — to represent their homeland, heaven, and to bring people to reconciliation with God. Les points out that God has entrusted His Word to human beings rather than angels, so believers must be there with the truth of Scripture when the Lord opens a lost person's heart. He also pictures the true Church as 'a dam in a river of iniquity,' standing in the gap and holding back judgment until the Lord lifts it out.
What Is Truth? Jesus Christ Explained Verse by Verse
the whole world. And as we saw up in verse 14, "...the love of Christ constraineth us, because we thus judge, that if one died for all," the whole human race, then, of course, we're all dead, and we've taught that from day one, that when Adam fell, you and I inherited that Adamic nature, and so every human being that has ever come into the human family has been a child of Adam, and we are a fallen…
Why God Left Us Here: To Be Ambassadors
Les defines an ambassador as a representative of a government living in a strange land and shows that God leaves believers on earth to serve as His ambassadors.
Citizens of Heaven, Pleading in Christ's Stead
Les explains that believers become citizens of heaven at salvation and are left as ambassadors who pray in Christ's stead, 'be ye reconciled to God.'
Representatives of Heaven, Ministers of Reconciliation
Les teaches that the believer's job as an ambassador is to represent heaven itself and serve as a minister of reconciliation — a Great Commission anyone can fulfill.
The Great Commission That Fits Today
Les contrasts the Matthew commission given to the twelve with the commission in 2 Corinthians 5, which applies to every believer as an ambassador.
God's Word Entrusted to Believers
Les notes God left His Word in the hands of believers, not angels, and that as ambassadors we are to bring people to reconciliation with God.
The Church as Heaven's Extension on Earth
Les stresses believers are heaven's extension on earth with an urgent responsibility — 'if we don't do it, who will?' — and depicts the Church as a dam in a river of iniquity.
The Ambassador's Message: It Is Accomplished
Les summarizes the ambassador's message — 'everything has been done for you to be reconciled' — and the ambassador's position as a citizen of heaven living in foreign territory.
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 is the key verse naming believers as ambassadors for Christ.
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;
God has given every believer the ministry of reconciliation, which is the ambassador's task.
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.
The word of reconciliation is committed to believers — the message ambassadors are to deliver.
2 Corinthians 5:21: For he hath made him to be sin for us, who knew no sin; that we might be made the righteousness of God in him.
This explains the ground of reconciliation: Christ was made sin for us.
Philippians 3:20: For our conversation is in heaven; from whence also we look for the Saviour, the Lord Jesus Christ:
This establishes heaven as the believer's true citizenship — the homeland an ambassador represents.
An ambassador is a representative of a home government living in a foreign country. Believers are citizens of heaven (Philippians 3:20) living on earth, and as ambassadors for Christ they are to represent their homeland and bring people to reconciliation with God (2 Corinthians 5:18-20).
The believer proclaims the word of reconciliation: 'be ye reconciled to God' (2 Corinthians 5:19-20). Les Feldick sums it up — tell a lost world that everything has been done for it to be reconciled; it is all accomplished, because God made Christ, who knew no sin, to be sin for us (2 Corinthians 5:21).
Les Feldick teaches that the commission in Matthew was given to the twelve and does not fit today, but the 2 Corinthians 5 commission does — every believer is an ambassador and minister of reconciliation, and anyone can fulfill it.
Watch the Teaching: What Is Truth? Jesus Christ Explained Verse by Verse