Ambassadors of reconciliation

“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.” 2 Corinthians 5:20
Did you know that once you become a Christian, you now become God’s ambassador? An ambassador is much more than just a messenger or a news reporter. An ambassador is a representative: a citizen of another country who lives in a foreign land, who acts on behalf of the higher authority they are representing. What they say in their official capacity is as if their president, prime minister, or king was saying it.
So too it is with us. We are now citizens of heaven (Phil. 3:20) in a foreign land (1 Pet. 2:11). We carry the message of our King. When we speak, we have the authority of the King to speak.
But with this position comes great responsibility: to represent God faithfully. How would it look for an ambassador of another country to get caught up in the ways of the place he has been posted to? It has been said that one of the greatest turn-offs for people coming to Christ, is hypocritical Christians: people who talk the talk but don’t walk the walk. No, our message and our lifestyle must be consistent, and they must be above reproach.
And the message that we bring is that of reconciliation: that God has made a way for people to be brought back into fellowship with Him, through the forgiveness of their sins. God is not angry with them and eager to bring judgement, but His desire is that all might know Him, repent of their sins, and be saved (1 Tim. 2:4).