The Church Is Heaven’s Embassy In The World

  

What’s an embassy, what is the Church, and how are the two similar? According to the Merriam-Webster’s Learner’s Dictionary, an embassy is a body of diplomatic representatives; specifically: one headed by an ambassador. An embassy represents its government in another country. According to the Bible, the Church is the Body of Christ-sinners who have placed their faith in Jesus for salvation, thus making them citizens of heaven. Christians are therefore, sojourners on earth; our home is heaven, and the apostle Paul reminds us in 2 Corinthians 5:20, we are Christ’s ambassadors (authorized representatives) here on earth.

Hence, both entities are established to represent higher powers (their governments). If one desires to know something about another country, one could go to that country’s closest embassy to find out, or ask any of the diplomatic representatives of that country they encounter. In the same way, individuals who’d like to know about God and heaven could contact the Church or Christians. As Christians, we should present our home and Lord in a way that makes people outside the Church hungry for what we have, and how they could also know our Lord in a personal way. It is our responsibility as citizens to introduce others to our Lord!

Some of the individuals who have never traveled outside their country of origin probably have very little knowledge about the importance of Embassies. They don’t care much about the role embassies play in international matters. Having been born and raised in Ghana, and currently living in the United States of America, I know a bit about the functions of embassies.

When considering relocating to another country, one can’t just up and move there without encountering an embassy. Every country has requirements for immigration from other countries. In order for me to gain access to the US, I had to go the US Embassy in Ghana, present the required documentation (quite extensive) for processing, and then be interviewed. On approval, I was issued a visa, permitting me to enter the US. That embassy was representing the government of the United States: protecting its interests, enforcing its laws even outside its shores, and making sure it is seen in the best possible light.       

Similarly, Christians are representing their Lord and Master, Jesus Christ, here on earth! As the Church-heaven’s embassy, we should present the whole counsel of God to the world. We’re all ambassadors, and should maintain that status twenty-four hours a day, seven days a week! We can show folks outside the Church how to become fellow-citizens of our incredible country, whose designer and builder is God Almighty (see Hebrews 11:10). Armed with the information we share, those interested in becoming citizens will be directed to place faith in Jesus Christ, and can then look forward to their new home, where no one will ever shed another tear or experience sickness or death. We can also show them how they can contribute to the efficient running of the embassy by faithfully using their God-given talents and abilities.

An Embassy doesn’t run independent of the homeland; communication is ongoing whether there are problems or not. Likewise, the Church needs to be in constant communication with the Father, “Pray without ceasing” (1 Thessalonians 5:17 NIV), because without Him we can do nothing (see John 15:5). Lines of communication are always open; there are no busy signals or voicemail messages. In fact, he is always with us and knows our needs before we even realize them.

Another role embassies play is looking out for the welfare of their citizens in the countries where they are based. Their citizens call on them when they run into trouble. Likewise, the Body of Christ supports one another, whatever the need. We pray for each other, encourage each other from the Scriptures, and meet social and financial needs as much as is possible.

Embassies and their ambassadors show travelers how to obtain visas to the countries they represent. The time is coming when it will be too late to obtain a visa into heaven, so let us (the Church), get serious in our efforts to show the world how to obtain a visa into heaven—call on Jesus!                                                                                       

GOD’S RESCUE MISSION

A rescue mission is an operation to reach and rescue people in urgent need, such as after a disaster or before an anticipated disaster.  In order to initiate a rescue mission, the following three indicators have to be in place:

1)    There has to be a pending disaster, or a disaster that has already occurred.

2)    There has to be a person or people in danger because of the disaster.

3)    There have to be people willing to carry out the operation.

It’s important to note that when rescue missions don’t succeed, whether because the effort wasn’t initiated in a timely manner or those in danger refused to follow directions, the end result is tragic—people perish! 

In a similar way, we can take a rescue mission into the spiritual realm.
Let’s see if the three indicators are present.

A)    Pending disaster- God’s wrath and pending judgment against sinners.

B)    People in danger- People, the descendants of Adam and Eve, the first couple.

C)    Someone or people willing to carry out a rescue mission- God the Father and Jesus Christ His Son.

Why are people in danger, and what danger are they facing? They are in danger because they have sinned against God the Father, and are in danger of His judgment: “When Adam sinned, sin entered the world. Adam’s sin brought death, so death spread to everyone, for everyone sinned” (Romans 5:12 NLT). Judgment is imminent unless there is a rescue mission.  This is how the Bible expresses it: “For everyone has sinned; we all fall short of God’s glorious standards” (Romans 3:23 NLT). Man can in no way make the acceptable restitution; there has to be a rescue mission outside of man, or man has to face God’s judgment and condemnation.

God, out of His love for man, put a rescue mission into motion. He sent His only Son, Jesus Christ, into the world to take on human form, live sinless, as a man among men, suffer at the hand of sinners, and be judged and falsely accused. Having been found guilty falsely, He was condemned to death by crucifixion on a wooden cross. For three hours, He hung on a cross, bleeding and in pain. The worst part of His suffering was the separation He felt from God His Father. He cried out: “My God, my God, why have you abandoned me?” (Mark 15:34 NLT). He asked for water, and instead of water, they gave Him vinegar! Since when did vinegar become a thirst-quencher? At the end of the three hours, He died. He was buried in a borrowed tomb; three days later, He rose from the dead, winning victory over death and the grave! The Bible explains it this way: “When we were utterly helpless, Christ came at just the right time and died for us sinners” (Romans 5:6 NLT).

For forty days after rising from the dead, He showed Himself to many, as proof that He was alive! After the forty days, He ascended into heaven, where He sits at the right hand side of the Father, interceding for us.

So how does Jesus’ death rescue man? In short, Jesus died the death man deserved to die; He exchanged places with man. He died so man would live! The Bible states it this way: “God showed His great love for us by sending Christ to die for us while we were still sinners. And since we have been made right in God’s sight by the blood of Christ, he will certainly save us from God’s condemnation” (Romans 5:8-9 NLT). 

Now, dear sinner, if you haven’t already, you need to acknowledge your sins, repent, and accept Jesus as your Savior. God will gladly forgive you; after all, the rescue mission was His idea, and He therefore will honor it.

Just as people perish when rescue missions fail, sinners will also perish if they refuse to be rescued. People should want to be rescued; Jesus died for all, but they have to want to be saved, and should follow directions that would lead to their salvation: “Adam’s sin led to condemnation, but God’s free gift leads to our being made right with God, even though we are guilty of many sins” (Romans 5:16 NLT). If they don’t, their punishment will be judgment and condemnation to hell. There’s no need to perish when God’s rescue mission is available, but be aware it won’t be available forever. You need to accept this rescue while you’re alive; after death, it will be too late.   

YOU CAN WALK AWAY FREE, TODAY

Most responsible people who incur debts have the intention of paying them off, to the last penny, which is the responsible thing to do. Unfortunately, things don’t always work out the way they planned or intended.

Have you or someone you know ever become unemployed for an extended period of time, for reasons like layoff or prolonged ill health? The answer I’m sure is “yes.” This means, sometimes, through no fault of an individual’s, their ability to earn a living in the face of debt and other responsibilities can be curtailed. This happens more often than society would like to admit. As a result, all good intentions regarding debts fall by the wayside, leaving the debtor open to harassment from creditors and debt collectors.

If you were ever in a similar situation, how would you like for someone to pay off your debt and never hold it against you? If someone did that for you, how would you respond? You could respond in one of the following ways: No, thank you, I don’t take handouts; this is my debt and I intend to pay it myself; wow, I can’t believe it; or simply THANK YOU!

All mankind is in debt to God for our sins. We sin because of the sin-nature passed on to us by our original parents, Adam and Eve, and that makes each person a sinner. “Everyone has sinned; we all fall short of God’s glorious standard” (Romans 3:23 NLT). The result of sin, according to the Word of God, is death: “All people will die for their own sins” (Jeremiah 31:30 NLT), meaning eternal separation from God after physical death, also known as hell.

God sent His Son Jesus to die in our place, so we don’t have to pay the debt we owe Him. Again, the Bible addresses that this way: “This is how God loved the world: He gave his one and only Son, so that everyone who believes in him will not perish but have eternal life” (John 3:16 NLT). Also, “He was handed over to die because of our sins, and He was raised to life to make us right with God” (Romans 4:25 NLT).

How would you respond to God’s offer? Jesus paid the penalty already; you don’t have to ever be responsible for it. Will you say you intend to pay your own debt,
which will mean you’d rather perish? Or would you say with gratitude, “Thank you; I believe in your Son, Jesus; please forgive me.”? You’re in debt to God, but Jesus paid it all already; there’s no reason for you to perish. Think about it; you can walk away free, today!

There’s always the temptation to postpone making decisions, but time does not belong to you. If you understand this message, please don’t postpone your day of salvation, because although you routinely make decisions and think you have control over your life, the truth is you don’t. Your circumstances could change anytime, and you could miss the opportunity to be saved. Please decide today, and walk away free, leaving your sins --no matter what -- on Jesus. Tomorrow could be too late!