What Kind of Ambassador Are You?

An ambassador speaks for the President, King, or leader of a nation. How he or she conduct himself or herself reflects on the ruler of the country he or she represents. If the person is argumentative or acts condescendingly the recipient would rightly judge the ruler and people represented to be the same and would probably want minimal negotiations with any of them. On the other hand, if the ambassador spoke softly and lovingly acquiescing to every demand, the people listening would likely get the impression that this leader and country is weak and has nothing much to offer. The key to this is what image are we, as Christians, supposed to exhibit?
We have seen that we are a “new creation,” (see You Are God’s Billboard ) but what does this look like? Paul tells us a few verses later that we will become the “righteousness of God.” Whatever that means. Next he tells us to stay away from idols, but what do they look like in the 21st century? He tells us also that we are the “temple of the living God.” The temple is where God resides, and this God is holy. This would be saying rather clearly that sin (the way God defines it) is not to be a part of our everyday lives. In fact Paul commands a few verses later in 2 Corinthians 7:1 (NIV), “let us purify ourselves from everything that contaminates body and spirit, perfecting holiness out of reverence for God.”
In the weeks and months ahead we will unpack things that the church and our culture have ignored and/or forgotten such as image of God, the righteousness of God, idols, and what God’s love really looks like. The next post will consider how we are the temple of God.
God’s blessings and love,
Donna