The Supreme Court's Ruling & Our Ambassadorship

As I was leaving work this morning, a friend of mine told me about the Supreme Court’s ruling on gay marriage. I was then reminded of the poetic truth rhythmically expressed by Eshon Burgundy,

“they tryna take the title from the Bible/tryna redefine the truth and make us feel like we are psychos/they bullets got our names and aint no typos on their rifles but that’s why we unashamed and make no idol of survival”

-“The Fear of God”, from “The Fear of God” album

Captures it well doesn’t it?

I have to say, I’m not surprised by the Supreme Court's ruling and neither should you if you are a born-again believer. We are living in a modern time that mirrors the biblical time of Judges. This world in its secularist and postmodernist generations have been doing what's right in their own eyes, which is evil in the sight of God, for several decades now. Even former President Ronald Reagan in his 1983 speech before the Annual Convention of the National Associations of Evangelicals addressed the escalation of modern day secularism in a number of areas from morality, to family, to government interference on religious freedom. But the day will come when the Supreme Judge will address all of Creation from His Supreme Court.

“We will all stand before God to be judged by Him. The Holy Writings say, “As I live, says the Lord, every knee will bow before Me. And every tongue will say that I am God.” Everyone of us will give an answer to God about himself.” (Rom. 14:10b-12, NLV)

“Then I saw a great white throne. I saw the One who sat on it. The earth and the heaven left Him in a hurry and they could be found no more. I saw all the dead people, [great and small], standing before God. The books were opened. Then another book was opened. It was the book of life. The dead people were judged by what they had done as it was written in the books.” (Rev. 20:11-12, NLV)

Believers must remember, this world is not our home (Phil. 3:20). We are aliens here and ambassadors of a great and true King and Kingdom. We cannot expect "this world" to reflect or adopt the principles, conduct, and customs of the Kingdom we belong to. We are ambassadors here with an assignment from our King to be ministers of reconciliation.

“As You sent Me into the world, I also have sent them into the world. And for their sakes I sanctify Myself, that they also may be sanctified by the truth.” (Jn. 17:18-19, NKJV)

“Therefore, if anyone is in Christ, he is a new creation. The old has passed away; behold, the new has come. All this is from God, who through Christ reconciled us to Himself and gave us the ministry of reconciliation; that is, in Christ God was reconciling the world to Himself, not counting their trespasses against them, and entrusting to us the message of reconciliation. Therefore, we are ambassadors for Christ, [as though God were] making his appeal through us.” (2Cor. 5:17-20a, ESV)

We are to implore the people of this world on behalf of Christ to be reconciled to God (2Cor. 5:20b). That is our assignment as ambassadors of the King. And with every sinful and rebellious turn we see the world take, we should be more and more motivated to implore them to be reconciled to God because we know of the great judgment that is to come. 

Yet, I would be remiss to mention that it will get worse here in this world for us. Jesus makes it clear, we are not from this world like He our King was not from here, and if they hated and rejected Him they will hate and reject us too because we are His. Let us not respond to them as they do to us.

“If the world hates you, know that it hated Me first. If you belonged to the world, the world would love you as its own. However, I have chosen you out of the world, and you don’t belong to the world. This is why the world hates you. Remember what I told you, ‘Servants aren’t greater than their master.’ If the world [persecuted/harassed] Me, it will [persecute/harass] you too. If it kept My word, it will also keep yours. The world will do all these things to you on account of My name, because it doesn’t know the One who sent Me.” (Jn. 15:18-21, CEB)

“I have given Your Word to My followers. The world hated them because they do not belong to the world, even as I do not belong to the world. I do not ask You to take them out of the world. I ask You to keep them from the devil. My followers do not belong to the world just as I do not belong to the world.” (Jn. 17:14-16, NLV)

Until our King's Kingdom is the only kingdom left, we are to joyfully and obediently serve our King in this foreign world in the ministry of reconciliation as ambassadors of His Kingdom and look forward to that great day of His return.

Be bold.

Stand for God's truth.

Represent His Kingdom.

But do so seasoned with grace not hate.

June 26, 2015