Ambassadors for Christ

7/13/2023

“Therefore, we are ambassadors for Christ, God making his appeal through us. We implore you on behalf of Christ, be reconciled to God.” (2Cor 5:20)

Does God rrrrrreally think play baby good ‘ole boy is worthy of the Name of GOD, Jehovah, Yahweh, Adonai?

An AMBASSADOR represents accurately the GOVERNMENT of the One who sent him. ADLIB is not tolerated of an Ambassador. Pity or flesh are lawbreaking if not authorized. Absalom tried that. It didn’t end well for him. Korah tried that. Miriam tried that. I’m sure half the people who have ever read about the 10 virgins want to have pity on the five who had no oil and cut them a break to make them feel better because at least they were up in the middle of the night and were “trying.” An “Ambassador of Anointing” (of Christ) cannot do such a thing. We can only represent the government of God — or get out of the game entirely. We don’t get our own kingdom.

About the 10 virgins, and how five will be SURPRISED that they don't have oil of their own and the Bridegroom saying, “I never knew you”....how do I know if I have my own oil and am not just deceived like those five virgins? It scares me that it is possible to be even a VIRGIN, unadulterated by the world, waiting for Jesus with everyone, even having a lamp with a little bit of oil in it, just like the other five... and yet be totally self-deceived and shallow and not really have what I think I have on judgment day. Is it just trusting that if I am building in the secret places (actively +1 in my mind and heart), digging into scripture, pursuing God and cultivating our relationship... that I will have oil?

It is fair to assume that if you live that way that people who love you will let you know if they’re not seeing anything that looks like your own oil.

By the way, The 5 religious virgins didn’t pursue the blood as their only hope, the oil of anointing as their means of evaluating meaning, or the tree of life as their way to draw near.

They depended on being “virgins” and “showing up” to services.

They were surprised that God was not impressed.

•  Oil: Life IN Jesus, Not Just for Jesus