Therefore, we are ambassadors for Christ, God making his appeal through us. We implore you on behalf of Christ to be reconciled to God. For our sake he made him to be sin who knew no sin, so that in him we might become the righteousness of God. (2 Corinthians 5:20-21, ESV)
Whether you are watching a golf tournament on TV or playing with your usual Saturday group, you’ll be inundated with messages from Titleist, Callaway, Nike, TaylorMade, Bridgestone, Mizuno, you name it. Professionals, amateurs and even weekend players are advertisements for the apparel and brands they trust.
Praise God for giving us a sport that enables us to have conversation while we are playing.When a professional golfer signs a contract with Callaway, though, they become an ambassador for that company. They’re representing the brand and spreading the news about its merits. It takes a person of authority at a company to authorize a player to be a representative of their product.
For clarifying purposes, the word ambassador is a noun meaning (1) a diplomatic official of the highest rank, sent by one sovereign or state to another as its resident representative; and more broadly (2) an authorized messenger or representative.
Now here’s big news for the believer: God has authorized us as his ambassadors. In 2 Corinthians 5:21, we read that we have earned this favorable status because of Jesus. For our sake, God made Jesus, who never sinned, to be sin so that in Jesus we might become the righteousness of God. Brothers and sisters, Jesus did what we could not do so that we could receive reconciliation with God.
We have been given a free gift we don’t deserve and now have the opportunity to share the message that Christ has made a way for us to have peace with God. The pastor at the church I attend says, “We are all natural evangelists for the things we love most.” I couldn’t agree more! If I love cheeseburgers and milkshakes, I’m going to tell you about it and you’ll know it by how I eat. If I am a fan of Titleist and Nike, you’re going to know that too, just by watching what equipment I use and how I dress. All the more importantly, if I love the Lord, you’re going to know it in the way that I not only act, but also speak.
In Philippians 3:20, the apostle Paul told his fellow believers that “our citizenship is in heaven.” This present earth is our temporary home. We are to live our lives as agents of reconciliation by being men and women who point one another and those hurting and lost to Jesus. What could be more meaningful than to live life as a representative of the King of kings!
Brothers and sisters, praise God for giving us a sport that enables us to have conversation while we are playing. May we not take for granted the gift it is to play this great game, and may we use it to live as bold ambassadors for God’s glory.
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Aimee Neff
May 19, 2016
Copyright 2016 Links Players International
The Links Daily Devotional appears Monday-Friday at www.linksplayers.com.