2 Corinthians 5:20–21, New Living Translation

“So we are Christ’s ambassadors; God is making his appeal through us. We speak for Christ when we plead, ‘Come back to God!’ For God made Christ, who never sinned, to be the offering for our sin, so that we could be made right with God through Christ.”

Perhaps you have had an opportunity to hear the gospel, the good news, but you didn’t want to hear it. Maybe you felt that someone was pushing Jesus on you and you weren’t ready for it. Maybe it sounded crazy. I want to encourage you to try to hear this good news to perceive it. Scripture tells us, “So we are Christ’s ambassadors; God is making his appeal through us. We speak for Christ when we plead, ‘Come back to God!’ For God made Christ, who never sinned, to be the offering for our sin, so that we could be made right with God through Christ.” (2 Corinthians 5:20–21, NLT)

As an ambassador of Christ, we have experienced the love of a savior, the forgiveness of a savior, the hope of a savior. As ambassadors, Paul says, If it seems we are crazy, it is to bring glory to God. And if we are in our right minds, it is for your benefit. Either way, Christ’s love controls us. Since we believe that Christ died for all, we also believe that we have all died to our old life” 

(2 Corinthians 5:13– 14, NLT)

It is the love of Christ within the ambassador of Christ that compels them to share the gospel. It is the love of Christ that draws us to repentance. Are ambassadors perfect? No, they are human just like the rest of humanity. They need a savior just like the rest of humanity. The Bible says, As the Scriptures say, “No one is righteous— not even one.” (Romans 3:10, NLT) When Christ came, He came for all, that all should be saved. He has given us, if you have received Christ as Savior, the responsibility to share the gospel, to reconcile the loss to God, our Father, to Jesus, our Savior, to the Holy Spirit, our friend that sticks closer than a brother. Why? Because Jesus loves us! 

When an ambassador of Christ is speaking to you, it is because Christ first loved them, and now that they have experienced this love, they want to share this love! It is Christ in them, speaking to you, calling to you.

There is an old song called Softly and Tenderly by Alan Jackson that states:

Softly and tenderly, Jesus is calling

Calling for you and for me

See on the portals he’s waiting and watching

Watching for you and for me

Come home, come home

Ye who are weary, come home

Earnestly, tenderly Jesus is calling

Calling, “O sinner come home”

O For the wonderful love, he has promised

Promised for you and for me

Though we have sent, he has mercy and pardon

Pardon for you and for me

Come home, come home

Ye who are weary come home

Earnestly, tenderly Jesus is calling

Calling, “O sinner come home”

Come home, come home

Ye who are weary come home

Earnestly, tenderly Jesus is calling

Calling, “O sinner come home”

As we bring in the new year, won’t you choose to respond to Christ calling you? Won’t you put your hand in His and see where He takes you? Won’t you give the gospel another try?