We are therefore Christ’s ambassadors, as though God were making his appeal through us.

2 Corinthians 5:20

Part of our identity in Christ is that we represent him to the world. To represent a person is to re-present that individual by conveying what he or she would say in the same situation or by doing what he or she would do if physically present. Ambassadors and representatives do not pursue their personal agendas but present, in some official capacity, the will of the one they represent.

Jesus was the perfect representative of the Father. He said that anyone who had seen him had seen the Father. He said in other places that he only did what he saw the Father doing and only spoke what the Father was speaking to him.  That is perfect representation.  We are to be the same kind of representative and should want to be able to say, “If you have seen me, you have seen Jesus.”

It’s important to know that we are not just unofficial representatives like someone in a fan club, but are appointed to represent Jesus and to be his witnesses to a lost world. Jesus told his disciples, “’As the Father has sent me, I am sending you.’ And with that he breathed on them and said, ‘Receive the Holy Spirit’” (Jn.20:21-22). They were given the Holy Spirit that they might represent him faithfully.  We are not just to tell people about Jesus as some historical figure, but are to say and do what he would do if he were physically present. Remember his declaration regarding those who follow him. “I tell you the truth, anyone who has faith in me will do what I have been doing. He will do even greater things than these, because I am going to the Father. And I will do whatever you ask in my name, so that the Son may bring glory to the Father. You may ask me for anything in my name, and I will do it” (Jn.14:12-14). Notice that Jesus did not say that those who had faith in him could do what he had been doing, but that they woulddo what he had been doing. Not only would they duplicate what he had been doing but would do even greater things.  Jesus said that doing those things is a mark of faith.  Too much of the church today says that doing those things makes your faith suspect.

To do what he had been doing is again the idea of re-presenting him to the world.  When his followers preach the gospel, heal the sick, cleanse the lepers, cast out demons, and raise the dead they are re-presenting him because those things are done in his name.  He said that anyone who had faith would do those things because he was sending the Spirit. He insisted that the first apostles stay in Jerusalem until they received power from the Holy Spirit so that they could be effective witnesses on his behalf.  He gave power and authority to his followers then, and if we are to do the same things, he must give us power and authority now.

We are a people, then, who walk in the power and authority of heaven as Christ’s duly authorized representatives on the earth. Of course, we must have faith for that privilege and responsibility, but it is what every believer is called to be. As his children, others should be able to see the Father in us.  As ambassadors of Christ, others should clearly see him though our representation. As we carry out kingdom business, heaven has our back.  God will resource us as we faithfully represent his Son and Jesus is willing to do mighty, supernatural things through us because it brings glory to the Father.

So, as we build on our identity in Christ we should know that we are made in his image, that we are sons and daughter of the king and royalty in the spiritual realm.  We are also appointed and anointed to be his ambassadors or representatives.  Power and authority is available to those who will walk in their position through faith. Because of your position, you are already known in heaven.  Paul tells us that we are currently citizens of heaven and that we are currently seated with Christ in heavenly realms. That means we now have positions of authority in the courts of heaven because of our position in Christ.

How would it change us and change the church if we saw ourselves as God sees us and walked in the confident security of citizens of heaven, official representatives of the king, and children in the household of God?  Instead, Satan tries continually to convince us that we are weak, broken, insignificant, and barely tolerated by the Father.  He tries to convince us that we have no real value in the kingdom and are no different from those who are not in Christ other than being forgiven.

The truth is that we have been born again and are new creations in Christ. We are incredibly  different from the world with a destiny we can’t even imagine. The world is dark; we are light.  The world is dead; we possess eternal life.  The world is alienated from God; we are his children. The world is empty; we have the Holy Spirit living within us. The world resides in the dominion of darkness; we are citizens of heaven and reign now in the kingdom of his dear Son. Again, the first step in fulfilling our destiny is to accept by faith who we are in Christ and to begin to say what God says about us.  Why don’t you actively begin to do that?