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Read: Luke 14:26,27 – 2 Corinthians 5:20
A Disciple or an Ambassador? “I’m a disciple of Jesus!” Often one can hear the bold remark of members of the Body of Christ claiming to be disciples of our Lord Jesus Christ. Fair enough, there’s no doubt it takes courage, and some basic Biblical knowledge to claim that you’re a disciple, and this is often meant in sincerity, notwithstanding there is an under lying misunderstanding of where we currently are in God’s dealings with man today when any saint claims the above statement. From a performance system to one of grace It is recognizable that there are strongholds of believers that cling to the gospel accounts of Matthew, Mark, Luke and John at the cost of them ever becoming established, mature saints, workmen that needeth not to be ashamed. Even as far as clinging to the rest of the Hebrew epistles too. Now, to wit, if one is not shown the difference in Scripture between the two programmes God Almighty has in place, namely the PROPHETIC Acts 3:21 and the MYSTERY, Rom 16:25, you can see just how the Satanic policy of evil is at work in Christendom. Let’s look at a well known passage out of the book of Luke: Luke 14:25-27 reads as follows: 25 And there went great multitudes with him: and he turned, and said unto them, 26 If any man come to me, and hate not his father, and mother, and wife, and children, and brethren, and sisters, yea, and his own life also, he cannot be my disciple. 27 And whosoever doth not bear his cross, and come after me, cannot be my disciple. Brother, sister, I submit to you one question; How are you doing according to this passage? Drop down to verse 33 of the same chapter and take stock yet again: 33 So likewise, whosoever he be of you that forsaketh not all that he hath, he cannot be my disciple. It doesn’t take much to understand you and I are not disciples. Now you can bend those verses any which way you want to, but let the verses say what they mean and mean what they say. We are not under that works based, performance system that Israel operated under. Just compare the above verses with James chapter 2 and see it’s an absolute performance system with Israel. “Do this” and “get that” ruling over them. Saints, realise that these passages are during Christ’s earthly ministry to the house of Israel Matt 10:6 clearly states this. Isn’t that fantastic news! We also see the first account of our Lord Jesus Christ from Heavens glory saving the chief of sinners, Saul of Tarsus in Acts 9, then from there we can see a change in the programme. Jesus Christ sends Paul, and the dispensation of grace gets a going. In Acts 11:26 some name changing takes place too: 26b And the disciples were called Christians first in Antioch. So now followers of Paul are known as Christians, more so than disciples according to the verse. Amazingly we don’t find the Apostle to the Gentiles Rom 11:13 ever using the term “disciple” in his 13 epistles written to us, the Body of Christ. No, not once. Rather Paul in 2 Corinthians 5:20 says we are ambassadors! We represent and speak on behalf of the currently exiled Lord Jesus Christ. For a better understanding allow the Noah Webster 1828 to define what an ambassador is: Embassador EMBAS'SADOR, noun 1. A minister of the highest rank employed by one prince or state, at the court of another, to manage the public concerns of his own prince or state, and representing the power and dignity of his sovereign. Embassadors are ordinary, when they reside permanently at a foreign court; or extraordinary, when they are sent on a special occasion. They are also called ministers. Envoys are ministers employed on special occasions, and are of less dignity. 2. In ludicrous language, a messenger. In 2nd Corinthians 5:20 Paul opens with the use of the word “now”, which brings to conclusion what he has just written down from verse 14; 20a Now then we are ambassadors for Christ, as though God did beseech you by us: To wit, Paul is our pattern for today 1Tim 1:16; 16 Howbeit for this cause I obtained mercy, that in me first Jesus Christ might shew forth all longsuffering, for a pattern to them which should hereafter believe on him to life everlasting. Wouldn’t it be a great place to start by listening to what Jesus Christ our Lord revealed to our Apostle Paul? Greetings to the saints.