Ambassador for Christ...

"For I am not ashamed of the gospel of Christ:" Part 1 of 5
by Keith R. Blades

Being "ambassadors for Christ" with "the gospel of Christ" is one of the operations of God in this present dispensation in which we are privileged to labor together with God as His "sons." As "ambassadors" we have the distinct privilege to represent God in connection with the proclamation of His gospel. He has put us in trust with His gospel, with the result that when we proclaim it to others and deal with them about what it says, we truly ‘labor with God’ in its effectual working. In accordance with this Paul says to the Corinthians,…

20 Now then we are ambassadors for Christ, as though God did beseech you by us: we pray you in Christ’s stead, be ye reconciled to God.
21 For he hath made him to be sin for us, who knew no sin; that we might be made the righteousness of God in him. (II Corinthians 5:20–21)

Hence being "ambassadors for Christ" we indeed do represent God. As Paul says, when we faithfully preach "the gospel of Christ" it is "as though God did beseech you by us: we pray you in Christ’s stead, be ye reconciled to God." So then as the "sons" that we are, (who should be eager to be laboring together with our Father in His business), we should deeply appreciate the opportunity we have to labor with God in evangelism as "ambassadors for Christ." We should neither ignore nor neglect this "grace." Instead we should be zealous to so labor together with God, not only because of the "grace" that it is, but also because of gratitude. Wherefore Paul also goes on to say to the Corinthians,…

1 We then, as workers together with him, beseech you also that ye receive not the grace of God in vain.
2 (For he saith, I have heard thee in a time accepted, and in the day of salvation have I succoured thee: behold, now is the accepted time; behold, now is the day of salvation.) (II Corinthians 6:1–2)

However as it was with many of the Corinthians, so is it with many of us today. We actually do receive this "grace of God in vain." We do not labor together with God as "ambassadors for Christ." We either ignore this "grace," or we neglect it, or at best we are not very zealous for it.

Now there can be more than one reason for this. However there is one particular reason that often accounts for more cases of ‘reluctant ambassadorship,’ or ‘non-existent ambassadorship,’ than any other. And that reason is shame — being ashamed to talk to others about "the gospel of Christ" and hence being ashamed to be an ambassador for Christ. This was the case with a number of the Corinthian saints, and sadly it is also the case with many of us today.

When we are ones who are ashamed to fulfill our ambassadorship, we know deep down inside that this is exactly what we are. We may try to convince ourselves otherwise, or assign the cause for our reluctance to something else. However no amount of denial ever succeeds. We know that whatever reasons we may come up with for not witnessing, the bottom line remains unchanged — we are ashamed to talk to other people about "the gospel of Christ." We are embarrassed to do so, not wanting them to think ill of us, or to make fun of us, or to respond in any way that does not reflect well on us. Shame and embarrassment hold sway over us, and we know it.

Howbeit there is a remedy to such shame and its accompanying reluctance or apprehension. Not through the use of some psychological gimmick of man’s wisdom, but rather through the effectual working of God’s word within us. Specifically through the effectual working of what God teaches us about "the gospel of Christ" and how it operates, and also through the effectual working of the specific method that God has for producing confidence and boldness in us.

Now before looking at God’s remedy, it will be beneficial for us to take note of some fundamental issues about shame in general, and particularly about its power.

Shame and Its Power

Shame is sometimes spoken of as one of the social emotions of our inner man. That is, it involves the issue of how we look upon ourselves and perceive or evaluate ourselves in our relationships and interactions with others. Simply put, it is a component of our concern for what another person, or other people, might think of us and the value that we attach to this concern.

Consequently we are prone to ‘feel’ shame or embarrassment when we are concerned that something about us, (whatever that may be), will cause another to respond negatively or unfavorably to us, or will just respond to us in a way that we do not like. Likewise we can be ashamed or embarrassed when we think that we will appear weak or incompetent to others, or when we are convinced (or made to think) that we have made a fool out of ourselves, or have done something we should not have done, and this reflects bad on us.

Hence we can have a number of different reasons for feeling shame or embarrassment. And as such we can have a number of different shame-rooted excuses for being reluctant and/or reticent about doing something that we should, instead of being confident and undaunted.

Shame, however, is not always an inconsistent, or bad, thing for us to have. Nor is it always counter-productive to us. There is ‘good shame,’ so to speak. Hence there are issues about which we should be ashamed. For example,…

20 For when ye were the servants of sin, ye were free from righteousness.
21 What fruit had ye then in those things whereof ye are now ashamed? for the end of those things is death. (Romans 6:20–21)

11 And have no fellowship with the unfruitful works of darkness, but rather reprove them.
12 For it is a shame even to speak of those things which are done of them in secret. (Ephesians 5:11–12)

9 In like manner also, that women adorn themselves in modest apparel, with shamefacedness and sobriety; not with broided hair, or gold, or pearls, or costly array;
10 But (which becometh women professing godliness) with good works. (I Timothy 2:9–10)

Shame, or being ashamed, in each of these contexts is proper and correct. It is consistent and godly for us, and its power is productive to us. These then are examples of ‘good shame’ for us.

Likewise there are times when we ought to be made to ‘feel’ ashamed. This would be the case when we do something that is out of character with who God has made us to be "in Christ"; when we do something for which we deserve to be told, "Shame on you." For example,…

33 Be not deceived: evil communications corrupt good manners.
34 Awake to righteousness, and sin not; for some have not the knowledge of God: I speak this to your shame. (I Corinthians 15:33–34)

Though we might not necessarily call this ‘good shame,’ it is nonetheless appropriate that we feel it. And being appropriate, its power to motivate us is productive.

However being ashamed of "the gospel of Christ," and/or being ashamed to be an ambassador for Christ, is not ‘good shame’ for us. Nor is it appropriate for us to feel it at all. Instead it is a hindrance to our ambassadorship. It is counter-productive to us, to say the least. To be perfectly frank, it is completely unbecoming to us, being the ungodly thing that it is for us as God’s "sons." Nonetheless such is still the case with many of us.

Moreover shame or embarrassment truly is a powerful thing. In fact it can be extremely powerful. Its ability to fully restrain us from doing something that we know we should do, (and even in our heart-of-hearts really want to do), is almost unrivaled by any of the other debilitating emotions. Only fear is its equal, and this is because the two are so closely related; with shame often being the root from which fear sprouts and then grows.

Furthermore shame is a virulent thing, which when it is allowed to continue will actually increase, develop, and worsen. It can then work in conjunction with the fear that it often spawns and even become a paralyzing thing. For this reason producing or fostering shame, (or taking advantage of it when it already exists), is a goal of Satan’s policy of evil against us. Consequently God has the apostle Paul deal with us about shame on several occasions, and in more than one context, in our epistles. Moreover in view of shame’s power and its role in the policy of evil against us, even Paul himself and Timothy were not immune to it and its effects. For example,…

19 For I know that this shall turn to my salvation through your prayer, and the supply of the Spirit of Jesus Christ,
20 According to my earnest expectation and my hope, that in nothing I shall be ashamed, but that with all boldness, as always, so now also Christ shall be magnified in my body, whether it be by life, or by death. (Philippians 1:19–20)

7 For God hath not given us the spirit of fear; but of power, and of love, and of a sound mind.
8 Be not thou therefore ashamed of the testimony of our Lord, nor of me his prisoner: but be thou partaker of the afflictions of the gospel according to the power of God; (II Timothy 1:7–8)

Indeed, therefore, shame is a powerful thing. It is capable not only of making one reticent and reluctant, but even of crippling and paralyzing. As such, in the Adversary’s quiver of "fiery darts" it is reached for more times than not. And though it is always grievous whenever it is successfully produced, it is most grievous when one is ashamed of "the gospel of Christ"; ashamed to be an ambassador for Christ.