Our Identity - Ambassadors of the Kingdom of God

I recently wrote to one of my students the following comments. I felt them worthy of publishing as I believe this is common to all. 

In some versions of the message of repentance and redemption I have found that often one is led to believe our “works” (following the law, don’t do this or that, and so on) will get us into God’s good graces. When actually, it’s our understanding of our “identity” in Christ that enables us to “dwell” in God’s good graces. If we know who God created us to be, it enables us to dwell in Him, in confidence with direction (vision). Without vision the Word says man will perish and we see people perishing all around us everyday. Without sight our vision for life becomes all about us and what we want and can gain personally. It is when we have God-given vision of who we are in Christ than we can become true Ambassadors of God's kingdom.
 
As we have seen to be true, believing that we are "saved" has not always worked to give us vision and direction. Knowing that our salvation and redemption is not contingent upon our “works”, but rather it is a free gift to us, is what can truly help us. The hope is we will accept this gift and we will begin a relationship with our Creator, as was in the beginning, we will dwell with Him and He with us, God and man dwelling together. I believe we can best help people by leading them to the One that can dwell in us, thus having an influence upon our actions – God’s Spirit inside - being our disciple, leading us, in our choices and relationship with Him. In truth, we need to abide by the principles in His Word, to see good (God) in our life. This is one of God’s principle, that of reaping where we sow. I am thankful God has given us a path to walk, with guideposts that show us the right choices, in this journey on the earth. 

God has asked we help one another on this path so we can better mankind’s existence and help people. Jesus was our ultimate example in this, He went about doing good and rightly representing His Father. He said and did only the things He saw His Father doing. With Jesus as our example, as biblical counselors, pastors, church leaders, and lay people, we can help mankind have vision and gain direction from God to become true Ambassadors of His kingdom -  representing Him on the earth, His kingdom come, His will be done on earth as it is in heaven.  May God bless and empower you in this mission.