Ambassadors for Christ – Jesus’ ministry today!
Many today feel that it would have been better off to live back in the days of Jesus’ ministry, so that we could physically walk up to Him and receive a healing or deliverance. However, did you know that Jesus did not do the miracles because He was the son of God? That’s Right! The Word of God tells us that Jesus went about doing good because He had the Holy Spirit:
Acts 10:38, “How God anointed Jesus of Nazareth with the Holy Ghost and with power: who went about doing good, and healing all that were oppressed of the devil; for God was with him.”
Notice that it doesn’t say, “for He was God” or “for He was God’s son”… it tells us that the works that He did, was done because the Holy Spirit was with Him, not necessarily because He was the son of God. The Holy Spirit is with us today as well, and so we are enabled to go about doing the same works that He did in His ministry!
John 14:12, “Verily, verily, I say unto you, He that believeth on me, the works that I do shall he do also; and greater works than these shall he do; because I go unto my Father.”
Does that really include casting out demons, healing the sick and things of that nature?? Yes!! Look at what Jesus tells His disciples after He rose from the dead:
Mark 16:15-18, “And he said unto them, Go ye into all the world, and preach the gospel to every creature. He that believeth and is baptized shall be saved; but he that believeth not shall be damned. And these signs shall follow them that believe; In my name shall they cast out devils; they shall speak with new tongues; They shall take up serpents; and if they drink any deadly thing, it shall not hurt them; they shall lay hands on the sick, and they shall recover.”
As the body of Christ, we are considered to be ambassadors for Jesus Christ!
2 Corinthians 5:20, “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.”
If we look up the word ambassador in this verse in the Greek, we are given the word presbeuo, which means, “to be a senior, that is, (by implication) act as a representative.” An ambassador is somebody who represents another person or group. We, as the body of Christ, are supposed to be representing Jesus here on earth today!
John 20:21, “Then said Jesus to them again, Peace be unto you: as my Father hath sent me, even so send I you.”
We are ambassadors for Christ… that means that we are to go forth doing His work here on earth the way that He demonstrated to us with His own ministry… we need to be healing the sick, casting out demons and ministering in the footsteps that Christ has established before us!
The only difference between living in Jesus’ day and living in today’s world, is that rather than Jesus casting a demon out of you, you can turn to a brother or sister who had made themselves available to the Lord in that area of ministry, and they can cast it out for you because of the authority that Jesus has invested in them! Jesus is relying on the Body, that is you and I, to carry forth His work in today’s world!
Whenever we refuse to cast out demons, pray for the sick, etc., we are doing the body of Christ a disservice. If Jesus came to you with a need for healing or deliverance, would you dare refuse to help Him? I would hope not! Yet, Jesus clearly told us that when we serve even the least of the brethren, we are serving Him!
Matthew 25:40, “And the King shall answer and say unto them, Verily I say unto you, Inasmuch as ye have done it unto one of the least of these my brethren, ye have done it unto me.”
Every time that we cast out a demon for our fellow brother or sister or pray for their healing, it’s as if we are ministering to Jesus Himself! That is how special it is to be used by God in the area of deliverance, healing or any type of ministry for that matter!
Matthew 10:8, “Heal the sick, cleanse the lepers, raise the dead, cast out devils: freely ye have received, freely give.”
I count it a great honor to minister deliverance and healing to my fellow brothers and sisters in Christ!
Another teaching that compliments this one is entitled, “Jesus…Son of Man (He was our example!)“