Chapter 36—Christ’s Ambassadors
Ambassadors for Christ have a solemn and important work, which
rests upon some altogether too lightly. While Christ is the minister in
the sanctuary above, He is also, through His delegates, the minister
of His church on earth. He speaks to the people through chosen men,
and carries forward His work through them, as when in the days of
His humiliation He moved visibly upon the earth. Although centuries
have passed, the lapse of time has not changed His parting promise
to His disciples: “Lo, I am with you alway, even unto the end of the
world.” From Christ’s ascension to the present day, men ordained of
God, deriving their authority from Him, have become teachers of the
faith. Christ, the True Shepherd, superintends His work through the
instrumentality of these undershepherds. Thus the position of those
who labor in word and doctrine becomes very important. In Christ’s
stead they beseech the people to be reconciled to God.
The people should not regard their ministers as mere public speak-
ers and orators, but as Christ’s ambassadors, receiving their wisdom
and power from the great Head of the church. To slight and disregard
the word spoken by Christ’s representative is not only showing dis-
respect to the man, but also to the Master who has sent him. He is
in Christ’s stead; and the voice of the Saviour should be heard in His
representative.
Many of our ministers have made a great mistake in giving dis-
courses which were wholly argumentative. There are souls who listen
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to the theory of the truth and are impressed with the evidences brought
out, and then if a portion of the discourse presents Christ as the Saviour
of the world, the seed sown may spring up and bear fruit to the glory
of God. But in many discourses the cross of Christ is not presented
before the people. Some may be listening to the last sermon they will
ever hear, and some will never again be so situated that they can have
the chain of truth brought before them and a practical application made
of it to their hearts. That golden opportunity lost is lost forever. Had
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