“….. and for me, that utterance may be given to me, that I may open my mouth boldly to make known the mystery of the gospel,for which I am an ambassador in chains; that in it I may speak boldly, as I ought to speak.” (Eph 6:18-20). An ambassador is a person sent to live in a foreign country as a representative of the government of their country. They usually live as people immune from the laws of their country of accreditation but governed by the laws of their original country. Christians are ambassadors of Christ (2 Cor 5: 20). They are representatives of the Kingdom of Heaven to the kingdom of the world. With the former being superior to the latter, Christian ambassadors ought to have been accorded the highest privileges by the rulers of the world. However, because the rulers of the kingdom of the world did not understand God’s wisdom, they crucified even His chief ambassador, His Son Jesus Christ (1 Cor 2: 6-9). Therefore, it was not surprising that apostle Paul, a vital ambassador of the kingdom of heaven, was put in chains (Eph 6: 20). He underwent persecution like his Lord cos the kingdom of this world ignorantly refused to cooperate and be at peace with the kingdom of heaven. Jesus could easily overwhelm the kingdom of the world, but He seeks to reconcile it to the kingdom of heaven through love. He died to free its citizens from sin and make them righteous to enable them to make peace with God. He desires all His ambassadors to also seek the world’s reconciliation to God through love, although the ignorant world might persecute them as He was. It is written that Christ suffered to leave an example to all whom God calls that they might have to suffer like He did (1 Pet 2: 21). It is paradoxical that Jesus Christ, the King of the Kingdom of Heaven, the greatest kingdom, was hanged on the Cross and a key ambassador, Paul was put in chains without the immediate intervention of God to rescue them. Christ had to die to free them from sin, and Paul had to preach to reach them with the good news of their freedom in Christ. You are an ambassador of Christ in a world hostile to Him but loved by Him, so walk in love toward people who may hate you and “put you in chains”.
