Part 1 - In This Present World

This Article is part of a multi-part Study Series called The Reorientation of God’s Ambassadors.

I’ve taken this wonderful article by David Winston Busch and present it in this Seven-Part Study Series. It presents the truth of the conflict of the ages and our edification process that Paul outlines in his epistles for the members of “the body of Christ.” - Arthur J Licursi

Part 1 - In This Present World

“Demas hath forsaken me [Paul], having LOVED THIS PRESENT WORLD” 2Tim 4:10

“And this is the condemnation, that light is come into the world, and MEN LOVED DARKNESS rather than light, because their deeds were evil. For every one that doeth evil hateth the light, neither cometh to the light, lest his deeds should be reproved. But he that doeth TRUTH cometh to the light, that his deeds may be made manifest, that they are wrought in God” (John 3:19-21).

“How can ye believe, which receive honour one from another, and seek not the honour that cometh from God only? (John 5:44).

“If the world hate you, ye know that it hated me before it hated you. If ye were of the world, the world would love his own: but because ye are not of the world, but I have chosen you out of the world, therefore, the world hateth you. Remember the word that I said unto you, The servant is not greater than his lord. If they have persecuted me, they will also persecute you; if they have kept my saying, they will keep yours also. But all these things will they do unto you for my name’s sake, because they know not him that sent me. If I had not come and spoken unto them, they had not had sin: but now they have no cloak for their sin. He that hateth me hateth my Father also” (John 15:18-23).

“I pray for them: I pray not for the world, but for them which thou hast given me; for they are thine. And all mine are thine, and thine are mine; and I am glorified in them. And now I am no more in the world, but these are in the world, and I come to thee, Holy Father…I have given them thy word, and the world hath hated them, because they are not of the world, even as I am not of the world…Sanctify them through thy truth: thy word is truth” (John 17:9-17).

“Blessed are they which are persecuted for righteousness’ sake…Blessed are ye, WHEN men shall REVILE you, and persecute you, and shall say all manner of evil against you falsely, for my sake. Rejoice, and be exceeding glad for great is your reward in heaven: for so persecuted they the prophets which were before you. Ye are the salt of the earth…Ye are the light of the world…Let your light so shine…” (Matthew 5:10-16).

“Behold, I send you forth as sheep in the midst of wolves: be ye therefore wise as serpents, and harmless as doves. But BEWARE of men: for they will deliver you up to the councils, and they will scourge you in their synagogues…And the brother shall deliver up the brother to death, and the father the child: and the children shall rise up against their parents, and cause them to be put to death. And ye shall be HATED of all men FOR MY NAME’S SAKE…But when they persecute you in this city, flee ye into another” (Matthew 10:16-23).

“Woe unto you, scribes and Pharisees, hypocrites! because ye build the tombs of the prophets, and garnish the sepulchres of the righteous, And say, If we had been in the days of our fathers, we would not have been partakers with them in the blood of the prophets. Wherefore ye be witnesses unto yourselves, that ye are the children of them which killed the prophets…Wherefore, behold, I send unto you prophets, and wise men, and scribes: and some of them ye shall kill and crucify; and some of them shall ye scourge in your synagogues, and persecute them from city to city…O Jerusalem, Jerusalem, thou that killest the prophets, and stonest them which are sent unto thee…” (Matthew 23:29-37).

“Ye adulterers and adulteresses, know ye not that the friendship of the world is enmity with God? whosoever therefore will be a friend of the world is the enemy of God” (James 4:4).

“…For if, WHEN WE WERE ENEMIES, we were reconciled to God by the death of his Son, much more, BEING RECONCILED, we shall be saved by his life” (Romans 5:10).

“And you, that were sometime ALIENATED and ENEMIES in your mind by WICKED works, yet now hath he RECONCILED In the body of his [Jesus’] flesh through death, to present you holy and unblameable and unreproveable in his sight” (Colossians 1:21,22).

“Because the carnal mind is ENMITY against God: for it is not subject to the law of God, neither indeed can be” (Romans 8:7).

Welcome to your new assignment!

Whether you realize it or not, part of your role as an ambassador is to be a warrior, a spiritual soldier with some business to conduct in this “enemy” territory. This is our assigned message; “Now then WE ARE AMBASSADORS FOR CHRIST, as though God did beseech you by us: we pray [beseech] you in Christ's stead, be ye reconciled to God.” 2 Corinthians 5:20 (KJV)

But you must be trained. It is this training that will “equip” you and make you “throughly furnished unto all good works” (2Timothy 3:17). And one of the major aspects of this training is the process of “edification.” This is the process whereby “the word of God effectually worketh also in you that believe” (1Thessalonians 2:13).

You “renew your mind” by taking in “knowledge” and gaining “wisdom” as you come to an “understanding” and “comprehension” of the “will of God” in accordance with what He is and is not doing today [during “the dispensation of the grace of God”). This will then have an impact on your life as you exercise your will and consciously choose to “walk by faith” in accordance with God’s word and bring your body “into subjection” with that will and labor accordingly.