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REFLECTION

The theme for our reflection is “Faithful Representatives. To be faithful means to be loyal. Representatives are a group of people chosen or appointed to act or speak for another or others. Faithful representatives are loyal and trustworthy believers or Christians chosen to preach the Gospel on behalf of Christ. We are going to deliberate on the characteristics of the faithful representatives of Christ:
1. The faithful representatives of Christ are focused on saving the lost for Christ through the preaching of the Gospel.
2. The faithful representatives of Christ imitate Christ to live a life of integrity
3. The faithful representatives of Christ are resilient and resolute amidst challenges.

Firstly, the faithful representatives of Christ are focused on saving the lost and perishing for Christ through the preaching of the Gospel. It is for this reason Paul wrote that “All this is from God, who through Christ reconciled us to himself and gave us the ministry of reconciliation; that is, in Christ God was reconciling the world to himself, not counting their trespasses against them, and entrusting to us the message of reconciliation. Therefore, we are ambassadors for Christ, God making his appeal through us. We implore you on behalf of Christ, be reconciled to God. For our sake he made him to be sin who knew no sin, so that in him we might become the righteousness of God. ​Working together with him, then, we appeal to you not to receive the grace of God in vain. For he says, “In a favourable time I listened to you, and in a day of salvation I have helped you.” Behold, now is the favourable time; behold, now is the day of salvation.” (2 Corinthians 5:18 – 6:2). Our mandate as faithful representatives of Christ is to preach the Gospel of Christ for the salvation of many who are lost and dying as a result of their sin and estrangement from God. Jesus made us His faithful representatives to preach the Gospel when He commissioned us in Matthew 28:18-20 that ““All authority in heaven and on earth has been given to me. Go therefore and make disciples of all nations, baptizing them in the name of the Father and of the Son and of the Holy Spirit, teaching them to observe all that I have commanded you. And behold, I am with you always, to the end of the age.” (Matthew 28:18-20). Dear friend in the Lord, to prove that we are faithful representatives of Christ, the Church must prioritise Evangelism and outreach ministry. Similarly, for a believer to demonstrate that he or she is a faithful representative of Christ, he or she must be an active participant in any activity organised for the Gospel to be preached. We must either participate by preaching the Gospel or supporting the evangelism ministry of the Church or supporting individuals who have taken it upon themselves to preach the message of reconciliation or the Gospel for many to come to the saving knowledge of Christ. Beloved in the Lord, when was the last time you spoke about Christ to a brother or a sister? Have you been supporting the Church or a person dedicated to the preaching of the Gospel? If you cannot preach the Gospel through your voice then as a faithful representative of Christ, you are greatly encouraged to partner with those who have the ability to preach the Gospel by helping them to be well-resourced. For instance, you can help the Evangelism group of your church to buy a public address system. Again you can support pastors who preach the Gospel through social media with data and the appropriate technological gadgets to facilitate the effective preaching of the Gospel. There are souls to be won out there but the faithful representatives are few, it is for this reason, Jesus said that “The harvest is plentiful, but the labourers are few; therefore pray earnestly to the Lord of the harvest to send out labourers into his harvest.” (Matthew 9:37-38) Dear friend, strive to be part of these few labourers who are the faithful representative of Christ in the world.

Secondly, the faithful representatives of Christ imitate Christ by living a life of integrity. We must imitate Christ so that we shall be blameless while drawing the world to Christ as His faithful representatives. This requires a life of integrity. Our ministry of reconciliation or preaching the Gospel must not be tainted with sin or any form of immorality and questionable character. It is, for this reason, Paul wrote that “We put no obstacle in anyone’s way, so that no fault may be found with our ministry, but as servants of God we commend ourselves in every way…by purity, knowledge, patience, kindness, the Holy Spirit, genuine love; by truthful speech, and the power of God; with the weapons of righteousness for the right hand and for the left; “(2 Corinthians 6:3-4,6-7). Again, Paul admonished us through his letter to the church of Ephesus that “…therefore be imitators of God, as beloved children. And walk in love, as Christ loved us and gave himself up for us, a fragrant offering and sacrifice to God. ³ But sexual immorality and all impurity or covetousness must not even be named among you, as is proper among saints. Let there be no filthiness nor foolish talk nor crude joking, which are out of place, but instead let there be thanksgiving.” (Ephesians 5:1-4) In other words, we cannot preach one thing and do the other. The Gospel will be impactful and will draw many to Christ if it is active and practised in the lives of those who are faithful representatives of Christ. Through the preaching of the Gospel and our life of integrity, the world will come to understand that “if anyone is in Christ, he is a new creation. The old has passed away; behold, the new has come.” (2 Corinthians 5:17). Again, as faithful representatives of Christ, Paul admonishes us that “Do not be conformed to this world, but be transformed by the renewal of your mind, that by testing you may discern what is the will of God, what is good and acceptable and perfect.” (Romans 12:2)

Last but not least, the faithful representatives of Christ are resilient and resolute amidst challenges. One of the uncompromising characteristics of the faithful representatives of Christ is that they are always resilient in the face of tribulations, persecution and challenges that may become a hindrance to the proclamation of the Gospel. Paul and his team demonstrated this resilience when he wrote that “as servants of God we commend ourselves in every way: by great endurance, in afflictions, hardships, calamities, beatings, imprisonments, riots, labours, sleepless nights, hunger;…through honour and dishonour, through slander and praise. We are treated as impostors, and yet are true; as unknown, and yet well known; as dying, and behold, we live; as punished, and yet not killed; as sorrowful, yet always rejoicing; as poor, yet making many rich; as having nothing, yet possessing everything.” (2 Corinthians 6:4-5,8-10). Jesus foreknew that His faithful representatives will go through challenges in the discharge of their divine call and great commission, therefore he assured them that “Blessed are you when others revile you and persecute you and utter all kinds of evil against you falsely on my account. Rejoice and be glad, for your reward is great in heaven, for so they persecuted the prophets who were before you. (Matthew 5:11-12). Dear friend, it is now our turn as faithful representatives of Christ in the 21 Century to carry our cross and remain resilient and resolute even as we endure the challenges and persecutions of preaching the Gospel in our time. In some countries, Christians are being arrested for preaching against the abominations of our time. Christians are still being murdered on account of their faith. What suffering are you enduring or likely to endure because of your faithfulness to Christ? Jesus reminds us that ““If anyone comes to me and does not hate his own father and mother and wife and children and brothers and sisters, yes, and even his own life, he cannot be my disciple. Whoever does not bear his own cross and come after me cannot be my disciple. (Luke 14:26-27) Dear friend, being a faithful representative of Christ is not an event, it is a calling and a lifestyle. God’s will becomes our will and our lives become His. Beloved in the Lord, as faithful representatives of Christ, “…let us run with endurance the race that is set before us, looking to Jesus, the founder and perfecter of our faith, who for the joy that was set before him endured the cross, despising the shame, and is seated at the right hand of the throne of God. (Hebrews 12:1-2)

In summary, we have reflected on the theme “Faithful representatives” We have identified three characteristics of faithful representatives. The characteristics of faithful representatives are one, faithful representatives of Christ are focused on saving the lost for Christ through the preaching of the Gospel, two, the faithful representatives of Christ imitate Christ to live a life of integrity, and three, faithful representatives of Christ are resilient and resolute amidst challenges. Shalom.

PRAYER
1. Let us pray for the Holy Spirit to enable us to develop the love and passion for the preaching of the Gospel
2. Let us pray for the Holy Spirit to strengthen us to be the perfect imitators of Christ
3. Let us pray for the Holy Spirit to empower us to be resilient and resolute in the midst of challenges.

Thank you, Jesus, for saving us and making us Your faithful representatives in the preaching of the Good News in a lost and broken world. We humbly ask that You continue to sustain us through the power of the Holy Spirit to accomplish our mission as Your faithful representatives. Amen.