Hearts for Christ are not achieved by changing laws. How easy it is to forget that we are heaven's ambassadors on earth (Philippians 3:20). Yet we complain about the world as though we should be surprised at the evil which seems to rear it's ugly head on a daily basis. It's sort of like being an ambassador for the United States stationed in China and complaining to your fellow ambassador about your dislike for Chinese food. As ambassadors we are to represent our country and change hearts and minds for our country. How often we think we can pass a specific law, such as concerning abortion and things will change. As some states have rightly passed "Human Life Protection Acts" eliminating or minimizing abortion, behind the scenes, most being unaware the medical profession is now speaking of the safety of using tele-medicine for medical abortion. No visit required. Simply a phone call and it's done. The truth is our part is not to push to make abortion illegal, but to change hearts and minds and make it unthinkable.

Throughout this letter, Paul distinguishes those who are believers and those who are unbelievers. When reading we must pay careful attention to which group is being addressed. We read in 1 Corinthians 5:12, "For what have I to do with judging those also who are outside? Do you not judge those who are inside?" Many struggle with certain sins, but read the distinguishing statements in 6:9-11, "Do you not know that the unrighteous will not inherit the kingdom of God? Do not be deceived...And such were some of you. But you were sanctified, but you were justified in the name of the Lord Jesus and by the Spirit of our God." Our process of sanctification will not be completed until eternity. Until God takes us home we remain as ambassadors in this foreign world. God certainly does not tell us to cloister ourselves from the rest of society. We are to live in society but not be of society, but to be of Christ. Jesus reached the sinners in the sinful world that He lived in. He didn't avoid them, He didn't complain about them, He loved them. He realized how lost they were without Him. He never embraced their sin, but told them to "sin no more" (John 8:11). He knew He was not of this world so was never surprised at the evil in this world. He didn't work in the legal framework to erect new and better laws to control those living on earth, He worked on their hearts.

We read in 1 Corinthians 6:19-20, "Or do you not know that your body is the temple of the Holy Spirit who is in you, whom you have from God, and you are not your own? For you were bought at a price; therefore glorify God in your body and in your spirit, which are God's". It is time we remember just who we are. We have to remember what makes us different. We miss opportunities because we assimilate into the world rather than remembering that we are ambassadors. In 1 Corinthians 15:33, we read, "Do not be deceived: "Evil company corrupts good habits." We in Christ must remember who we are, and more importantly that we are vessels for the Holy Spirit. This alone should enable us to avoid our worldly complaining and instead see things for the two-sided world that we live in. We, as ambassadors, are to represent our country favorably, and reach out to them in the name of our King.