The Divine Difference

“For God sent not his Son into the world to condemn the world; but that the world through him might be saved.” - John 3:17

I have been writing about Biblical characters who were used of God to make a positive difference in this world. While many of these men have made an impact in the lives of others, we must admit that the greatest difference-maker of all time is Jesus Christ. He has made a divine difference that has impacted the lives of millions. His impact is still being felt today.

The Old Testament saints trusted that such a difference-maker would arrive and provide redemption of sin. The New Testament saints recognized Jesus to be the Son of God, trusting Him alone as Savior and Lord. Today, believers look to Him alone for salvation.

We tend to over-estimate the impact of others and under-estimate the impact of Jesus. Our ungodly society glamorizes and worships actors, musicians and politicians. We admire and praise gifted individuals and exalt them for their talent. Yet their contribution to mankind is tiny and fleeting. On the other hand, Jesus made an eternal difference that has positively impacted millions of lives, and continues to do so today. We should reserve our praise for Jesus, who literally gave His life to save people from destruction.

Some will pay large sums of money to enter a ballgame and sit for hours. The same people will complain about sitting in church for an hour and putting money in the offering plate. That goes to show how we over-estimate the contributions of men but vastly under-estimate what the Lord has done.

Why is Jesus the greatest difference-maker of all time? Why can I make such a claim? There are so many answers to these questions, so let me just give a few.

1. HIS POSITION

First of all, Jesus was the Son of God. Jesus, God in the flesh, is much more different than any human before or since. Yes, He was human. But He was, and is, God. He did not possess an earthly title, but He stands out because of His divinity. He was a prophet, priest and King. Although He was a good teacher and miracle-worker, He was much more. He was the Redeemer, the Savior and Lord of all. From these roles, He had authority to do what no one else could do. He was and is special. His impact upon humanity came as He embodied humanity while remaining divine. As a man, He walked among men so He could minister to men. He willingly took a step down to come as a human that He may be a servant to mankind. Referring to Himself in Mark 10:45, Jesus said, “For even the Son of man came not to be ministered unto, but to minister, and to give his life a ransom for many.” That's the kind of difference He came to make.

2. HIS PASSION

While most people prefer to study the teachings and miracles of Jesus, it was His death that made the greatest difference of all. Typically, people try to side-step the story of His crucifixion. Yet this one event has made a tremendous impact upon millions of lives. It is through His sacrificial, substitutionary death that salvation was secured for us. Technically, we are not commanded to remember or celebrate His birth. However, we are commanded to remember His death. His death teaches us some important lessons. First of all, we learn the significance and severity of our sin. Our sin is so great that it requires a steep penalty. The cross is a reminder of our sins. Our sins are so bad that it required God to die in our place. When we properly understand and appreciate the cross, we realize that our sins are far worse than we ever realized. Secondly, we learn the depth of God's love for us. God so loved us that He gave His Son to die, so that through His death we would have eternal life. Jesus told us that He came to give us life and have it more abundantly. Yet this life came at the expense of His own life. The Good Shepherd gave His life for the sheep. That is love.

3. HIS PROVISIONS

Finally, we must consider the great blessings He has provided to us. We tend to take them for granted, but we shouldn't. James wrote that all good and perfect gifts come from above. Our Lord Jesus purchased our freedom and pardon through His death upon the cross. We must admit that His death upon the cross has purchased for us all the spiritual blessings that we enjoy. We didn't earn these blessings. We don't deserve them. They are free gifts from the generous hand of our Lord. The Holy Spirit, the Bible, and the fellowship with other believers are among the many blessings we owe Him. We continue to be impacted and blessed by His countless provisions. Let us give Him the credit for them all.

No one has impacted humanity --- or our lives --- like Jesus Christ. We should never forget the impact He has made in our lives. As His Gospel continues to spread, we rejoice over every single soul that is gloriously saved by His grace.

That's the divine difference that Jesus makes.

From Persecutor To Preacher

“But by the grace of God I am what I am: and his grace which was bestowed upon me was not in vain; but I laboured more abundantly than they all: yet not I, but the grace of God which was with me.” - 1 Corinthians 15:10

Persecution of the Christian faith seems to be on the rise and getting closer to home. In many nations, it is illegal to be a Christian. In these nations, Christians are forced to go underground, putting their lives at risk as they worship and serve God. Even in nearby Canada, preachers have been imprisoned as they publicly worshiped during the Covid outbreak. Here in the United States, there are many who wish to hinder Christians and suppress the Gospel message.

In times like this, it is important for us to realize that God is still in control. He has the power to change lives, including the most ardent persecutors. An excellent example of this is Saul of Tarsus. Saul was a zealous persecutor. He made it his life mission to silence Christians and stop Christianity. Yet Saul had a dramatic conversion on the road to Damascus. The persecutor soon became a preacher.

I've been writing about those who've made a positive difference in this world for the glory of God. While my writing has not included an exhaustive list of Biblical characters, we have looked at a few great men that God has used to make an impact in this world. We would be amiss to address this kind of subject without mentioning the Apostle Paul. Early in the book of Acts, he was referred to as Saul, but after his conversion, he was referred to as Paul.

Paul seemed to be a one-man spiritual dynamo. Although he had been a zealous sinner, after his conversion he became a zealous preacher. Why was Paul used so mightily to make a difference? Let me share just a few reasons.

1. A DRAMATIC CONVERSION

First of all, Paul had a dramatic conversion. I don't know of anyone with a conversion story like Paul's. In order to get his attention, God had to literally stop him in his tracks. With a blinding light from heaven, he was forced to see things differently. The persecutor was made to know that when he persecuted the people of Christ, he was persecuting Christ Himself. There in shock and awe, Paul met Jesus Christ. This profoundly changed his life. More than once, he would later share his salvation experience with others. A dramatic conversion made a dramatic change in his life.

2. A DIVINE CALLING

Secondly, Paul had a divine calling on his life. The persecutor became a preacher. Even though had a fiery zeal in his persecution of Christianity, he had a greater zeal in spreading the message of Christianity after his conversion. He was called to preach the very Gospel he had resisted. He was called to suffer for the very Gospel he made others suffer for. The persecutor would become the persecuted. The one who sought the death of Christians was now a Christian that others sought to slay.

3. A DETERMINED COMMITMENT

Finally, Paul had a determined commitment. He counted everything as loss in comparison to knowing Jesus Christ. He was sold out to the Lord. Once he would be stoned and left for dead, just to rise up and go forward preaching the next day. He suffered beatings, imprisonment and shipwreck. He knew what it was like to go hungry. Yet in spite of it all, he remained faithful to the Lord. Ultimately, he wrote much of our New Testament. He had a determined commitment.

Paul's influence is still being felt today. Although Peter was the first to preach the Gospel to Gentiles, the thrust of Paul's ministry was aimed at the Gentiles. The Gentile world has been impacted with the Gospel because of the Apostle Paul. As a gentile, I am grateful for Paul's ministry, writing and influence. What about you?

Despite temptations to be proud of his accomplishments, Paul gave credit where it really belonged. “But by the grace of God I am what I am: and his grace which was bestowed upon me was not in vain; but I laboured more abundantly than they all: yet not I, but the grace of God which was with me.” Writing to the Galatians, Paul wrote, “But God forbid that I should glory, save in the cross of our Lord Jesus Christ, by whom the world is crucified unto me, and I unto the world.”

What a testimony from a man that God used in remarkable ways!

Twelve Chosen Men

“And when it was day, he called unto him his disciples: and of them he chose twelve, whom also he named apostles.” - Luke 6:13

These days, modern ministers emphasize numbers. Take a look in a Christian bookstore. The popular authors are typically pastors of mega-churches or huge para-church ministries. Our Christian sub-culture recognizes and even idolizes men who lead large ministries. It seems that numbers matter.

Of course, in one sense, numbers do matter because each number represents a person. People matter. However, numbers can easily become an idol that diverts a minister's attention to men rather than the Master. Instead of worshiping God, we can easily focus on the size of the congregation.

Think about our Lord's ministry. Early in His ministry, He chose men to be His apostles. He only chose twelve. Why not fifteen or twenty? Why not a hundred or a thousand? By today's standards, bigger is always better. Or is it?

In Luke 6:13, the Bible says that the Lord called his disciples and chose twelve to be His apostles. Yet consider the ones He chose. He chose rough fishermen and a tax collector to be among His apostles. These weren't highly respected members of the community. A tax collector, for instance, would be a very unpopular man in his neighborhood. Jesus did not go to a college or among the wealthy to choose His apostles. From a worldly perspective, the choices He made didn't make sense. Many modern ministers would balk at His choices. Yet eleven of these men would be used to turn the world upside down.

Just twelve men were chosen by Jesus. In spite of the large crowds that followed Jesus at times, their devotion was often fickle. They liked to see the miracles, hear His teaching and get free food from Jesus. There was a time when His teaching was so strong that all of them forsook Jesus. All that remained were the twelve apostles.

Ultimately, Jesus would die, rise again and ascend back to heaven. The message of the Gospel would be entrusted to His apostles. They were given the Great Commission. Through the power of the Holy Spirit, these men took the Gospel to the world. Despite their limitations and imperfections, they were used to make a powerful difference that is still being felt today.

It is time for us dismiss our worldly thoughts about ministry. God does not need huge crowds to accomplish His work. He is just looking for a few devoted people. When Gideon was about to go to battle, he had many soldiers at his disposal. Yet God chose just three hundred men to go into battle so that when victory was achieved, only God would get the glory for it.

I think there are lessons to be learned from our Lord's choosing of twelve apostles.

First of all, God can use small numbers to accomplish great things. It isn't the size of the crowd but their willingness to obey that makes a difference. God will use one surrendered saint more than a thousand fickle followers. D. L. Moody once said, “The world has yet to see what God can do with a man fully consecrated to him. By God’s help, I aim to be that man.” Moody was used in a mighty way to spread the Gospel in the 19^th Century. God is not impressed with large numbers of people, but He loves to use a few consecrated followers.

Secondly, God uses weak people more than strong people. Strong, powerful and proud people tend to receive and enjoy the accolades and praise that only belong to God. The twelve that Jesus chose were not brilliant, popular, or powerful men. These were weak and flawed men. Through their weakness He showed Himself to be strong. He can use weak people like you and me.

Third, God sees more than a man's outward appearance. He knows our hearts. He knew, in advance, that one of His disciples was a thief and would eventually betray Him. Think about this for a moment. Judas walked close to Jesus, heard His teaching and saw the miracles. Yet He still rejected Jesus. The Lord knows who is really devoted to Him.

After our Lord ascended back to heaven, the apostles were unleashed upon an unbelieving world. The Spirit used these men to spread the Gospel and impact many lives.

He can use us to do the same today.

Unsung Heroes

“And what shall I more say? for the time would fail me to tell of Gedeon, and of Barak, and of Samson, and of Jephthae; of David also, and Samuel, and of the prophets.” - Hebrews 11:32

I've been writing about Biblical characters who were used of God to make a positive impact in this world. We studied some well-known people like Abraham and Moses. Also, we've thought about lesser-known men like Enoch and Josiah. These were men of faith that were used greatly by the Lord to make a difference in this world.

As we think about their lives, it is easy to feel overwhelmed. How many people do we know that we'd put on the same level as Moses or Abraham? I can only speak for myself, but I don't belong in such a class of men. Yet I find it refreshing to know that God uses people of all backgrounds. Regardless of your educational background, financial situation or professional credentials, God can use you. But I need to clarify something. He can use us if we don't get too big for Him to use us. Let me explain.

When we think about making a difference, there will always be a temptation to seek the spotlight. Pursuing the applause of men is a counterproductive motive. So many fall into this trap. They want to make a difference --- as long as they get public credit for what is accomplished. Such pride is shunned by our Lord. The Bible says that God resists the proud but gives grace to the humble. Moses, for instance, was known for his meekness, and God used him. It was his pride that kept him from entering the promised land. Our usability is contingent upon an humble attitude that leads us to realize our frailties and seek God for help. In such a situation, He alone gets the glory.

The Bible has many stories of unsung heroes. Some are named but get little attention from us. Others are unnamed, remaining obscure in spite of God's involvement.

The writer of Hebrews gives us a summary of heroes in the 11^th chapter of the epistle. As the chapter winds down, the writer goes into a list of people who were valiant and victorious in the faith. Many of these are not named in the text.

Let's be honest. Most of the people reading this will never be famous. Our names will never mentioned in history books. Yet it is better to make a positive difference in obscurity than to be well-known for all the wrong reasons.

If you really want God to use you to make a positive difference, you have to leave your pride and reputation at the door. God specializes in using humble people who seek to glorify Him.

President Ronald Reagan is credited for saying, “There is no limit how much good you can do if you don't care who gets the credit.” Glory seekers tend to grab the attention of others, sometimes taking credit for the accomplishments they didn't even do. Such vanity is empty and useless.

I'd rather be a positive difference-maker than a glory-grabbing hypocrite who does nothing for anyone else. Politicians fight over who gets credit for economic good news. They are just as quick to blame others if the news is bad. No wonder we have so little respect for politicians. Let's resolve to never be like that.

Be an unsung hero in your home, work, church and community. Others may wish to take the credit for what you do, but keep in mind that God sees it all. The deeds we do, especially in secret, will ultimately be rewarded by Him.

In heaven, the unsung heroes won't be unsung anymore. God will honor and reward them. I want to be among that crowd, don't you?

Ultimately, all the glory belongs to only One. Let's work for His glory each day!