The Difference Christ Made
Bret Hart is the author of a winsome short story entitled, “The Luck of Roaring Camp,” which tells of the birth of a baby boy in a rough mining town of the 1880’s. The mother died in childbirth, and, as there were no other women in the camp, the care of the child fell to the rough miners. A startling change came over the once dissipated town: drinking, gambling, and swearing were curtailed as hardened miners grew tender-hearted in their concern for the child’s welfare. What had once been a den of vice and violence became a model community. The arrival of the child made a dramatic difference on the life of the little town.
A little more than 2,000 years ago another boy was born — in a small Judean village — and the world has never been the same since! Think of the impact on the world of the birth of Jesus! What a difference His coming has made! The pivotal point of history is the incarnation of God in Jesus Christ. Note some of the differences which His coming has made:
1. He raised the status of women. Before Christ the exploitation and abuse of women was universal. Women were often subordinated to a condition of drudgery little better than slavery. They were regarded as chattels to be bought and sold like cattle. The condition of women before Christ can be gauged by looking at their treatment in those parts of the world where the teachings of Christianity are not generally accepted. No movement in history has done as much for women as Christianity! Christ truly revolutionized the status of women. Modern Feminism is a return to exploitation because it repudiated the Christian principles which have been the basis for the gains women have made!
2. He raised standards of morality and decency. Christ came into a world which had been brutalized by sin. The apostle Paul paints an alarming picture of the depravity of the first century world in Romans 1:24-31. To a world steeped in murder, sensuality, immorality, and perversion, Jesus brought a better way. He did what the moralists and philosophers could not do — He died for sin so men and women could be cleansed of it. (2 Corinthians 5:21) Tragically, it seems the modern world is determined to turn from Christ to embrace the same pagan vices which spelled ruin for ancient society! As our world increasingly turns away from Christ, it is once again descending into chaos, fear, violence, and depravity. Without Christ our personal lives become confused, empty, and despairing and society is doomed.
3. He raised the hopes and aspirations of mankind. Jesus came because men were hopeless and helpless. (Ephesians 2:12; Romans 5:6) Men knew they were sinners and yet were helpless to do anything about it. So God did something about it! He sent His only begotten Son to ransom men from sin. (John 3:16) The hope of the world lies in the fact that Jesus tasted death for every man. (Hebrews 2:9) Jesus brings hope to those who obey Him. (Hebrews 5:8,9.) Jesus changed the world by bringing people something to live for…something to hope for…!
Jesus made a difference! He is still making a difference today! He came to a world seething with hate, depravity, lust, fear and despair, and He brought love, forgiveness, self-control, faith and hope. He turned the world upside down. He can make a real difference in your life if you are willing to let Him!
Bobby Dockery – Fayetteville, Ark