A Difference That Counts

Bible Reading: 1 Corinthians 6:11

Now your sins have been washed away, and you have been set apart for God.   1 Corinthians 6:11

Suppose you’re chatting with a non-Christian about Jesus. You think you’re getting your point across with your gentle and ultrawise persuasion—until you get bopped over the head with this line: “Well,” your friend smirks, “people who are dead stay that way. They don’t rise from the dead.”

You can’t make Jesus rise again in a laboratory. But you can point to the Bible for evidence of the empty tomb. Along with that, you can supply an additional sign of life: the change that happens to people when they trust Jesus.

Talk about it: Do you think that the changed lives of Christians prove anything about the truth of what we believe?

Suppose you are a non-Christian. You have a friend who one day says, “You know, a year ago I trusted Jesus. He’s totally changed my life. I used to scream at my parents. I always trash-talked my little sister. I was totally selfish. I’m not perfect, but I’m not that way anymore. Having a relationship with Jesus has made me a different person. And he’s given me a peace and love and joy I never experienced before.”

Would you believe her?

It’s hard to argue with your friend if her life backs up what she says—if you can spot real change. But what if she’s some weird spiritual mutant? What if she’s the only one whose life has been changed by this Jesus guy?

Well, your friend isn’t alone. Countless others have experienced the same awesome changes by turning their lives over to Christ. They don’t claim that merely reading a book changed them. They don’t say that a creepy encounter with aliens has left them altered forever. And none of them claim that their new power comes from inside themselves. They talk about one cause for their peace, joy, and victory over sin. It’s Jesus Christ and his resurrection power.

When we want to prove that the resurrection of Jesus Christ actually happened, we can point to a difference obvious in millions of people from every walk of life and all nations of the world. And the change can be traced to one source—their relation­ship with the living Jesus Christ. That’s evidence that your friend isn’t selling you some crazy story. She’s sharing a persuasive fact.

Your experience of Jesus is more than wishful thinking. You’ve met the risen Savior. And he’s made a real difference in your life!

TALK: When a non-Christian looks at you, what can that person see that points to God at work in your life?

PRAY: Dear God, change us so our friends can see your power at work. Make our life a convincing display of the power that raised Christ from the dead.

ACT: Explain to a friend some of the differences Christ has made in your life.