You Can Make A Difference

In a world of 7 billion people, we often ask ourselves "How can I make a difference for the cause of Christ?"  With so many needs, so little time, and so few resources, where do I begin?

In the context of challenging his readers to "...earnestly contend for the faith..." (v3), Jude states "And some of you have compassion, making a difference."(v22)  In v21-23 Jude tells us that you make a difference when you:





Live your life based upon a Holy faith

Directed by prayer in the Holy Spirit

Continually in the love of God

And expecting the return of Jesus Christ.

20 But you, beloved, building yourselves up on your most holy faith, praying in the Holy Spirit, 21 keep yourselves in the love of God, waiting anxiously for the mercy of our Lord Jesus Christ to eternal life. 22 And have mercy on some, who are doubting; 23 save others, snatching them out of the fire; and on some have mercy with fear, hating even the garment polluted by the flesh. - Jud 1:20-23 

Gen 20 and 21

When my grandparents began to move out of their house, we all came.  (9 grandchildren)  We came at one time or another to get things that held sentimental value, that we always admired, or some such thing.

I went through the barn and picked up a hand drill.  My grandfather used it on the telephone poles as a lineman.  It's a neat little tool, but outdated for today's work.  Today they can carry with them electric cordless drill with great power.  My hand drill is now just a relic of another era.



Many view the Old Testament that way.  Genesis in particular, a great piece of history, but not useful for todays modern world.  But as we have studied the life of Abraham, we see the ups and downs of his life, and see the value it has for our life today. As it points us to Jesus, we are drawn towards God and pulled to the cross for forgiveness.  The story of the birth of Isaac shows us that scripture is "Ancient, but not antiquated" (CH Mackintosh)

Trusting God means we must trust him with not only our eternal souls, but our present bodies.  Abraham received (finally) God's promise in God's way in God's time.  His birth was a miracle, and a picture of God implanting us with a new nature after salvation, not just making the best out of the mess we have.

Isaac to is a picture of Christ to us.  Their births share these similarities:

1. The Promised Birth
2. The wait after the Promise
3. Announcements that come in an incredulous manner
4. Named before birth
5. Born at God's appointed time
6.  Birth was a miracle of nature
7. They were a joy to their Fathers
8.  They were obedient even unto death


Praise God that He gives us new life!  Even (especially) when we can't do anything in our own strength.

Sodom and Gomorrah

In Genesis 19, God comes to destroy Sodom and Gomorrah.  We are quick to write this off as about other people, but God says in Jude it's a warning to all of us, lest we fall into sin as well.

Lot has lived in Sodom for some time. He is a man of stature in the city, and Peter calls him a righteous man.  We might wonder how a righteous man ends up in a spot like this. To be sure it was the small choices in his life that drove him to this point.  So too in our life, the small choices over time are often what has a bigger impact on our walk with God.

Small choices will keep you away from God, or small choices will drive you to God.


When faced with the impending disaster and the word from God, Lot hesitated.  When the Word of God comes and speaks into our hearts in times of trouble, it shows the idols we have, the things we hold nearer than God.

Sodom is about more than other people.  It's about the wickedness that resides in all of us, and our need to be justified by Christ alone, not our deeds.

Genesis 18

Some times the promises of God seem so outrageous that all we can do is laugh.  That certainly was the case for Abraham and Sarah.  They were 100 and 90 years old, respectively, and God promised them a Son!  All they could do was laugh.

Sometimes we too laugh at the promises of God. That He loves us, or that He would use us as part of His plan.  But thankfully God's faithfulness is not dependent on our belief.  God's promise always comes in Gods way in Gods' time.

The hardest step is believing in God, but we cannot just believe in a God of our imagination, or one that fits in our box. Rather, scripture reveals to us the God who is faithful, omnipotent, wise, kind, and loving.  But we have to be in scripture to know that God.

When we forget, or don't acknowledge who God is, our sin overtakes our live and pulls us away from Him.  We become centered on our self and not looking for who God reveals himself to be.

Abraham had a full picture of God, so much so that he could plead God's character to him as he prayed for Sodom and Gomorrah.  Knowing God that well takes time and effort, and a heart set on Him.