You Can Make a Difference in the World

1 Peter 3:18-22 For Christ also suffered once for sins, the righteous for the unrighteous, to bring you to God. He was put to death in the body but made alive in the Spirit. After being made alive, he went and made proclamation to the imprisoned spirits — to those who were disobedient long ago when God waited patiently in the days of Noah while the ark was being built. In it only a few people, eight in all, were saved through water, and this water symbolizes baptism that now saves you also—not the removal of dirt from the body but the pledge of a clear conscience toward God. It saves you by the resurrection of Jesus Christ, who has gone into heaven and is at God’s right hand—with angels, authorities and powers in submission to him.

Today appears to be filled with insurmountable problems: We have an earth that hangs in a delicate balance against progress and technology. We have a population of frightened and frightening people... sometimes both at the same time... who wail against the winds of change. We see inequality, slavery, slaying of innocents, and simple hatred tearing the world apart.

And just at the time when we need it least, we have misinformation, lies and ill-informed opinions spreading across humanity on the internet and news media. People who value their freedom to say whatever they choose more than taking the time to be informed. They opine before they reflect, they respond before they accept responsibility.

In the face of this modern world of terror, it seems too much for any of us to handle as individuals. And it is true: while a terrorist can accomplish horrifying goals in a single act, those who embrace peace, responsibility, and goodness can't seem to counter acts of terror with acts of goodwill. The impact of good deeds do not seem to make the same impact upon humanity.

In the Christian calendar, it is now the season of Lent; a time of reflection prior to the sorrow and celebration of the Easter message. A single voice espousing peace through a relationship with God was put to death thousands of years ago. And yet here we are, two thousand years later, wrestling with the question "Who was Jesus, and what does that mean for us today?"

The apostle Peter tried to answer that question as simply and directly as he could. He tells us that that no matter what our background or inclination, righteous or unrighteous, Jesus Christ was both put to death AND resurrected for the purpose of clearing our conscience toward God. He refers to the patience God exercised waiting for the Ark of Noah so that he could save eight people. But just as God was patient to save eight through the waters of the flood, He continues to wait for all of us to come on board.

Symbolically, water cleanses and removes the dirt. Peter likens the Resurrection of Jesus as a similar event to the story of the flood. Through this selfless act of sacrifice, Christ made the largest impact on humanity of all; far greater than anything we humans can conceive or enact. But in so doing, he also invites us to join him and stand before God in similar righteousness. The dirt of our lives (the things that steal away our confidence to stand before God free of guilt and sin), is now washed away.

When we take him up on the offer, we join together with a force that can accomplish the impossible. Though evil people still exist in our world, their machinations of death and destruction are rendered useless. No amount of coercion can separate our hearts from the truth that God is greater than any problem we face. He gives us the power to overcome even beyond death.

What passions do you have to impact the world? Do you seek to find solutions to any earthly problems? Have you felt too small to have a significant impact? Peter wants us to understand that is exactly why Jesus came; to give us the power to attempt great things.

Who is Jesus, and what does that mean for us today? Jesus came to us and remains with us for the simple purpose to cleanse our hearts, so we can stand before God. You can make a difference, and win.