The Spanish Inquisition, the persecution of the Jews, the conflict of Protestants and Catholics in Northern Ireland, etc, all make people ask "What difference does Christianity make in people's lives?" Possibly the questioner himself has had some unhappy experience in a church or with a Christian, Or he may feel morally superior, "I could never behave like that", never realizing the depths of self-centeredness revealed in every one of us when we are under pressure.

 INITIAL CHALLENGE

 "I am interested you should say that because it shows you have been thinking about these things.  This problem shows that there is a tremendous difference between religion and real Christianity."

BIBLICAL APPROACH

 The New Testament emphasizes that:

-Our loyalty is to Jesus Christ and His perfect example, not to His imperfect followers.  For this vividly contrasting attitude of Jesus and His disciples in a difficult situation, look at Luke 9: 51-56.

-There is an enormous difference between an involvement with institutional Christianity and a personal relationship with Christ.  A true believer (one who knows Christ personally) will have a genuine love and concern for those around him, 1 John 4: 20.

 OUTSIDE THE BIBLE

 -No other body of people has such a record of service to man over 2,000 years as the Christian Church.  But as usual, the bad things have hit the headlines of history.  So much good passes unnoticed.

-Christians have had the initiative in bringing about the following changes:

          Prison Reforms                            The Red Cross

          Child Work Laws             The Humane Society

          Abolition of Slavery           Orphanages

          Development of Hospitals          Public Education

-Malcolm Muggeridge reported that in his travels to remote parts of the world he had found many  schools and hospitals run by Christians, but none by humanists.

 TURNING THE TABLES

 Tell the stories of two or three people you know whose lives have been changed by the Lord.  Give your own testimony.  Then in the Four Spiritual Laws point to the transition and the end of the Third Law: "It is not enough to know these three Laws.  We must individually receive Jesus Christ as 'Saviour and Lord." This is where so-called Christians have missed out.