Luke 23:47-48

There is no doubt about it; Christ’s behavior draws attention even from a hardened Roman centurion guard. Glorifying God and claiming Jesus to be right, just and upright, this centurion verbalized what his eyes beheld and his ears had heard. Indeed, in the gospels of Matthew and Mark it is added:

54 When the centurion and those with him who were guarding Jesus saw the earthquake and all that had happened, they were terrified, and exclaimed, "Surely he was the Son of God!" Matt 27:54 (NIV)
38 The curtain of the temple was torn in two from top to bottom. 39 And when the centurion, who stood there in front of Jesus, heard his cry and saw how he died, he said, "Surely this man was the Son of God!" Mark 15:38-39 (NIV)

Perfect and just works, faithful and upright, Jesus impacted His sphere. It reminds me of Moses’ words in Deuteronomy:

4 He is the Rock, his works are perfect, and all his ways are just. A faithful God who does no wrong, upright and just is he. Deut 32:4 (NIV)

Quite convicting as our behavior is to emulate Jesus’. It is difficult, to say the least, for our character to stand out when we choose to blend with the world rather than walk in His ways. It is no wonder that we as modern day disciples of Jesus make such a small impact on our culture. Shamefully, this is particularly true when we compare ourselves to the first followers of our Lord. Would it not be exciting to see a modern day Peter, James or John? If the original eleven disciples plus Paul could turn their world around why on earth can’t we? Could it be that we bear no familial resemblance? Wouldn’t it be great to be able to state like Paul:

9 Whatever you have learned or received or heard from me, or seen in me--put it into practice. And the God of peace will be with you. Phil 4:9 (NIV)

1 Follow my example, as I follow the example of Christ. 1 Cor 11:1 (NIV)

The One who perfectly exemplified love for God and for others was, of course, our Lord Jesus yet we are called to display this same spirit of love in our lives and spheres. John tells us:

6 Whoever claims to live in him must walk as Jesus did. 1 John 2:6 (NIV)

This is how we impact our world for Christ. We preach the greatest sermons with our actions rather than our mouths. It would do us well to remember that if our lives are not impacting our world for Jesus, we are indeed just wasting our time and certainly not bringing glory to God.
“Kindness has converted more sinners than zeal, eloquence, and learning.” Frederick Faber

“Every time we resist the slightest temptation, we honor God. Every time we overcome even the smallest problem by trusting and obeying our Lord Jesus, God is glorified in our lives. Whenever we choose character over convenience, faithfulness over ease, or honesty over deceit, we bring honor to the Lord Himself.” Robert J. Morgan

Interestingly, while the centurion’s opinion had changed the others that had gathered to witness the event remained the same. Emotionally ministered to, they beat upon their chests repeatedly; striking themselves with fervent feelings yet remained unrepentant. They turned their backs on Him and walked away. They went back to business as usual. This should be a reminder for us all. We can be moved by a wonderful sermon or a beautiful song, even to the point of an outward expression of our emotions, yet we turn our backs and walk away without any change. I am reminded of James’ exhortation to us:

18 But someone will say, "You have faith; I have deeds." Show me your faith without deeds, and I will show you my faith by what I do. 19 You believe that there is one God. Good! Even the demons believe that--and shudder. James 2:18-19 (NIV)

Demons knew full well that there is one God – they had once been in His presence. They even show forth emotion by shuddering yet they remain unchanged. We are saved by grace, we can do nothing to earn it – it is the precious gift of God and a true faith in Jesus will always show forth in works.