© 1997 by Rev. Paul A. Wolff
“In your hearts set apart Christ as Lord. Always be prepared to give an answer to everyone who asks you to give the reason for the hope that you have. But do this with gentleness and respect.” (1 Peter 3:15)
This passage from St. Peter is from a section of his letter where he speaks about suffering for doing good. In this one small verse Peter states at least four things which define the Christian life.
1. In your heart set apart Christ as Lord.
This is simply another way of stating “Love the Lord your God with all your heart, and with all your soul, and with all your mind.” Only Christians can do this, because this presumes faith in Jesus as your savior. It is important that this comes first. Christ is first in the lives of Christians. He is more important than our job. He is more important than our house or car, or all our possessions. Christ is even more important than our husband or wife, or even our children. What this means is that we should not let any of these things get in the way of our faith in Jesus, no matter how much we love these other things.
When we love Christ above all else, then we will also know how to properly deal with the other things in our life which are important. For example, when you trust that Jesus loves you so much that he died to save you, then you also realize that Jesus loves your enemy, too. That changes the way you might deal with an enemy. No longer do you deal with an enemy out of anger, but out of love; and you seek reconciliation, rather than revenge.
2. Always be prepared to give an answer to everyone....
Here Peter encourages us to be witnesses. A good witness tells what he knows. Therefore as Christians we should study Holy Scripture diligently to learn all that we can about Jesus Christ, and all that he has done for us. It is easy to become a Christian—because Jesus has done all the work. Even small children and infants can have faith, because faith is the gift of the Holy Spirit which He gives to us through Holy Baptism. We could go through life with that simple, “baby” faith and still be saved. However, that is unsatisfying, dangerous, and it doesn’t properly prepare us to answer those who question us about our faith. As we grow in our lives we should also grow in our faith. As we encounter new situations day by day in our lives we also discover new ways in which God gives us his love and mercy. To all you past, present, and even future students this may sound tedious that our learning about Jesus is never ending, but it is not at all tedious. It is pure joy to find yourself somewhere where you have never been, and to find that Christ has not abandoned you, but he is with you always, even to the end.
We should look for opportunities to show kindness to people (especially our enemies). We should also look for opportunities to witness our faith. This doesn’t happen overnight, and each one of us can do it in our own way. But look for the opportunities. If you hesitate and miss an opportunity, then take some time and reflect on the situation and imagine how you would witness your faith if you could do it over again. That way, when you are in that situation again, you will be prepared, and you may lead the person to eternal salvation.
3. The reason for the hope that you have.
We usually think of “hope” as something which may never happen but we wish will happen. However, when the Holy Bible speaks of “hope” it usually is speaking about a sure thing. The “hope” that we have is really the assurance that Jesus loves us, has forgiven our sins, and will give us eternal life in Heaven—just as He promised. This assurance changes our outlook on life. I know that “I can do everything through [Christ] who gives me strength.” (Philippians 4:13) This confidence is visible to others, especially in times of great trouble, such as at the death of a loved one, or in times of danger and uncertainty. This hope is also shown when we show love and respect to our enemies. We can do this because we trust that Jesus has shown us much love and mercy when we did not deserve it either.
4. Do this with gentleness and respect.
The manner in which we witness our Christian faith is at least as important as the message itself. There is little room for a “Do as I say, not as I do” kind of attitude. Of course there is forgiveness in Christ for our sins, but as far as witnessing our Christian faith is concerned, actions speak louder than words. If we act selfishly or in an uncaring manner, then the message we send is that Christians are no different than the pagans, or in some cases may be worse. We don’t want people to turn away from their Savior, simply because we were acting foolish and forgetting #1 above. Instead, when we act with kindness and respect that, in itself, is a witness to your Christian faith. By acting in this way you may make friends with someone you might not otherwise (such as an enemy) and it may lead you to an opportunity to actually tell someone about Jesus, or to invite them to Church or Bible Study.
Witnessing your faith need not be difficult. It could be as simple as showing kindness to those around you. It could also include telling someone why you trust in Jesus as your savior. These activities are not optional, but they are at the very heart of the Christian's life. Be prepared. In order to help you in this task we offer weekly Bible study here at St. Timothy. Please come to Bible study on Sundays at 11:00 am. Or watch the Newsletter and Bulletin announcements for midweek Bible Studies such as LifeLight.
May our Lord Jesus strengthen you in faith, and in hope so that you will be prepared to answer anyone who asks you to give the reason for the hope you have.
In Christ,
Pastor Wolff
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