Respectfully Armed

Read 1 Peter 2:11–4:19

13. Now, who will want to harm you if you are eager to do good?
14. But even if you suffer for doing what is right, God will reward you for it. So don’t worry or be afraid of their threats.
15. Instead, you must worship Christ as Lord of your life. And if someone asks about your Christian hope, always be ready to explain it.
16. But do this in a gentle and respectful way. Keep your conscience clear. Then if people speak against you, they will be ashamed when they see what a good life you live because you belong to Christ.
17. Remember, it is better to suffer for doing good, if that is what God wants, than to suffer for doing wrong!
18. Christ suffered for our sins once for all time. He never sinned, but he died for sinners to bring you safely home to God. He suffered physical death, but he was raised to life in the Spirit. 1 Peter 3:13-18

Agood explanation goes a long way. Think of a time when someone completely misunderstood something you did, and perhaps even asked, “Why did you do that?” Your answer made perfect sense to you. All you needed to do was enlighten the other person to your way of thinking.

Be ready to do that, Peter says in this passage. For you as a Christian, misunderstanding (but also plain curiosity) will bring questions as surely as you breathe. A good explanation will go a long way.

Other important lessons in this reading deal with obeying authority; the husband-wife relationship; and suffering for doing good.

The idea of following Christ strikes some people as a new and radical notion. To them any Christian’s faith will seem odd or curious. That is why Peter told his readers to be ready to answer questions about their faith (1 Peter 3:15).

Unfortunately, many believers feel constrained by popular assumptions that tell us to stay off the topic of religion. But we do not have to avoid the subject altogether just to stay civil. We can explain our faith to a questioner without causing conflict, especially if we are invited to do so, by conversing “in a gentle and respectful way” (1 Peter 3:16).

Think about why you follow Christ—why you believe and how you might explain your faith and your reasons to someone. Then the next time someone asks you why you believe, feel free to answer, gently and respectfully. Be prepared because the subject will come up eventually, especially if people catch you doing good (1 Peter 3:13).