***1 Peter 3:15 (NLT) Instead, you must worship Christ as…

***1 Peter 3:15 (NLT) Instead, you must worship Christ as Lord of your life. And if someone asks about your Christian hope, always be ready to explain it.***

Instead of being afraid of people, believers are to focus on Christ himself. By acknowledging Christ as Lord and Savior, they would recognize his holiness and be able to rest in him. There would be no room in their hearts for fear. Instead, they can always be ready to explain the reason for their Christian hope. While Peter may have been thinking about believers speaking in a court, he seems also to have had in mind the everyday informal inquiries that might be directed at the believers—from either hostile or friendly neighbors.

Unbelievers can see that Christians have something different; only “hope” gives us strength and joy in hardships and persecutions. Unbelievers will ask about it; believers must be ready to tell them. All Christians must be ready and able to give a reasonable defense of their faith. They need not be apologists or theologians, but every Christian ought to be able to clearly explain his or her own reasons for being a Christian. The more we understand person, the better equipped we are to minister to him/her. We must know and understand the thought forms of our generation.

Some Christians believe that faith is a personal matter that should be kept to oneself. It is true that we shouldn’t be boisterous or obnoxious in sharing our faith, but we should always be ready to give an answer, gently and respectfully, when asked about our faith, our life-style, or our Christian perspective. Can others see your hope in Christ? Are you prepared to tell them what Christ has done in your life?