1 Peter 3:15-16
But regard the Lord, the Christ, as holy in your hearts. Always be prepared to give an answer to everyone who asks you to give a reason for the hope that is in you. But speak with gentleness and respect, while maintaining a clear conscience, so that those who attack your good way of life in Christ may be put to shame because they slandered you as evildoers.
Dear Heavenly Father,
Thank you for our hope because you sent Christ to dwell in us. We are no longer on our own trying to navigate this life because our help is in the name of the Lord. Christ is with us in all that we do. As believers, he now lives in us. He has done all the work to forgive our sins; he has restored us to you. Jesus sent us the Holy Spirit to begin the faith in our hearts. None of this was from us, but now that Jesus dwells in us, we have a changed heart that affects how we think and what we do; we decide to go to church, read your word, or pray based on the love now in our hearts. When we respond with kindness to those who are abrupt and rude to us, this is not our doing but comes through the strength the Holy Spirit has given us and Christ dwelling in us. Through these verses of Peter, you tell us to be prepared to provide an answer for why we are different. That answer is because Jesus died for all our sins and now lives in us that we have a change of heart; we live out of love for you. Lord, while we live in this world, others will slander us. So please give us the strength to live according to your will and be the ambassadors of your good name that we maintain a clear conscience. Amen.
Pastor Roger Emmons
The answer to be prepared is simple: “because I am a sinner, Jesus has died for my sins, and as my redeemer, he lives. Through Jesus, I have his forgiveness and eternal life. Now, I live out of love for God.”