And who will harm you if you are deeply committed to what is good? But even if you should suffer for righteousness, you are blessed. Do not fear what they fear or be disturbed, but honor the Messiah as Lord in your hearts. Always be ready to give a defense to anyone who asks you for a reason for the hope that is in you.   1 Peter 3:15 HCSB

There are things that we do that we just know someone is going to ask us about.  It’s election time here in our area and the political signs are going up in the yards. People are hoping to influence others to vote for the candidate that they have chosen.  Now, if you saw a sign in your friends yard and asked that friend why they thought this person was the right person for the job and they couldn’t answer you, would you be inclined to vote for their candidate?

Well, we wear our Christianity or our lack of Christianity, whatever it may be, like a sign or a t-shirt. It’s obvious, it shows, we have talked about this a great deal. But today I want to ask you, are you ready to explain and defend your position?

If you are not a Christian and you do not exhibit Christian attributes, then you will have to explain your words and actions at the time of judgement. You are also experiencing problems in your life. Are you ready to do that? That could come in the next few minutes, we never know.

If you are a Christian, then there is a good chance that a non-believer will challenge you.  They may want to know why you are so joyful or hopeful or possess the Christian attributes that you possess. In our scripture passage today, Peter tells us that we need to be prepared to give an explanation for anyone who asks about the hope that is in us.

When we leave our life of sin and turn to God, there will be those that question that.  There will be those that judge us.  There will be those that don’t believe that we have really changed. Hopefully, those that are lost, will see the light that is in us and will want more information about how they too can have that peace and joy in their lives.

In Luke 8:16, we are told that no one lights a lamp and puts it under a table. If you love the Lord your God with everything you have, believe me it shows. You want it to show. You want others to experience that great love, mercy, peace, and joy that you have found. Be prepared to give a mini testimony. Be prepared to tell others what God has done in your life. Maybe you don’t want to go into the gory details of the sins you have committed, but you can tell them in general about the changes you have experienced after accepting Christ as your savior.

You’ve heard me say many times that we are not saved to sit around and look pretty and be church décor.  We are saved to go out there and save others.

When we trust in Jesus and ask him to fill our hearts with the Holy Spirit, the change shows. Be ready to explain to others how they can experience that change.

Have a great day!