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 the hope that is in you. However, do this with gentleness and respect, keeping your conscience clear, so that when you are accused, those who denounce your Christian life will be put to shame. For it is better to suffer for doing good, if that should be God’s will, than for doing evil.   1 Peter 3:13-17 HCSB

As a child, I used to sing, “Jesus loves me this I know, for the Bible tells me so.” I also sang, “Have faith, hope and charity, that’s the way to live successfully. How do I know? The Bible tells me so.” I grew up in church. I grew up believing in things like the Trinity. I grew up believing that God the Father sent His Son to earth to be born of a virgin to be crucified for our sins. I believe that He died and was buried and rose on the 3rd day and ascended to heaven. I believe that He is coming again. I grew up believing every word in the Bible. I grew up believing the Bible is God’s Holy Word.

But now that I’m grown up, or at least try to be, I am sometimes called upon to explain why I believe these things. I sometimes encounter people who don’t believe these things and ask me why I do. I want to say, “Because the Bible tells me so.” But I also encounter people who do not believe the Bible. Some believe it’s crazy to believe the Bible.

What’s a Christian to do? Well, I’m glad you asked. The Bible addresses this in our scripture passage for today. Peter is talking about undeserved suffering. There will be times when we will suffer not for anything we have done wrong, but what we are doing right. We will be mocked and persecuted simply because we are believers. Peter begins to address this by asking a simple question, “Who will harm you if you are deeply committed to what is good?” Paul asked a similar question in Romans 8:31 when he asks, “What then are we to say about these things? If God is for us, who is against us? As believers, we will be victorious when we go through trials and tribulations.

Romans 5:2-5 tells us that our sufferings produce endurance, which produces character, which produces hope. When we trust in the Lord and obey Him, people see the hope that is within us. If we are questioned about this hope, this provides us an opportunity to witness to others. We can tell them what Jesus has done in our lives. We can explain to them why we have this hope. We should never respond in a harsh manner. We should respond with gentleness and respect. If they need to be put to shame we can rest assured that God will take care of that.

I am always tempted to respond, “Because the Bible says it and I believe it,” when someone questions my Christianity. Through Bible study I am learning to apply the truths found in the Bible. I am learning to explain the Bible prophecies that have come true. And, I am learning to explain how I have experienced some of God’s biblical promises in my own life.

We are surrounded by hurting people who need Jesus in their lives. Our pastor often says that we may be the only Bible they will ever read. We need to be that light that draws them out of the darkness. Our scripture passage today is just one of many that tells us how to do this.

If you have questions about situations in your life the answers can be found in the Bible. When others question you about your faith, the answers can be found in your Bible. But you can’t answer any of these questions if you are not in your Bible.

This is why Bible study is so important. The Bible tells us how we should live our lives. It tells us how we should treat others. It is an instruction manual for relationships. It gives us hope in this dark world. I encourage you to see for yourself all that God’s Word has to offer. Join a study group and get into a good, Bible teaching church. Go to Sunday School, it’s not just for kids.

If we don’t fully understand the truth found in God’s Word, we can fall for anything. We won’t know if doctrines are false or if preachers are lying if we don’t know the truth found in Scripture.

I live a life of hope, peace and joy because I believe in the Bible. I know of Jesus’ great love for me and how to live successfully because the Bible tells me so. I will tell you too if you are willing to take the time to study it.

Have a great day!