“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).
“Why do you believe what you believe?” My friend asked me this at supper after the first day of the bar examination to become an attorney. He noted that I had a calm and peaceful demeanor considering the intense stress and pressure of the two-day exam.
I explained that my hope and identity is in Jesus Christ. Only through faith in the Lord Jesus will one ever know true peace and life. I certainly wanted to pass the bar exam, but I also shared that life was so much more than that one goal. We talked a while longer about faith and religion and ended with me praying for him to have the peace of Jesus.
Peter challenges believers to be ready to answer the question, “Why hope in Jesus?” In Peter’s day the church was enduring severe persecution, but there is a relevant everyday application for us today. We need to be prepared to explain our hope in Jesus Christ. When the question comes, we simply need to tell people about the amazing grace of God and the great things that he has done in our lives. So, what is the “reason for the hope that is in you?”
PRAYER PROMPT: O Lord, let us seize the opportunity to share our faith in Jesus.
Kevin Carrothers serves as pastor of Rochester FBC and president of IBSA.
Pastors, join the IBSA Pastors’ Prayer Room on Facebook. E-mail oweaver7307@gmail.com.