Hello World,
It’s great to post something again. I hope you enjoy this little read!
1 Peter 3:15-16
But in your hearts revere Christ as Lord. Always be prepared to give an answer to everyone who asks you to give the reason for the hope that you have. But do this with gentleness and respect, keeping a clear conscience, so that those who speak maliciously against your good behavior in Christ may be ashamed of their slander.
Chapter 1 was all about praising Jesus. It talked about the joy of getting a relationship with the messianic priest prophesied by the prophets of old. And what we should do now that we are in this relationship, which is to BE HOLY.
Chapter 2 discussed who the prophets claimed Jesus was. He was the rejected cornerstone. He is essential in the building, but a stumbling block for those who are not with him. Peter warned us about living with Christ vs living for ourselves, and how we are a chosen people and a royal priesthood.
In Chapter 3, Peter starts to talk about husbands and wives (which is huge for me as a married man). But let’s focus on vs 15-16.
Do you have an answer to everyone who asks you to give the reason for the hope that you have?
And can you give this answer with gentleness and respect?
It’s something worth reflecting on, but here’s the answer I have to share. It might not be the perfect one, but it’s the answer I’ve prepared based on how God has worked in my life since I committed to Jesus.
My hope is rooted in the Gospel. I believe I will see God and be welcomed into His home when my life here ends. Even now, before that day comes, I trust that God is with me. When I fail, I know God remains faithful. Jesus stands for me when I stumble, lifts me when I fall, heals me when I’m sick, walks with me when I am alone, and ultimately, will raise me up to be with Him.
Why do I have this hope? It’s because Jesus said it and did it. If what the Bible says is true, then Jesus is the fulfillment of the Old Testament prophecy (Isaiah 11:1). He taught that he was there before he became man (John 8:58). He predicted what is to come with him (Luke 9:22), which is also a prophecy (Isaiah 53:4-5).
Jesus is one person of the Triune God who has existed eternally with God the Father and the Holy Spirit. And together, God in his love and mercy, used all of him to reach us lowly creatures. God died for me, a sinner, because he loved me. He didn’t just die; he humbled himself, got beaten, mocked, and killed, in order to be the perfect sacrifice and pay a debt that I could not pay. And in his eternal power, he showed that death cannot hold him, and it will not hold us. He paid the price and suffered the punishment. All so that we can be with him in eternal harmony. That is the reason for the hope that I have.
With Love,
Ayodeji Alaketu
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