Many of the people you meet in the world do not have faith in Jesus or, if they do, they have limited knowledge and understanding. When they see you living a faithful Christian life, they may question you about your faith and hope. Are you prepared to answer them as to why you live as you do? Consider what the Apostle Peter wrote in 1 Peter 3:15 “But sanctify the Lord God in your hearts, and always be ready to give a defense to everyone who asks you a reason for the hope that is in you, with meekness and fear.”
You should not be ashamed of your belief in Jesus. Some in the time of Jesus believed in Him, but only in secret. John 12:42-43 “Nevertheless even among the rulers many believed in Him, but because of the Pharisees they did not confess Him, lest they should be put out of the synagogue; for they loved the praise of men more than the praise of God.” When it comes to your faith and Christian life, you should be more concerned with what God thinks about you than what people in the world think about you. Jesus said in Matthew 10:32-33 “Therefore whoever confesses Me before men, him I will also confess before My Father who is in heaven. But whoever denies Me before men, him I will also deny before My Father who is in heaven.” You certainly don’t want Jesus to deny you before the Father. Be willing and eager to share your faith.
Peter said to “sanctify the Lord God in your hearts”. You should have the faith that you have and be living your life as you do because you worship the Lord God from your heart. Your life is different from those of the world, not because you are just trying to be different, but because you are seeking to serve your God. Your actions and belief come from your heart. People in the world should see the genuineness of your life which invites them to want to know why you have your faith.
You should dress differently than people of the world (1 Timothy 2:9). You should avoid certain worldly activities (1 Peter 4:3-4). Your speech should be different from those of the world (Titus 2:8). You should be going about doing good (2 Thessalonians 3:13). You put assembling with fellow Christians more important than other activities (Hebrews 10:35). Why do you do these things? You should be ready to give others a defense or an answer to their questions about you. Some Christians have grown up in the church so they have “inherited” their way of life; you should know the scriptural basis for your actions so you can tell others. Some Christians are afraid to give an answer about their faith and life because they don’t feel that they know all of the scriptures and the answers to all of the questions. You don’t have to have all of the answers – very few people do. You just need to know why you believe as you do and have the hope that you have. Being prepared to give an answer should strengthen your faith.
Why do you believe in Jesus? Why do you believe in God? I believe in God, first of all, because I see the wonderful design of the creation and I don’t believe that what we see today is the result of billions of years of evolution. Romans 1:19-20 “Because what may be known of God is manifest in them, for God has shown it to them. For since the creation of the world His invisible attributes are clearly seen, being understood by the things that are made, even His eternal power and Godhead, so that they are without excuse.” What are the reasons that you believe in God? I believe in Jesus because I believe that there is enough evidence that He lived on the earth, He went about performing miracles, He was crucified and that He arose from the grave. I also believe the word of God, the Bible, that tells me about God and about Jesus. What are the reasons that you believe in Jesus? What answer would you give?
What is your hope? I believe that this earthly life is not all that there is. I believe that there is a life after this life. My hope is to receive eternal life with Jesus and God the Father. Why do I have this hope? I have this hope because Jesus arose from the dead. 1 Corinthians 15:19-20 “If in this life only we have hope in Christ, we are of all men the most pitiable. But now Christ is risen from the dead, and has become the firstfruits of those who have fallen asleep.” I have this hope because of the promises given in the Bible. God has given me the gift of eternal life (Romans 6:23). I live my life to please God. If I am faithful until death, I believe I will receive the promises (Revelation 2:10). What is your hope? Why do you have hope? What answer would you give?
When questioned about your faith and hope, you need to answer in “meekness and fear”. You answer in meekness in that you are humble and not proud or haughty in the manner that you provide an answer. The ones to whom you give an answer may come back to you in harshness, ridicule or persecution. It is necessary that you have meekness and accept any unpleasant response without responding to them as they responded to you (1 Peter 3:9). You answer in fear, not that you are fearful of those who question you, but you are respectful of them even if they have not earned your respect.
My encouragement to you is to be prepared. “Sanctify the Lord God in your hearts, and always be ready to give a defense to everyone who asks you a reason for the hope that is in you, with meekness and fear.”