Giving an Account

"But even if you should suffer for the sake of righteousness, you are blessed. And do not fear their intimidation, and do not be troubled, but sanctify Christ as Lord in your hearts, always being ready to make a defense to everyone who asks you to give an account for the hope that is in you, yet with gentleness and reverence; and keep a good conscience so that in the thing in which you are slandered, those who revile your good behavior in Christ 

will be put to shame."

1 Peter 3:14-16

There's not a lot of respect for Bible believing Christians in our culture, but maybe some of that disrespect we have brought upon ourselves. We can't expect people who don't know the love of Christ to understand our belief, much less accept it. Especially if we're speaking harshly to them. It's incumbent upon us according to scripture to defend our faith gently and with respect.  Before we believed we were enemies of the gospel. (Or have we forgotten that?) Now that we know the truth of Christ that has set us free, it's our responsibility to share it with others. We don't need to fear any intimidation they may try to use. We only need to pray and ask God to give us the words He has for us to share. Even the smallest amount of words we use can have a large impact if they are given to us by God and are delivered with love and kindness. It worked for Jesus. It will work for us.

Go Tell It on the Mountain

"When they had seen this, they made known the statement which had been told them about this Child. And all who heard it wondered at the things which were told them by the shepherds. But Mary treasured all these things, pondering them in her heart. The shepherds went back, glorifying and praising God for all that they had heard and seen, just as had been told them."

Luke 2:17-19

The shepherds were the first to see the Christ child, the first to believe and the first to tell others about Jesus. All who heard the shepherds testimony "wondered". The text doesn't say the hearers went to worship Jesus, too. It just says "they wondered". It doesn't sound much different than what we find today in sharing the gospel. We discover its truth and come to Christ. Then we share what we have found with others. Some receive it, but many others just wonder about it. And still there are those who reject it altogether. The shepherds didn't seem bothered by how their message was received. They simply told what they knew and continued to glorify and praise God for all they had heard and seen, just as had been told them. This is a good lesson for us. We have something wonderful to share -- the gospel of Jesus Christ. Our task is to share it with others. Some will receive it, some will wonder about it and some will reject it altogether. No worries. We go on glorifying and praising God for all He has done, and leave the results of our testimony to Him.

The Fellowship of Joy

"These things we write, so that our joy may be made complete."

1 John 1:4

John wanted to share the truth of Christ's life with others. His testimony would bring greater faith and joy to those who received it, and that in turn would complete the Apostle's own joy. When we have a relationship with the Lord, we find a joy that is not dependent upon happy circumstances. In fact, some of the greatest joy we encounter is when things are at their worst. There is something so unique, so amazing about this kind of joy that we can't keep it to ourselves. We have to share it with others. Upon hearing it, their faith is strengthened, resulting in more joy for them. Our own joy is then made complete. This fellowship of joy continues, as long as we are willing to testify. 

Living Letters

"You are our letter, written in our hearts, known and read by all men; being manifested that you are a letter of Christ, cared for by us, written not with ink but with the Spirit of the living God, not on tablets of stone but on tablets of human hearts."

2 Corinthians 3:2-3

The faith of the church in Corinth was Paul's letter of recommendation. But Paul was only a tool. The real Author of the Corinthians' faith was Christ. The Spirit of the living God had transformed them. Their faith was written on their hearts and could be read by all. Christ is still writing letters today. The heart of the person who is open to Him, who is willing to give Him her heart as a tablet, will become a beautiful living letter of faith. And all who read that living letter will find something different. Something appealing, that transcends culture and trends. Something that is eternal. Christ wants to write His letter on your heart. Are you willing to let Him?

What's Your Story?

"but sanctify Christ as Lord in your hearts, always being ready to make a defense to everyone who asks you to give an account for the hope that is in you, yet with gentleness and reverence;"

1 Peter 3:15

My relationship with Christ began 38 years ago when a handful of Christian college students shared their personal testimonies with me. I had a lot of questions about the Christian faith, and they were able to answer them with gentleness and respect. I had never before seen the kind of love those young people had for God, nor the hope they possessed through knowing Him. Each Christian has a story of how they came to know Christ, and we should be prepared to share it at any time. But more than this, we need to know what we believe and why, so that we can lovingly answer questions others may have. We never know when God may place someone in our path whose life could be changed eternally, just by hearing about our faith and how the Lord has changed our lives. Do you have a story? Always be ready to tell it.