Thursday Devo
Scripture:
1 Peter 3
15 Instead, you must worship Christ as Lord of your life. And if someone asks about your hope as a believer, always be ready to explain it. 16 But do this in a gentle and respectful way. Keep your conscience clear. Then if people speak against you, they will be ashamed when they see what a good life you live because you belong to Christ. 17 Remember, it is better to suffer for doing good, if that is what God wants, than to suffer for doing wrong!
15 Instead, you must worship Christ as Lord of your life. And if someone asks about your hope as a believer, always be ready to explain it. 16 But do this in a gentle and respectful way. Keep your conscience clear. Then if people speak against you, they will be ashamed when they see what a good life you live because you belong to Christ. 17 Remember, it is better to suffer for doing good, if that is what God wants, than to suffer for doing wrong!
Commentary:
3:15–17 Believers should always be ready to provide a rationale for their faith, but they should do so winsomely and righteously. And if they keep a good conscience, any accusations against them will prove groundless, and their accusers will be put to shame. It is sometimes God’s will that Christians suffer for doing good.
Crossway Bibles, The ESV Study Bible (Wheaton, IL: Crossway Bibles, 2008), 2410.
Crossway Bibles, The ESV Study Bible (Wheaton, IL: Crossway Bibles, 2008), 2410.
Questions:
- Peter would say that when you are trying to show the world who Jesus is, your approach matters. You can make Him known through your lived example, through your logical explanation... and also through your LOVING EXPRESSION. This means no truth grenades. Christians have been very good at blowing people up with truth that's not shared in love. Have you found it difficult to balance your truth with a loving delivery? Which side do you typically err on; giving harsh truth or giving no truth at all? Is NOT sharing truth with someone a loving thing to do?
- Peter closes this section with saying we should keep a clear conscience. This simply means that your thoughts and words and actions all match up. It means living a life of integrity, above reproach. Not a perfect life, but a consistent life in front of your non-believing friends. Does this describe you? If not, why not?
Pray:
- That you would learn to share truth in love, making your words attractive to others.
- That you would learn to live a consistent Christian life.
This Week's City 7:
Try to commit to memory!
1. Who is Jesus? I believe Jesus is God because Jesus said He is God and proved it by rising from the dead and appearing to His disciples, His brother James, 500 others at one time, and Paul.
(Mark 3:21; John 8:58, 10:30-33, 14:9-11; Acts 9:1-6; 1 Corinthians 15:3-8; Colossians 1:15-20; Hebrews 1:2-3; James 1:1)
(Mark 3:21; John 8:58, 10:30-33, 14:9-11; Acts 9:1-6; 1 Corinthians 15:3-8; Colossians 1:15-20; Hebrews 1:2-3; James 1:1)
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