Prepared to Suffer: Defending Your Faith with Hope, Humility, and Confidence

Summary

God does not promise freedom from suffering for godly living, but persecution cannot ultimately harm believers. Blessing and suffering coexist as signs of divine favor. Christians are called to fear God, make Christ central, and clearly defend their hope with gentleness and respect. Preparedness, integrity, and attitude matter when suffering for doing good, which God uses for His glory and our growth.

Doing Good Does Not Eliminate Suffering

God does not always protect us if we live godly lives. If we are zealous to do good, Peter implies that no one will harm us. Harm is used in a special sense. Doing good does not eliminate physical and emotional suffering.

The point is that persecution cannot ultimately damage or injure us. No matter what, our inheritance remains on reserve in heaven (1 Peter 1:4).

1 Peter 3:14 implies that if we live like God’s children and are zealous for good, we usually do not suffer for doing good. But if we do, God promises to bless us.

Some people will avoid us if we live for Christ and share the gospel. They will talk about us behind our backs.

They will accuse us of being narrow-minded and suggest that our brain is made of cottage cheese. They might do far worse to us.

Blessing and Suffering Can Coexist

Blessing and suffering are not opposites. In this context, to be blessed means to be highly privileged and the object of special divine favor. God calls some of us to follow Jesus’ steps and suffer for doing what is right. Suffering leads to glory.

Fear God, Not People

Peter boosts our confidence with words adapted from Isaiah 8:12f. If we fear God, we need not fear people.

Christ in Our Hearts

Peter tells us not to fear our persecutors but to acknowledge Christ as the Holy One in our hearts. Our hearts are the portable worship center that goes with us.

A Visible and Defensible Faith

The Bible knows nothing about a private, hidden personal faith buried, like treasure, in our yard. Is our hope in Christ obvious to others? Are we prepared to tell others what He has done in our lives?

Knowing Why You Believe

Can we defend why we believe as we do? Can we share how we know there is a God? Why do we believe that Jesus is God? What convincing evidence proves that Jesus arose from the dead?

How do we know that the Bible is God’s word? Why do we insist that Jesus is the only way to God? Know Why You Believe by Paul Little answers these questions.

Being prepared is not enough. Our attitude matters. People remember our spirit and attitude longer than our message.

Defending the Faith with Gentleness and Respect

Gently defending the faith means we do not exalt ourselves. Doing it reverently means we exalt Christ.

The Holy Spirit convicts. We do not. We also need a conscience free of guilt. We cannot be effective witnesses if we are ashamed of some part of our lives.

When we stand for Christ, some people will attack us. If we do what is right, their accusations will be empty. The time of their shame in the text may be Judgment Day.

Suffering for God’s Glory and Our Good

If God wills us to suffer for doing good, there is some profit for His glory, others’ good, or ours. His assignment is to prepare to defend why we have hope. Are you prepared?

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