READY TO ANSWER
1 Peter 3:14b-15a
… do not be frightened.’ But in your hearts revere
Christ as Lord.
People cannot become followers of Jesus if they have
not heard about Him, and what He has done to save us (Romans 10:14). Although there are millions of Christians in
the world today, many of their friends and colleagues have not yet heard them
speaking about Jesus Christ. Some
believers think that their faith is a private matter only for them; but Jesus
told us to make more disciples for Him (Matthew 28:19). Many others are simply afraid of an adverse
reaction from friends and colleagues.
But Peter says, "Don't be frightened!"
Some believers have the gift to preach or teach
publicly, but everybody who honours Jesus as their Lord and Master should want
to speak well of Him. Most of the
opportunities will come when we are questioned about our faith or lifestyle. So
each born-again Christian should be ready with simple answers such as, "I
believe in Jesus so I am learning to obey and follow Him"; or, "I
know that I am going to heaven because Jesus died for me". Of course, these answers will probably
trigger more questions, but trust the Holy Spirit to help you (Acts 1:8) - and
never be ashamed to say when you do not know, because you are willing to find
out and tell them later.
The key to confidence in speaking about Jesus is how
dearly we hold Him in our hearts. If He
is just a religious teacher who we admire, fear will stop us exalting Him. But if He fills our hearts - higher than
every other thought and desire - then nothing can stop us from announcing Him
to the world (2 Corinthians 5:11-15).
Part of the reason for going to church and Bible
study is to get prepared to answer questions about Jesus. This is a significant part of any church leader's
responsibility (Ephesians 4:11-13) . We
should not just listen to teaching but use it to prepare ourselves to answer
questions. Many people want to find the
secret of life and hope after death: they will search throughout the internet,
but the answer is only found in Jesus (Acts 4:12). But your friends may never know how to be
saved if you are not prepared to tell them.
If you belong to a workplace Christian group, why not use that time to
prepare your hearts and your answers - it could save someone's life.
Gracious God. Thank You for the people who first
told me about Jesus. Please forgive me for my fear of how people might reject
me. I confess that I have not told them of how wonderfully You have accepted
me, forgiving me all my sin. Help me realise how wonderful Jesus has been
towards me so that I will not be afraid or ashamed of speaking about Him. I
really do want Him to rule my life today and prepare me for tomorrow. So please
help me to work with Your Holy Spirit, by Your Word, to know how to answer
questions about following Jesus. In His Name. Amen.
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