Reflection on 1Pe 3:15-16a
But sanctify the Lord God in your hearts,
and always be ready to give an answer to everyone
who asks you a reason for the hope that is in you,
with meekness and fear.
The Apostle Peter encourages us to sanctify God in our hearts. How should we sanctify Him? Especially in interior prayer, where we talk to Him, listen to Him and ask Him to help us know and do His holy will in specific situations.
The Apostle then says that we should be ready to give an answer to everyone. But no one will ask us unless we apostolize. We must be ready to witness. In prayer we must ask God to whom we should witness, how we should witness and when we should witness. Then we have to overcome some shyness and take the first step ourselves. Strategic is the word first (Gr. proton). If we are to remove the speck from our brother’s eye, we must first judge ourselves. Similarly, when our brother has something against us, we must first take the step of reconciliation, even if we are not aware of any guilt. When we do this, only then will our eyes be opened. This is a special spiritual law.
We must pray that we may be ‘martyrés’ – witnesses. But first we need to know what we are witnessing to. Those who do not have a living relationship to Jesus, who are not rooted in the true faith, can hardly bear witness to anyone. They may perhaps testify that they have read a nice religious book that has spoken to them, and sometimes even that can be a means of conversion. However, we usually know from experience that if we give a book that appeals to us to our neighbour, he will put it aside and not read it. He will have a thousand other interests and will not even read the first page. Therefore, we ourselves must first enthusiastically convey to the person the essence and the Spirit of God from the book, and then perhaps he will read it because he will be curious to know what it is about.
If we are to do mission, we must first do it in our own souls. We must strive to set ourselves against the spirit of the world and keep God’s laws and commandments. This brings us into conflict with the world, which involves taking the cross and trouble. But God will provide a way out, so that in the end blessings will come through the cross. So let us be witnesses. We must not quarrel, we must not humiliate the other, that is to say, we must act with a certain modesty, because the old self in us, and especially in the other, has a very good nose and can sense even the slightest air of our so-called importance. People then react immediately by being reserved toward us, but also toward what we want to preach to them. So let us know that if we are working on our own soul, we have already begun the process of mission. In that process, when someone asks us, we must be ready to tell them calmly about the assurance we have in Christ. Let us bear witness to the peace that Jesus has given us, and to the assurance that comes from knowing that God guides us and does not abandon us in trials. So we need not even fear death, because we know that if we have a living relationship to Jesus, we already have eternal life here. At the hour of death we receive it in its fullness. This is the greatest treasure that the people of the world do not have.
Think about the word of life and answer these questions:
What precedes telling others about Christ?
What is the hope that is in you?
What would stimulate someone to ask you about the hope that is in you?
What should be your attitude when witnessing?
… sanctify the Lord God in your hearts …
- What must you do before leading others to Christ? Mt 4:19
(He said to them, “Follow Me, and I will make you fishers of men.”)
- What did God want Paul to do since he was to be His witness? Acts 22:14-15
(Then he said, ‘The God of our fathers has chosen you that you should know His will, and see the Just One, and hear the voice of His mouth. For you will be His witness to all men of what you have seen and heard.’)
- How does a person acknowledge Christ as Lord in his life? Rom 12:1
(I beseech you, brethren, by the mercies of God, that you present your bodies a living sacrifice, holy, acceptable to God, which is your spiritual worship.)
… always be ready to give an answer …
- What may cause people to ask you about your relationship to Christ? Mt 5:16
(Let your light so shine before men, that they may see your good works and glorify your Father in heaven.)
- What should you tell others? Acts 4:20
(For we cannot but speak the things which we have seen and heard.)
- How can you follow Paul’s example in Romans 10:1?
(Brethren, my heart’s desire and prayer to God for Israel is that they may be saved.)
- How has God empowered you for witnessing? Acts 1:8
(But you shall receive power when the Holy Spirit has come upon you; and you shall be witnesses to Me in Jerusalem, and in all Judea and Samaria, and to the end of the earth.)
… with meekness and fear.
- Read 2 Timothy 2:24-25.
(A servant of the Lord must not quarrel but be gentle to all, able to teach, patient, in humility correcting those who are in opposition, if God perhaps will grant them repentance, so that they may know the truth.)
- What should characterize your conversation? Col 4:5-6
(Walk in wisdom toward those who are outside, redeeming the time. Let your speech always be with grace, seasoned with salt, that you may know how you ought to answer each one.)
APPLICATION OF 1 PETER 3:15
List at least one person you can witness to.
How do you plan to do this?
Download: Reflection on 1Pe 3:15-16a
