1 Peter 3:13-17 Know your faith, and live it.

"And if someone asks about your Christian hope, always be ready to explain it."

1 Peter 3:15b

These verses are a call for us to be holy in everything we do, to worship Christ as Lord of our life (3:15).   It talks about doing good, so that no one can harm us, and even if they do, we know that God will reward us for our holy living.   A call for us to be ready for an explanation of our faith is also on order.   Always be ready to explain our faith that we have in Christ, and to do it in a gentle and respectful way (3:16) and to keep our conscience clear.

One of the hardest things for some Christians to do is learn how to defend our faith, that is the art of Apologetics, and learning how to deal with questions that people have for us.   We have an amazing faith, an amazing God, and a message of hope to share.   We need to be be ready for those times that will come up were people ask about the faith that we are living.

The bible is our first tool in apologetics, and then reading books that will help us defend our faith.   That is where the local Church need to be a resource in this area.   Our faith should never be blind, but should be with reason, because it is truth.   One thing that might help is to write out a testimony of what God has done in your life, because this is the greatest thing that you can say, and will have a great impact on people who are wondering about the gospel that we hold so dear too.

Be ready and able with the truth, to defend it, and to share it.

1 Peter 3:8-12 The Difference God makes.

These verses are a prime example of the difference that Christ can make in one's life.   When the scriptures tell us to "Don't repay evil for evil.  Don't retaliate with insults when people insult you.  Instead pay them back with a blessing.  That is what God has called you to do, and he will bless you for it."

How different is that from the world's idea?   Or our own, if someone gives you the one figured salute, what do you do in return?  When someone criticizes you, what is your first reaction?   These verses are a call to holiness, and a reminder of our inheritance as a child of God.  Our calling is a higher calling, a higher standard of righteousness.   When we see the world as God sees it, when we realize that the people around us are not going into a better place unless they come to that knowledge of the loving savior, then how we react toward aggression to our faith changes.

In the midst of trial or persecution there are two things that happen:

1) either we grow, are strengthened, made resolute by our faith, or we give in to what the world wants, what Satan loves to see, us get angry and give into temptation.

2) If we give in to anger, the person that is persecuting us will think the gospel full of hypocrisy, and  their view of Christ is that he's is no different from anyone else.   But if we see people as God wants us to see them, and we bless them, not repaying anger for anger, but with the peace of the knowing God, then it opens a door for that individual to see Christ as they have never seen Him before.  They realize that Christ is different, there is love, redemption, and righteousness in this 'Christian' that is speaking to them.  This is when the power of the gospel can impact a life.

This is why we need to take 'loving our neighbor' to heart,especially when it isn't so easy.

1 Peter 3:1-7 Charge for wives and husbands

With wives Peter gives instruction about not worrying about outer beauty versus inner beauty  (vs. 3-4), but the hardest thing he proclaimed was for wives to accept the authority of their husbands ... even if they refuse to obey the Good news. (vs.1-2) .. and Peter says that they will be won over.   The Prayer of a wife to win over her husband is very powerful.    When I look at how my dad received the lord, through the years my mother had to put up with his negativity ... it's inspiring.   I've seen first hand how this has worked.   This is also a warning for women to know the person your about to marry, and to think of where that person is spiritually.

There is also a call for husbands to honor their wives (vs. 7) and Peter reminds them that wifes are an 'equal partner in God's gift of new life'.   This is a radical understanding for the Church to hear back then, and a reminder of the progressiveness of the gospel.   I like it when Peter says "Treat her as you should so your prayers will not be hindered."  Men if your don't treat your wives with the honor she deserves, expect your prayer life to suffer, and your prayers to be hindered!

1 Peter 2:13-25 Endure what you need too

Initially when you read these verses, what comes to mind, at least to me is that Peter is saying for people to stay 'pro quo' don't fight for rights, don't bother changing the 'system' or look for betterment of the social order of things.    Slaves be slaves, I don't care, and authority ... heck don't fight oppression, just stand back and be little pawns in an unfair political system.    After all, Peter wrote this during a time of Jewish uprising against Rome, and just after the temple was burned down because of it.    Was Peter talking about 'crawling back' into your holes, be safe, just do your thing but nothing too radical?  Was he going back to the nature of when he denied Christ 3 times because of the threat of reprisal?

I think there are a few things that we need to learn from Peters gospel:
a) Living for Christ over-rules our political desires.   It overrides our own desire, versus living a holy life.   We don't commit crimes in the name of justice, because that is not the way of Christ.   We need to carry our cross during the hardest of times.

b) This is a call for Christian living, and testimony of Christ in us during times of trouble, whether political, or even as a slave.

c) Even though we are called to respect authorities, check out the call of authorities ... "For the king has sent them (officials) to punish those who do wrong and to honor those who do right."(vs. 12)   If the king and his officials don't do this, we are mandated to care for the orphans and widows, and to stamp out oppression.

We are called from a biblical standpoint to lift high the voices of the oppressed, but to do so without compromising the message.   For us though, we have to keep an eternal perspective on things, and realize that we do need to carry our cross.   It's a hard thing to do, but its what God has called us too.