Giving an Answer for your Faith and Hope

But in your hearts set apart Christ as Lord.  Always be prepared to give an answer to everyone who asks you to give the reason for the hope that you have.  But do this with gentleness and respect, keeping a clear conscience so that those who speak maliciously against your good behavior in Christ may be ashamed of their slander.  ~1 Peter 3:15-16

I've heard the first part of these verses many times, but usually not the second part (amazing how much insight you receive when you start diving into the verses around those you've heard all your Christian life!)

It says when you give your answer to do this with gentleness and respect. How many times when we are questioned regarding our faith do we get defensive or even arrogant?  When asked about your faith do you remain gentle and respectful, even in the face of ridicule, mocking and even outright hatred?

Righteous Live By Faith (another lesson from Romans)

For in the gospel a righteousness from God is revealed, a righteousness that is by faith from first to last, just as it is written: “The righteous will live by faith.”
~ Romans 1:17

I’ve always thought of this last line as saying that if someone is righteous, they have faith. In other words, without faith in our Creator God & Savior, you can’t truly be righteous. I still believe this to be true, but today as I read these words another meaning came to mind.

What if these words are not just describing a characteristic of a righteous person? What if these words are a “heads up”, a warning if you will, to those who are pursuing righteousness? It is not worded to say, to be righteous you must have faith – it says the righteous live by faith.

I think this very well may fly in the face of many of the “prosperity” messages we often hear in Christian circles today. Why? Because when everything is going good in your life and everyone likes you and agrees with you – what need do you have for living by faith?

Maybe living by faith means that even when in the world’s eyes things are falling apart around you (finances, relationships, health, etc) you still have hope, peace and love because you know the Lord is directing your path. He is holding you up in your weakness and you are trusting in the future He has for you, no matter what it may look like to others.

This is not to say that if you are righteous your life will be falling apart around you, or that if things are going well in your life, you are not righteous. But I do have to wonder if Paul is referring to the fact that when you are truly living for God, you will be required to live by faith because things are not always going to be rosy. Just look at Paul’s life. By the world’s standards once he started following Jesus, his life took a total nose-dive. But by heaven’s standards a different story is told.

The righteous live by faith – am I ready to be righteous?