presenting the truth of the Gospel in an anti-God world
Readers-
I know many of you reading this have probably gotten this question as well at some point or another. :) Many Christians have, but it is important to realize why we receive it so often. This particular question that I refer to is "Do you ever wonder what life is like in public school? Or do you ever wish that you had the option of tons of friends and a popular lifestyle? Have you ever wondered what it's like to have a boyfriend (girlfriend)?" Okay...so that's three questions, but I very often receive them together. :) The important thing for me has been how to deal with these questions when they come around so that we are not scrambling for answers!
We know why we believe what we believe right? Or do we really have any idea?
I have had the opportunity to meet several young teens who were raised in a Christian household, but often began questioning the beliefs and rules that existed in their parent's household. This is why constant study and meditation is required for us to maintain the doctrine that we learn in our youth. Ecclesiastes 12:1 states " Remember your creator in the days of your youth, before the days of trouble come and the years approach when you will say, "I find no pleasure in them"-" The years of testing and trouble have arrived and the virtue and godly lifestyle is dropping from our culture and especially the young and millennial generations. They were never told why they went to Church and held certain standards, and because there was no reason, they forsake the faith.
One particular Bible verse that has been of great help to me is 1 Peter 3:15. I was first introduced to its meaning in a conference for Christian teens looking for the right way to stand up for their faith.
"But sanctify the Lord God[a] in your hearts, and always be ready to give a defense everyone who asks you a reason for the hope that is in you, with meekness and fear;"
To learn how to answer such pivotal and life changing questions, we can separate this verse into basic parts. (Each man or woman may have their own way of determining this meaning, but this is simply my own study written out for your commentation.)
Part 1: "But sanctify the Lord God in your hearts"
Is Christianity just a big façade? Our great big white wall that makes us look perfect and blameless before other people and our closest friends? Okay guys, time to strip that big wall down and look at the big, the bad, and most importantly......the ugly. Sanctify the Lord God in your hearts..... I look at this part of our verse as a Christian's charge from God. Sanctify the Lord God and make him first and foremost in your life. God will only show if he is the force that drives you. If you are driving your own car out of self-will, there isn't any room for God. Instead of sanctifying yourself and having all of those wonderful answers about Christianity from your lofty shelves of understanding, look for the true meaning in Christ and allow Him to provide answers that will most definitely make the most difference in today's anti-God culture.
Part 2: "and always be ready to give a defense"
Alrighty, so now we are bringing in that big horrible word that no Christian wants to discuss. :) A lot of people, including myself at times, have been under the impression that the word *defense means to literally to defend yourself. Some even believe that it is constructing a spiritual wall of defense that the world can marvel at. Not quite.....so why does it say defense? What are we trying to defend ourselves against? You are not defending yourselves against the world around you that questions your belief system, you are defending against the one and only Satan that is the driving force behind these questions. Young people, he is trying very hard to bring you down. The true meaning of this part of the verse means to GET INTO THE WORD OF GOD!!! As one Christians to thousands of others out there who might read this, I cannot emphasize this aspect enough. If you are filling your mind with the things of God such as His Word, encouraging Bible Study tools, and a prayer time every day, there is absolutely no room whatsoever for a discouraging influence. I would strongly recommend those struggling with this particular section of the passage to spend a good bit of time in the book of Nehemiah (particularly the first several chapters which describe the reconstruction of the wall around Jerusalem).
Part 3: "everyone who asks you a reason for the hope that is in you,"
These are the folks who are pouring on the questions guys. :) Like I said before, there are two types of people who are asking you these questions. Those who are merely curious and those who think that you may not really have sufficient answers for their questions. This is a dangerous place to be in young men and women and it is important, as I said before, to prepare yourselves for it with sufficient study in God's word. Let's say that someone has done everything in their power to follow the guidelines of 1 Peter 3:15 so that they are ultimately prepared to battle any question that comes their way. (Again, we are battling Satan, not people.) Everyone around that person is going to realize the extreme hope within him....and they will wonder how such peace came about. They will want to know more. This is where many questions arise. Your attitude and peace presents a positive image for someone who may not be living in the grace of God. An example of this kind is the kind of shining light that must be found in our present day.
Part 4: "with meekness and fear..."
Let us not take this section of the verse out of context. :) Meekness and fear both refer to the reverence and respect that we must have for the truth that we are proclaiming, but we are to proclaim it without earthly fear. Some find it a difficult thing to approach incoming questions about their faith with such meekness that the Bible requests of us, but when we combine meekness with the healthy fear of the wisdom of the scriptures, those around us are going to be able to see that it is not your words, but the wisdom of the scriptures which you quote and respect. It's going to show that you have the highest respect for the God of the Bible and the precepts that it contains. Not only this, but the very fact that you rely on these things is going to show how easily and with great faith that you rest in God's promise of eternal life.
1 Peter 3:15 is the pinnacle of a Christian's life, but yet the many ways this verse is deciphered can be dangerous. I ask that you not take my words to heart as fact, but my prayer is that you use this to spark a study of your own on the topic. We are losing a Christ-centered world quickly and my generation is being lost at the most alarming rate. We are a "wicked and perverse generation" and we care not for the things of the Bible any longer. Our focus is technology, selfie-Sunday, and following the latest episodes of the Walking Dead. We are centered in on love, idolatry, and dishonor. We no longer care for the values of the past, but we walk in the laziness and unforgiving future. Yet, despite all of this, we cannot discover what went wrong. We are blind to our mistakes because we have been shielded by a false truth and the world smirks and laughs at our simple belief. We are easily deceived and even more easily led astray. However, we will not be so simply brought back.
The book that you hold in your hands is not a step by step guide to a perfect world; we lost that when Adam and Eve fell first. Do you remember the phrase "Do this and you will live"? It is found all over the Bible in different formats, but all stating the exact same thing. Study, live out, and teach the things found in His word and you WILL LIVE and BE the LIGHT of CHRIST!!! You hold in your very hands ancient stories of real men and women who answered God's call and picked up the slack and followed God with great zeal. Stories of those who fell into sin and were reproved are those that teach us valuable life lessons that are placed there to prevent us from making similar mistakes. Our guilt lies in the negligence to study these things and learn cheaply. This is exactly the root of the problem today.
We can have the most effect on our world because we are part of an important phase in history. God is preparing His pastures and one day HE WILL separate the sheep from the goats. My prayer is that my generation learns of this before it is too late.
I know many of you reading this have probably gotten this question as well at some point or another. :) Many Christians have, but it is important to realize why we receive it so often. This particular question that I refer to is "Do you ever wonder what life is like in public school? Or do you ever wish that you had the option of tons of friends and a popular lifestyle? Have you ever wondered what it's like to have a boyfriend (girlfriend)?" Okay...so that's three questions, but I very often receive them together. :) The important thing for me has been how to deal with these questions when they come around so that we are not scrambling for answers!
We know why we believe what we believe right? Or do we really have any idea?
I have had the opportunity to meet several young teens who were raised in a Christian household, but often began questioning the beliefs and rules that existed in their parent's household. This is why constant study and meditation is required for us to maintain the doctrine that we learn in our youth. Ecclesiastes 12:1 states " Remember your creator in the days of your youth, before the days of trouble come and the years approach when you will say, "I find no pleasure in them"-" The years of testing and trouble have arrived and the virtue and godly lifestyle is dropping from our culture and especially the young and millennial generations. They were never told why they went to Church and held certain standards, and because there was no reason, they forsake the faith.
One particular Bible verse that has been of great help to me is 1 Peter 3:15. I was first introduced to its meaning in a conference for Christian teens looking for the right way to stand up for their faith.
"But sanctify the Lord God[a] in your hearts, and always be ready to give a defense everyone who asks you a reason for the hope that is in you, with meekness and fear;"
To learn how to answer such pivotal and life changing questions, we can separate this verse into basic parts. (Each man or woman may have their own way of determining this meaning, but this is simply my own study written out for your commentation.)
Part 1: "But sanctify the Lord God in your hearts"
Is Christianity just a big façade? Our great big white wall that makes us look perfect and blameless before other people and our closest friends? Okay guys, time to strip that big wall down and look at the big, the bad, and most importantly......the ugly. Sanctify the Lord God in your hearts..... I look at this part of our verse as a Christian's charge from God. Sanctify the Lord God and make him first and foremost in your life. God will only show if he is the force that drives you. If you are driving your own car out of self-will, there isn't any room for God. Instead of sanctifying yourself and having all of those wonderful answers about Christianity from your lofty shelves of understanding, look for the true meaning in Christ and allow Him to provide answers that will most definitely make the most difference in today's anti-God culture.
Part 2: "and always be ready to give a defense"
Alrighty, so now we are bringing in that big horrible word that no Christian wants to discuss. :) A lot of people, including myself at times, have been under the impression that the word *defense means to literally to defend yourself. Some even believe that it is constructing a spiritual wall of defense that the world can marvel at. Not quite.....so why does it say defense? What are we trying to defend ourselves against? You are not defending yourselves against the world around you that questions your belief system, you are defending against the one and only Satan that is the driving force behind these questions. Young people, he is trying very hard to bring you down. The true meaning of this part of the verse means to GET INTO THE WORD OF GOD!!! As one Christians to thousands of others out there who might read this, I cannot emphasize this aspect enough. If you are filling your mind with the things of God such as His Word, encouraging Bible Study tools, and a prayer time every day, there is absolutely no room whatsoever for a discouraging influence. I would strongly recommend those struggling with this particular section of the passage to spend a good bit of time in the book of Nehemiah (particularly the first several chapters which describe the reconstruction of the wall around Jerusalem).
Part 3: "everyone who asks you a reason for the hope that is in you,"
These are the folks who are pouring on the questions guys. :) Like I said before, there are two types of people who are asking you these questions. Those who are merely curious and those who think that you may not really have sufficient answers for their questions. This is a dangerous place to be in young men and women and it is important, as I said before, to prepare yourselves for it with sufficient study in God's word. Let's say that someone has done everything in their power to follow the guidelines of 1 Peter 3:15 so that they are ultimately prepared to battle any question that comes their way. (Again, we are battling Satan, not people.) Everyone around that person is going to realize the extreme hope within him....and they will wonder how such peace came about. They will want to know more. This is where many questions arise. Your attitude and peace presents a positive image for someone who may not be living in the grace of God. An example of this kind is the kind of shining light that must be found in our present day.
Part 4: "with meekness and fear..."
Let us not take this section of the verse out of context. :) Meekness and fear both refer to the reverence and respect that we must have for the truth that we are proclaiming, but we are to proclaim it without earthly fear. Some find it a difficult thing to approach incoming questions about their faith with such meekness that the Bible requests of us, but when we combine meekness with the healthy fear of the wisdom of the scriptures, those around us are going to be able to see that it is not your words, but the wisdom of the scriptures which you quote and respect. It's going to show that you have the highest respect for the God of the Bible and the precepts that it contains. Not only this, but the very fact that you rely on these things is going to show how easily and with great faith that you rest in God's promise of eternal life.
1 Peter 3:15 is the pinnacle of a Christian's life, but yet the many ways this verse is deciphered can be dangerous. I ask that you not take my words to heart as fact, but my prayer is that you use this to spark a study of your own on the topic. We are losing a Christ-centered world quickly and my generation is being lost at the most alarming rate. We are a "wicked and perverse generation" and we care not for the things of the Bible any longer. Our focus is technology, selfie-Sunday, and following the latest episodes of the Walking Dead. We are centered in on love, idolatry, and dishonor. We no longer care for the values of the past, but we walk in the laziness and unforgiving future. Yet, despite all of this, we cannot discover what went wrong. We are blind to our mistakes because we have been shielded by a false truth and the world smirks and laughs at our simple belief. We are easily deceived and even more easily led astray. However, we will not be so simply brought back.
The book that you hold in your hands is not a step by step guide to a perfect world; we lost that when Adam and Eve fell first. Do you remember the phrase "Do this and you will live"? It is found all over the Bible in different formats, but all stating the exact same thing. Study, live out, and teach the things found in His word and you WILL LIVE and BE the LIGHT of CHRIST!!! You hold in your very hands ancient stories of real men and women who answered God's call and picked up the slack and followed God with great zeal. Stories of those who fell into sin and were reproved are those that teach us valuable life lessons that are placed there to prevent us from making similar mistakes. Our guilt lies in the negligence to study these things and learn cheaply. This is exactly the root of the problem today.
We can have the most effect on our world because we are part of an important phase in history. God is preparing His pastures and one day HE WILL separate the sheep from the goats. My prayer is that my generation learns of this before it is too late.
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