THE REASON OF OUR HOPE
Pastor J. C. O’Hair
Let us prayerfully consider the Holy Spirit’s exhortation to believers in I Peter 3:15 and 16. “But sanctify the Lord God in your hearts: and be ready always to give an answer to every man that asketh you a reason of the hope that is in you, with meekness and fear: Having a good conscience; that, whereas they speak evil of you, as of evil doers, they may be ashamed that falsely accuse your good conversation in Christ.”
If Christians are to give an answer to those who ask the reason of the hope in them, Christians should sanctify the Lord God in the heart. They should also have a good conscience and a good conversation in Christ. They should expect to be falsely accused as evil doers. Think of Paul, the pattern, who suffered in jail as an evil doer. (I Timothy 1:16 - II Timothy 2:8 and 9). The Son of God was falsely accused of being an evil doer and He died between two evil doers, for all evil doers. Read II Timothy 1:8 and 12.
According to John 4:35 to 38, Romans 10:12 to 15, II Corinthians 5:18 to 21, II Timothy 4:5, Christians should not wait for the question before they give a reason of the hope that is in them. Neither should they limit this answer to Sunday. The exhortation is “always”. “Be ready always.” This means to know and practice the truth of II Corinthians 4:5 and 6 and Philippians 2:15 and 16: “For we preach not ourselves, but Christ Jesus the Lord; and ourselves your servants for Jesus’ sake. For God, Who commanded the light to shine out of darkness, hath shined in our hearts, to give the light of the knowledge of the glory of God in the face of Jesus Christ.” “That ye may be blameless and harmless, the sons of God, without rebuke, in the midst of a crooked and perverse nation, among whom ye shine as lights in the world; Holding forth the Word of life.”
The God of hope wants to fill every Christian with joy and peace in believing. (Romans 15:13). Our heavenly Father wants every Christian to know the truth of Romans 8:15 - “For ye have not received the spirit of bondage again to fear; but ye have received the Spirit of adoption, whereby we cry, Abba Father.”
God wants every Christian to have the “know-so” salvation mentioned in I John 5:13 and Romans 8:32 to 39. If God be for us, who can be against us? (Romans 8:31).
This is the reason why every Christian should know the truth of I Corinthians 1:30, Galatians 6:14, I Peter 3:18, Romans 4:4 and 5 and I Corinthians 15:10. That no flesh can glory in God’s presence. That Christians glory only in the cross of the Lord Jesus Christ. That God’s righteousness is given unto them that work not, but believe on Christ Who once suffered for our sins, the Just for the unjust, that He might bring us to God. That by the grace of God the Christian is what he is, any and all the acceptable good works that he does is by the grace of God. These good works are to be done heartily, as to the Lord, and not unto men, and in the name of the Lord Jesus. (Colossians 3:23 - Colossians 3:17).
In Revelation 12:9 Satan is accused of deceiving the whole world. In II Corinthians 11:3, the Holy Spirit, by Paul, said, “I fear, lest by any means as the serpent beguiled Eve through his subtilty, so your minds should be corrupted from the simplicity that is in Christ.” In the same chapter we earn that Satan transforms himself into an angel of light and has under his control religious messengers who claim to represent Christ (II Corinthians 11:13 to 15). By Satan and his messengers many religious people are deluded into believing a lie.
Christians are to have confidence and assurance (Philippians 1:6 - II Corinthians 5:6 - Hebrews 6:18 and 19), but in stating the reason of their hope they should do so with meekness and fear.
When we are thoroughly established in the truth of Ephesians 2:8 to 10, II Timothy 1:9 and 10 and Titus 3:5 to 8, we can give a clear testimony as to why we know we are saved and on the way to heaven.
Posted By – Cecil Spivey
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