But in your hearts revere Christ as Lord
1 Peter 3:15-16 - Jesus is our living hope in the midst of suffering.
“But in your hearts revere 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 NIV
The path God chooses for my devotionals is always fascinating to me. This is the second time in a row that He has chosen to highlight the words of the Apostle Peter. We hear a lot from Paul, who is thought to have written or influenced at least 13 epistles. But Peter is thought to have been the author of only 1 and 2 Peter, although he is quoted in Acts and the Gospels of Matthew, Mark and Luke.
The First Epistle of Peter is structured differently from Paul’s letters. Paul usually wrote letters that had a “hortatory section” that exhorted and encouraged the recipients, followed by a “doctrinal section” which sought to teach an important lesson. 1 Peter scatters the exhortations throughout the chapters, which leads some biblical scholars to believe that the epistle was originally a sermon that was expanded and then distributed as a letter.
The underlying theme of 1 Peter is “the living hope in the midst of suffering”. That, of course, is the paradox and unique feature of Christianity that makes it so difficult for many people to accept Christ! It is only when we really accept and know Jesus through Scripture that we receive inspiration and hope from His suffering, death, and resurrection.
The first sentence of 1 Peter 3:15 — “But in your hearts revere Christ as Lord” — contrasts it to the previous sentence where Peter admonishes the readers to not be troubled by or afraid of those who would persecute followers of Christ. Peter was telling the early Christians that the ever-present possibility of suffering for doing good shouldn’t keep them from doing so! Instead, they should always keep God in their hearts and have an answer for those who wonder why they’re hopeful and not afraid.
This second part of the verse — “Always be prepared to give an answer to everyone who asks you to give the reason for the hope that you have” — is at the heart of giving one’s testimony to a nonbeliever or someone who is wavering in their faith during a time of trial. Peter says that we should “always be prepared” to give a defense of our faith, and in the next verse he reminds us that we should “do this with gentleness and respect, keeping a clear conscience”.
How can Christians “always be prepared”? I would be shirking my responsibility as one-half of Heaven On Wheels if I didn’t quote the “Prince of Preachers” Charles H. Spurgeon at least once in this devotional:
Have your doctrinal views, and all your knowledge of Christ, packed away in a handy form, so that, when people want to know what you believe, you can tell them. If they wish to know why you believe that you are saved, have your answer all ready in a few plain, simple sentences; and in the gentlest and most modest spirit make your confession of faith to the praise and glory of God. Who knows but what such good seed will bring forth an abundant harvest?
Studying — not just reading — your Bible should shape your doctrinal views and provide you with a wealth of knowledge of Christian teachings. If I were to assign all of you who are reading this devotional a single piece of homework, it would be to have you prepare and memorize a simple personal testimony as Spurgeon describes. When someone asks you for the reason for your hope or your faith, wouldn’t it be wonderful to have a “few plain, simple sentences” sitting in your brain, ready for you to gently and modestly confess your faith to a nonbeliever?
The last part of 1 Peter 3:16 — “so that those who speak maliciously against your good behavior in Christ may be ashamed of their slander” — points out that if our good behavior living in Christ is met with skepticism, hate, and even persecution, and we don’t “repay evil with evil or insult with insult” (1 Peter 3:9), the scoffers may actually feel some guilt or shame for treating us that way.
To sum up Peter’s lesson here: be prepared to gently and respectfully explain your faith in Christ, keeping a clear conscience so that your good behavior silences criticism.
Heaven On Wheels Daily Prayer:
Father, we thank You for the lesson provided by Peter. We pray that You teach us through Your Word and inspire us by the Holy Spirit to have words always on our lips to testify to our faith in Jesus Christ with truth and clarity. May I be a humble example of living in Christ. AMEN.
Scripture quotations taken from THE HOLY BIBLE, NEW INTERNATIONAL VERSION®, NIV®. Copyright © 1973, 1978, 1984, 2011 by Biblica US, Inc.®. Used by permission.
Precept Austin was accessed on July 25, 2025 for commentary on 1 Peter 3:15-16