“THE READY FACTOR”

15 “but in your hearts honor Christ the Lord as holy, always being prepared to make a defense to anyone who asks you for a reason for the hope that is in you; yet do it with gentleness and respect,”

1 Peter 3:15

One of the reasons why we dread evangelizing is because we do not know what to say. However, the Bible instructs us to be prepared.

In this miniseries, we will learn 5 proven ways to take your witnessing to the next level. Here’s our second tip:

Prepare to know what to say and how to say it.

In today’s verse, the Apostle Peter specifies the subject of defense: why believers set their hopes in Christ. The idea is to give a verbal defense that matches their righteous conduct. In other words, their Christian testimony should agree with their clean, godly lifestyle.

The text suggests being ready to have a conversation with anyone who asks about Christianity and is willing to talk about Jesus, confess one’s allegiance to Him, and proclaim the Gospel without fear.

But Peter’s command goes beyond mere talk. He tells them to explain their hope in Christ with (1) gentleness (prautēs, meekness), (2) respect (phobos, terror), and (3) a good conscience (syneidēsis, the human faculty that distinguishes between morally good and evil). These three qualities make the difference between being a good or bad Christian apologist. Why? Because it is not just the content of the defense that matters, but also how a believer handles himself in a spiritual conversation. In other words, it’s not just about what we say, but how we say it also matters.

Therefore, I suggest you take the place of a student and find someone mature enough to teach you the fundamentals of the Gospel. Your pastors, elders, or mature believers in your church should be good resources. I’m sure, they have had some experience in sharing the Gospel. If there are equipping classes in your church, take those lessons to gear yourself up with the right knowledge about the Good News.

As a Christian, you should know what you believe and why you believe it. At some point, you should be able to confidently share why you believe that Jesus saved you and why He can save others, too. But don’t forget these three essential aspects of evangelism: be gentle, respectful, and maintain a clean conscience.

Again, it’s not just about what you say; how you say it also matters.

Pursue the Savior today!