Dear e-votees-
What drives us? Fear? Acceptance? Duty? Shame? Intimidation?
And what difference does it make to all these things if Jesus is set apart as Lord in our hearts?
Peace,
Karl
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Now who will harm you if you are eager to do what is good? But even if you do suffer for doing what is right, you are blessed. Do not fear what they fear, and do not be intimidated, but in your hearts sanctify Christ as Lord. Always be ready to make your defense to anyone who demands from you an accounting for the hope that is in you; yet do it with gentleness and reverence. Keep your conscience clear, so that, when you are maligned, those who abuse you for your good conduct in Christ may be put to shame. For it is better to suffer for doing good, if suffering should be God’s will, than to suffer for doing evil. For Christ also suffered for sins once for all, the righteous for the unrighteous, in order to bring you to God. He was put to death in the flesh, but made alive in the spirit, in which also he went and made a proclamation to the spirits in prison, who in former times did not obey, when God waited patiently in the days of Noah, during the building of the ark, in which a few, that is, eight persons, were saved through water. And baptism, which this prefigured, now saves you—not as a removal of dirt from the body, but as an appeal to God for a good conscience, through the resurrection of Jesus Christ, who has gone into heaven and is at the right hand of God, with angels, authorities, and powers made subject to him.
1 Peter 3:13-22, NRSV
What are your greatest fears? Your phobias? What causes you to crumble? What causes your heart to grow faint? What breaks you down?
In this text Peter suggests that the things that cause the world to fear don’t need to be our own source of fear. This said from the one warming his hands as his heart turned cold towards his Lord.
Peter says to always be prepared to give an accounting for the hope that is in you. Hopefully it will be more convincing than “I don’t know the man!”
Peter knew a thing or two about bold proclamations and crumbling into your own fears. Peter knew pretty well what it was like to break down as he wept in remorse after perfectly fulfilling Jesus’ words about denial.
Maybe that is why Peter goes so quickly to baptism. He draws near to that 8-sided promise (check out the shape of your baptismal font and see if you don’t a see symbolic representation of Noah, Mrs. Noah, Ham, Mrs. Ham, Shem, Mrs. Shem, Japheth and Mrs. Japheth) of repentance and forgiveness—of death and rebirth.
There will be more opportunities to make bold proclamation of the hope and the life we have in our Lord. We may be maligned or abused for the sake of our testimony but that puts us in pretty good company—John the Baptist, Stephen, Peter, Paul and—of course—our Lord Jesus.
God, draw us deeper into the promises of baptism. Give us bold testimony. May our reverent fear of You trump any fleshly fears of things that lurk in this world and below. Amen.
What drives us? Fear? Acceptance? Duty? Shame? Intimidation?
And what difference does it make to all these things if Jesus is set apart as Lord in our hearts?
Peace,
Karl
-----------------------------
Now who will harm you if you are eager to do what is good? But even if you do suffer for doing what is right, you are blessed. Do not fear what they fear, and do not be intimidated, but in your hearts sanctify Christ as Lord. Always be ready to make your defense to anyone who demands from you an accounting for the hope that is in you; yet do it with gentleness and reverence. Keep your conscience clear, so that, when you are maligned, those who abuse you for your good conduct in Christ may be put to shame. For it is better to suffer for doing good, if suffering should be God’s will, than to suffer for doing evil. For Christ also suffered for sins once for all, the righteous for the unrighteous, in order to bring you to God. He was put to death in the flesh, but made alive in the spirit, in which also he went and made a proclamation to the spirits in prison, who in former times did not obey, when God waited patiently in the days of Noah, during the building of the ark, in which a few, that is, eight persons, were saved through water. And baptism, which this prefigured, now saves you—not as a removal of dirt from the body, but as an appeal to God for a good conscience, through the resurrection of Jesus Christ, who has gone into heaven and is at the right hand of God, with angels, authorities, and powers made subject to him.
What are your greatest fears? Your phobias? What causes you to crumble? What causes your heart to grow faint? What breaks you down?
In this text Peter suggests that the things that cause the world to fear don’t need to be our own source of fear. This said from the one warming his hands as his heart turned cold towards his Lord.
Peter says to always be prepared to give an accounting for the hope that is in you. Hopefully it will be more convincing than “I don’t know the man!”
Peter knew a thing or two about bold proclamations and crumbling into your own fears. Peter knew pretty well what it was like to break down as he wept in remorse after perfectly fulfilling Jesus’ words about denial.
Maybe that is why Peter goes so quickly to baptism. He draws near to that 8-sided promise (check out the shape of your baptismal font and see if you don’t a see symbolic representation of Noah, Mrs. Noah, Ham, Mrs. Ham, Shem, Mrs. Shem, Japheth and Mrs. Japheth) of repentance and forgiveness—of death and rebirth.
There will be more opportunities to make bold proclamation of the hope and the life we have in our Lord. We may be maligned or abused for the sake of our testimony but that puts us in pretty good company—John the Baptist, Stephen, Peter, Paul and—of course—our Lord Jesus.
God, draw us deeper into the promises of baptism. Give us bold testimony. May our reverent fear of You trump any fleshly fears of things that lurk in this world and below. Amen.
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