Lesson 14: Holiness in action – constantly prepared

Read 1 Peter 3:1-22- https://www.bible.com/bible/59/1pe.3
 13 Now who is there to harm you if you are zealous for what is good?
14 But even if you should suffer for righteousness’ sake, you will be blessed. Have no fear of them, nor be troubled,
15 but in your hearts honor [sanctify] 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,
16 having a good conscience, so that, when you are slandered, those who revile your good behavior in Christ may be put to shame.
17 For it is better to suffer for doing good, if that should be God’s will, than for doing evil.

As Peter summed up holiness in action with love, he now shows us the action for which holiness is most important – how we respond to suffering.


All through the Bible we see people suffering. You will never find a single person named in the Bible who did not suffer. Even Jesus, the only Human who never sinned, suffered. Suffering will come to our lives. The only choice we have is that we get to choose the purpose for our suffering.

Yes, you read those words correctly, we get to choose the purpose for our suffering. We can choose to sin and suffer for it, but then our suffering is the consequence of the wrong we did and brings only shame. Or we can live for Jesus, knowing we will suffer, but this kind of suffering He uses to make us stronger.

On a recent vacation we saw some very tall, beautiful trees we had never seen before. We loved them and asked someone where they came from so perhaps we could get some like it for our home. The person shook their head and said we did NOT want this kind of tree because the tree has a root system with very little depth and therefore often falls in even light winds. God does not want us to be people with this kind of faith, so He uses suffering for the very purpose of making us dig more deeply into Himself so we grow deep roots which are more able to withstand the storms of trials.

When suffering brings this kind of strength to us, we are also able to do what we read in Verse 15 above – answer anyone who asks us for a reason for the hope that is in us (see also Colossians 4:6 and 2 Timothy 2:25). As we learn to stand through suffering, we become a person others will find unusual. They may not know anyone else who is able to stand strong and secure when trials and hardships come their way. When we can answer them with gentleness and respect, they will want what we have found in Jesus.

*Think of a time when you faced hardship and you were able to keep your focus on Jesus. What did others say about your peace and joy which were so different from how they would face such a time in their own lives?