“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
A large portion of American Christianity has, unfortunately, adopted a form of what is known as Christian passivism. This is the idea that the Christian life is to be lived in private, obscurity, and with the ease of avoiding any and all conflict.
This passivist view leads believers to never share or defend their faith in the culture they are in. As believers in Christ, we are called to be actively involved in defending the faith, and actively engaged in standing strong for the truth of Christ in our culture.
From a Biblical perspective, adopting the view of Christian passivism is directly opposed to what the Scriptures teach. The Bible teaches us that our lives are to be lived for the Lord publicly, courageously, and winsomely.
1 Peter 3:15 commands Christians to be on guard, being always ready to give a reason and defense for their faith. This means Christians are to be constantly engaged and ready to give a defense for the faith in all areas of life, including marriage, life, gender, religious freedom, and more.
LET US PRAY…
Father, help us be respectful defenders of Your truth in our society and culture. Lord, empower us with Your Spirit to be courageous in our public witness for You. Father, please help all believers in America understand that our faith is never to simply just be a private matter, as we have been mandated by You to Influence and engage the world around us. In Jesus’ Name, Amen.
