Lent Day 5

1 Peter 3:15

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.

What is your answer for your hope?  What would you tell someone that is searching for Christ why you believe in Him and live your life for Him?  Would it be to tell the gospel? Would it be a story of something He has done in your life? 

There is not one answer to this question and it looks different from every person that believes in Christ because He works uniquely in all of us.   However, our hope is all based in the same truth, that Jesus died on a cross for our sins, and was resurrected on the third day.  He did that for us, so we have a way to become righteous in the eyes of God.

Romans 3:23

this righteousness is given through faith in Jesus Christ to all who believe. 

To be righteous before God means we have to be of upright moral character or without sin.  No one is without sin, but by believing in Jesus Christ, we are counted as righteous in the eyes of God. 

We are justified by His grace.

 Romans 3:24

 and are justified freely by his grace as a gift, through the redemption that is in Christ Jesus,

That simply means we are declared not guilty in the eyes of God, our record is wiped clean.  It’s as if in the eyes of God we have never sinned

We are atoned by the shedding of His blood

Romans 3:25

God presented Christ as a sacrifice of atonement, through the shedding of His blood – to be received by faith.

Atonement means a satisfaction of a wrong.  Christ died in our place for our sins.  God declared Christ’s death as an appropriate sacrifice for our sin.   He paid the penalty we deserve and if we believe in Christ, we receive a pardon from our sins, deliverance into God’s kingdom and freedom from death. 

Christ payed a high price for our hope.   What does that look like to you?  What has Christ done in your life you can share with someone else that is searching to have the same hope.  Be prepared to tell your story so when the time comes you are ready and willing.