Reason For Our Hope

While this answer is not totally separate from yours, and in fact depends on it, I think looking at 2 Cor. 4 (last few verses) gives hope that we too, though facing death and burial, look forward to a resurrection...and that our spiritual self is already in the process of being renewed...even as our body decays.

 

I like 2 Corinthians 5:21

Our standing before God is based on Christ's righteousness, not our own. If we rely on our own righteousness to obtain favor with God, we're dead in the water.

Here's another favorite verse
Romans 11:29

Newer versions say they are irrevocable.

I understand the context is God's relationship with the Jews, but the principle remains for us all

 

Sometimes we can get some good theology out of the hymnbook.

I like this:
My hope is built on nothing less than Jesus' blood and righteousness
I dare not trust the sweetest frame, but wholly lean on Jesus name.

On Christ the Solid Rock I stand; all other ground is sinking sand.

 

LYRICS FROM "ALL BECAUSE OF THIS" BY MERCYME:

Why do we do the things we do?
How can we sing when there seems no reason to?
How do we smile when there's not much to smile about?
When the world is down who are we to stand and shout?
They wonder why we do the things we do

[CHORUS]
It's all because of this
It's all because of this
We've tasted love, tasted hope, tasted holiness

And they wonder why we do the things we do

 

Romans 8:18-23; 1 Cor. Chapter 15.

 

17 Wherein God, willing more abundantly to shew unto the heirs of promise the immutability of his counsel, confirmed it by an oath:

18 That by two immutable things, in which it was impossible for God to lie, we might have a strong consolation, who have fled for refuge to lay hold upon the hope set before us:

19 Which hope we have as an anchor of the soul, both sure and stedfast, and which entereth into that within the veil;

20 Whither the forerunner is for us entered, even Jesus, made an high priest for ever after the order of Melchisedec.

 

I assume that the topic of this thread is taken from I Peter 3:15.

"Always be ready to give a defense to anyone who ask you for a reason for the hope that is in you"

Responses on this thread are based mostly on N.T.scriptures. The N.T. scriptures were not available to the Chrsitians Peter was writing to. So what reasons were these Christians to give considering they did not have the N.T. scriptures?

Please give examples.

 

The above is more thqn just an academic question. Most of us live in our own little culture where the Bible is believed and respected. However, that is not the case for the majority of Americans. A recent news article say the only 48% identify themselves as being Protestant; and we know that the RCC places church tradition over scripture.

Of the 48% Protestant, many if not most of them do not go to church or go to churches that do not consider the Bible to be the word of God, but only that it contains a message of God to man. For instance, Bob Schuller and many of the "mainline churches" take this position on scripture.

My point is that our problems today concerning "giving a reason for our hope" to unbelievers is not that different than the N.T. Christians, who did not have the N.T. scriptures, since many unbelievers today have no respect for the scriptures.

So how do we give a reason for our hope to those unbelievers?

 

The information of the new Christians had and was being given to them, therefore the answer:

Blessed the God and Father of our Lord Jesus Christ, which according to his abundant mercy hath begotten us again unto a lively hope by the resurrection of Jesus Christ from the dead, To an inheritance incorruptible, and undefiled, and that fadeth not away, reserved in heaven for you, Who are kept by the power of God through faith unto salvation ready to be revealed in the last time.

And Paul, as his manner was, went in unto them, and three sabbath days reasoned with them out of the scriptures, (OT) Opening and alleging, that Christ must needs have suffered, and risen again from the dead; and that this Jesus, whom I preach unto you, is Christ.

 

I can see where using the O.T. scriptures could mean something to the Jews. But what about the Gentiles who had no knowledge of the O.T. scriptures?

In other words, how do we give a reason for the hope that is within us without using scriptures? Can we give a reason for the hope that is within us without using scriptures?

 

Well I believe without the gift of the Holy Spirit even we would not know that we needed hope nor that we have hope. I would say most unbelievers do not realize they need hope. IMHO it is by the Holy Spirit that God translates us from unbelief that is being in the darkness of this world into belief that is being in the light of the kingdom of God of which to inherit one has to be changed from corruptible to incorruptible from mortal to having put on immortality.

And we have this hope because: 1 Peter 1:3-5 Blessed the God and Father of our Lord Jesus Christ, which according to his abundant mercy hath begotten us again unto a lively hope by the resurrection of Jesus Christ from the dead, To an inheritance incorruptible, and undefiled, and that fadeth not away, reserved in heaven for you, Who are kept by the power of God through faith unto salvation ready to be revealed in the last time.

 

A layman here, still poorly versed in the scriptures compared to most on this forum, doing some head scratching this morning.

First, weren't the early Christians being given the scriptures first hand? Both in the letters that were destined to become the Bible and in the testimonies spoken by those who walked with our Saviour. Whether these testimonies were recorded for us today or just faded away, as ours, individually, are likely to do as time moves on.

While this doesn't answer the OP's question regarding scriptures, isn't the best hope that we can give to others, our own testimony? Both in our own words and in the fruit we bear that gives witness to our words.

A for whatever it's worth..... A long story, but I'll spare you the details.

Recently a friend came to Christ. Quoting specific passages of scripture wouldn't and didn't help because he'd already heard them from childhood onward. A combination of the Holy Spirit tugging at him and the testimony/witness/fruit of 3 people around him convicted him. I was blessed to be one of them. At least that's what he told me later. BTW, I'm a sorry excuse of a person in that there isn't much scripture that I can quote verbatim. (Age has/is taking its toll on ability to memorize verses.)

Isn't the best hope that we can give others is the conviction within our own hearts that we have hope? That we have a certainty of hope that knows no bounds.

 

"While this doesn't answer the OP's question regarding scriptures, isn't the best hope that we can give to others, our own testimony? Both in our own words and in the fruit we bear that gives witness to our words."

"Isn't the best hope that we can give others is the conviction within our own hearts that we have hope? That we have a certainty of hope that knows no bounds."

I agree with the above. To many unbelievers, quoting scripture doesn't really mean anything to them unless it is first demonstrated by our testimony and the fruit of our lives. I have seen some Christians who are very good with salvation and assurance words, but their lives don't measure up on things such as: not losing their temper, not being spiteful, not being gracious, being critical of others who are different, etc.

The scriptures leading up to I Peter 3:15 put emphasis on being responsible and considerate of others, which (IMO) is the most important part of being a good witness. Then our words and conviction will mean more.

 

Percho writes:
"Well I believe without the gift of the Holy Spirit even we would not know that we needed hope nor that we have hope. I would say most unbelievers do not realize they need hope. IMHO it is by the Holy Spirit that God translates us from unbelief that is being in the darkness of this world into belief that is being in the light of the kingdom of God of which to inherit one has to be changed from corruptible to incorruptible from mortal to having put on immortality."

Yes, the Holy Spirit is involved in every conversion to Christ. I agree that the Holy Spirit does the work, but He can use our lives and our hope to get the attention of those who don't realize that they need hope, making them want to have what we have. Then He can use our dependance on the scriptures, to show them where we get our assurance.

Am I missing anything?