CHRIST-DAILY
DEVOTIONS
  October 2nd

BE READY ALWAYS TO GIVE AN ANSWER

"But sanctify the Lord God in your hearts, and be ready always to give an answer to everyone who asks you a reason for the hope that is in you, with meekness and fear" (I Pet. 3:15, KJV and NKJ combined).

As Christians we need to passionately love God and let His life in us flow out of us with His agape love toward others (I Pet. 3:8).  We abide in Him and His agape love, for that is the mind of unity in the fellowship in the Spirit (I John 4:16; Phil. 2:1-2).  The Christ-life is a love-life. Not only does living the Christ-life change you, it also helps change all those round about you in your sphere of influence.  There are some, that may only see Jesus in and through you to them.  You may be the only Jesus person that they truly know.  This is why letting the Holy Spirit transform and renew the mind to the mind of Christ is so important for you and others (I Cor. 2:10-13,16).  The mind of Christ in us is used to spiritually discern and spiritually judge all things in the Spirit (I Cor. 2:14-16).  We are an expression of Christ, who operates in us with this transformed mind of Christ.

The more the mind is transformed by the Holy Spirit, when and if we make the right choices, the more Christ can flow in and through us for others.  The more the mind is transformed the more Christ will be able flow spontaneously in and through us, as we yield to Him and make the right choices.  Spontaneous Christ-life living and expression through us is the pressing toward the mark for the prize of the high calling of God in Christ Jesus (Phil. 3:14).  Paul counted all things loss, for the excellency of the knowledge of Christ Jesus my Lord (Phil. 3:7).  Spontaneous Christ-life living and expression through us is true evidence of His Lordship.  Paul clearly affirmed that this is mature or clear mind thinking, and if we should think anything otherwise, God will eventually reveal it to us if we are open to truth (Phil. 3:15).

Sooner, if not later, those in our sphere of influence that are observing the Christ-life in us will ask us certain questions about Christ and Christianity. The same mind of Christ that we spontaneously lived the Christ-life with, will also be used to spiritually discern and spiritually judge all things in the Spirit to answer these questions.  As Paul told Timothy, "Be ready in season and out of season. Convince, rebuke, exhort, with all longsuffering and teaching" (II Tim. 4:2).  As Peter states it, "be ready always to give an answer  to everyone who asks" (I Pet. 3:15).  That's not being ready some of the time, but always being ready.  Notice, that Jesus did not have to stop and pray to get an answer.  Jesus always was ready with the right answer, and Jesus chose to do everything as a man, even though He was all God.  That means that if we are regularly in tune with the Father, and with the mind of Christ.  Spontaneously living the Christ-life, we will be ready always to give an answer – His answer of truth to those that ask! V

Written by Dwight Davis
Christ-Ministries
 

                                               

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