My defense
1 Peter 3:15-16 But sanctify the Lord God in your hearts, and always be ready to give a defense to everyone who asks you a reason for the hope that is in you, with meekness and fear; having a good conscience, that when they defame you as evildoers, those who revile your good conduct in Christ may be ashamed.
All of this reflecting upon my life recently in the preparation of updating my testimony, has me in a bigger picture of self analysis now. And in my time this morning I come upon the verse above – God’s perfect timing again. Why do I share with you my life, my hurts, my healing’s, my views of what God is showing me? It is for you to possess that same hope that I have in an eternal paradise with the Creator and Savior of this world. This world we live in only creates at best temporal pleasure, but assured consistent disappointments. You have a yearning inside you for a hope that is beyond this world that God placed there, but the question is what do you do with that desire? When you humble yourself and accept Christ, that hope blossoms with His Spirit living inside you. Colossians 1:5 because of the hope which is laid up for you in heaven, of which you heard before in the word of the truth of the gospel.
The Gospel of Christ is also known as the Good News. This Good News is the placing of that hope in you through the acceptance of Salvation, the free gift from God. There is nothing you can do to earn it, but you can humble yourself and accept it, and rest in that hope for your temporal time here on earth. Romans chapter 5 speaks much of that hope, and especially verse 5 Now hope does not disappoint, because the love of God has been poured out in our hearts by the Holy Spirit who was given to us. Faith in your God will begin to strengthen that hope daily. That faith and hope you will possess will allow you to see past the disappointments that your time here will bring to you almost daily. You will begin to see those fears that you have as attacks from Satan, and you will now possess the power through God to resist those fears that once held you. 2 Timothy 1:7 For God has not given us a spirit of fear, but of power and of love and of a sound mind. My defense simply put is the Peace that has come to me in a world out of control around me. A Peace that surpasses all understanding, but is available to all who accept Christ as the only way to have eternal hope. He has changed me from the inside out, as only He can. The rest of my life I hope to life as a bondservant to Him, glorifying Him as a humble gratitude for what He did for me. He saved me; He will save you. The choice is yours also.