3:15
We do not repay evil with evil, nor do we retreat into a cave. First, we set Christ apart as Lord in our hearts. We need to know who is Lord. Lord is not a religious term. In the Roman empire the mantra was “Caesar is Lord”, so saying Jesus is Lord is going right against the common understanding of how the world operates, and is saying that He has more power than the Roman empire or any other human authority. In today’s world where society is abandoning Christian values as fast as it can and maligning those who still hold to them, we need to set Christ apart as Lord in our hearts.
This inward change leads to outward action. In the midst of difficulties, even persecution, we will still have hope and this will show. The world should be surprised at the way we act, and we should be ready to give them an answer, We are to do this with respect and gentleness, not in a proud manner.
3:16,17
“Keeping a clear conscience”. Our conscience is very important. If we do something wrong and try to cover it up our conscience torments us, but if someone wrongly accuses us yet we have a clear conscience we find it much easier to live under the accusation. So we may be falsely accused, as Jesus was, but we must make sure that the accusations are false so that in the end it is they who will be ashamed of their slander.
God’s judgement is what matters, we are answerable to Him. This needs to be the guiding principle in our life. It is far better to suffer for doing good than to suffer for doing evil.
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