¹³ Now, who will want to harm you if you are eager to do good? ¹⁴ But even if you suffer for doing what is right, God will reward you for it. So don’t worry or be afraid of their threats. ¹⁵ Instead, you must worship Christ as Lord of your life. And if someone asks about your hope as a believer, always be ready to explain it. ¹⁶ But do this in a gentle and respectful way. Keep your conscience clear. Then if people speak against you, they will be ashamed when they see what a good life you live because you belong to Christ. ¹⁷ Remember, it is better to suffer for doing good, if that is what God wants, than to suffer for doing wrong!

¹⁸ Christ suffered for our sins once for all time. He never sinned, but he died for sinners to bring you safely home to God. He suffered physical death, but he was raised to life in the Spirit.

¹⁹ So he went and preached to the spirits in prison— ²⁰ those who disobeyed God long ago when God waited patiently while Noah was building his boat. Only eight people were saved from drowning in that terrible flood. ²¹ And that water is a picture of baptism, which now saves you, not by removing dirt from your body, but as a response to God from a clean conscience. It is effective because of the resurrection of Jesus Christ.

²² Now Christ has gone to heaven. He is seated in the place of honor next to God, and all the angels and authorities and powers accept his authority.

1 Peter 3:13-22

Dear God, verse 16 is really interesting to me right now: ¹⁶ But do this in a gentle and respectful way. Keep your conscience clear. Then if people speak against you, they will be ashamed when they see what a good life you live because you belong to Christ. I know there are some things that I do the frustrate some people–good people. I know they disagree with some of the stances I have taken on politically charges issues in our community. I’m sorry for that, and I’m sorry that they haven’t very often wanted to engage in dialogue with me about our differences. Honestly, maybe I haven’t pursued dialogue with them either. But I’ve done my best to keep myself pure in this. To keep my motivations pure before you. No hidden agendas, but just trying to follow a set of values I believe you are building in me. So my conscience, I believe, is clear. And I think my reputation is too. I just hope it is for your glory. I hope people might be drawn to develop a discipling relationship with you after seeing you in me. Of course, I fail all of the time. I hope that even my failures might be used as an opportunity to relate to others and show them your forgiveness of me. If you can love Jacob, David, Peter, and even lowly ol’ me, then you can love them too.

Father, Jesus, Holy Spirit, cleanse me with your water. Cleanse my spirit. Leave me with a clean conscience that is only cleansed through the power of your perfect life on earth, the sacrifice of death, and then the resurrection. Resurrect my soul again today. Help me to rest in you.

I pray all of this through that same power Jesus portrayed 2,000 years ago,

Amen