“ALWAYS BE PREPARED to make a defense to any one who calls you to account for the hope that is in you, yet do it with gentleness and reverence; and keep your conscience clear, so that, when you are abused, those who revile your good behavior in Christ may be put to shame” (1 Pet. 3:15–16). “Your good behavior in Christ.” That is the answer that brings shame. If you answer cleverness with cleverness, that will bring mental arrogance. If you answer overbearing with overbearing, that will bring combat. Your good behavior is your best answer. The answer of Christianity is the Christian.
Your good behavior in Christ—just what would that mean? The fact that I cannot define accurately behavior in Christ is in its favor. If I could define it, it would be a verbalism, or a big schism, but I know behavior in Christ when I see it. So does everyone else. A Christian layman taking over his office as a member of the Railway Board in New Delhi called his staff, mostly non-Christians, together and said: “I am a Christian. I want to be a better one. If you find in me any departure from the highest Christian standards, please call my attention to it. Help me.” A few days later some Hindu clerks said to him: “Mr. Venugopal, you seem down and sad today. Didn’t you have your quiet time this morning?” These Hindus saw that to be sad and down is not good Christian behavior. When non-Christians said of Keshab Chandu Sen (a man who was not a Christian) that he had “a New Testament face,” they knew what a New Testament face was, though they could not define it. Good behavior in Christ is the way Christ would behave in a situation.
A Methodist pastor was shot by the communists in Korea. His daughter knelt beside him as he was dying and said, “I’ll avenge this.” “No,” said the father, “we must love.” The daughter did just that. She knew her answer was wrong and her father’s answer was right—profoundly right, because it was profoundly Christian.
Dear Lord Christ, when I am called upon to give an answer to the hope that is within me, wilt Thou fulfill Thy promise that it shall be given in that hour how and what I shall speak, for the Holy Spirit will speak within me. That is my only hope. Amen.
AFFIRMATION FOR THE DAY: My good behavior in Christ will mean that I will be Christian in every situation.
