"BE READY TO GIVE AN ANSWER..."

I.INTRODUCTION-- 1 Peter 3:15 "...but sanctify in your hearts Christ as Lord; ready always to give answer to every man that asks you a reason concerning the hope that is in you, yet with meekness and fear..."
A. The context of this verse shows that the early Christians followed a pattern of conduct that caused them to "suffer for righteousness sake (vs. 14)," and to have their "good manner of life reviled (vs. 16)."
1. We would not endure such trials and vilification, unless we had a better "hope." Hebrews 7:18-19
2. When asked why we live as we do, we must be "ready to answer."
B. Christians today do not often face the trials of the those in Apostolic times, but the "readiness" to give answer should still be with us.
1.Many older preachers have commented that at former times, Christians could give able answers to any inquirer, but not now.
2. I am certain that I could do a credible job of doing this, but could do a BETTER job, if I would apply myself to learning more key passages.

II.LESSON-- What basic passages should be at the tip of the Christian's tongue (or, at least, in his mind)?

A. Concerning the credibility and authenticity of the Bible record?
1. 2 Timothy 3:16-17 -- "Every scripture inspired of God is also profitable for teaching, for reproof, for correction, for instruction which is in righteousness. That the man of God may be complete, furnished completely unto every good work."
2. John 17:17 --"Sanctify them in the truth. Thy Word is truth."

B. To show that the Bible is a complete guide?
1. 2 Timothy 3:16-17 (again) --"Furnishes completely to every good work."
2. 2 Peter 1:3 --"His divine power has granted unto us all things that pertain to life and godliness..."
3. Galatians 1:6-9 -- "I marvel that ye are so quickly removing from him that called you in the grace of Christ unto a different gospel; which is not another gospel only there are some that trouble you, and would pervert the gospel of Christ. But though we, or an angel from heaven, should preach unto you any gospel other than that which we preached unto you, let him be anathema. As we have said before, so say I now again, if any man preacheth unto you any gospel other than that which ye received, let him be anathema."

C. To show that the Bible has authority--that it must be obeyed?
1. Luke 6:46-49 -- "And why call ye me, Lord, Lord, and do not the things which I say? Every one that cometh unto me, and heareth my words, and doeth them, I will show you to whom he is like: he is like a man building a house, who digged and went deep, and laid a foundation upon the rock: and when a flood arose, the stream brake against that house, and could not shake it: because it had been well builded. But he that heareth, and doeth not, is like a man that built a house upon the earth without a foundation; against which the stream brake, and straightway it fell in; and the ruin of that house was great."
2. Luke 10:16 -- "He that heareth you heareth me; and he that rejecteth you rejecteth me; and he that rejecteth me rejecteth him that sent me."
3. 2 Thessalonians 3:14 -- "And if any man obeyeth not our word by this epistle, note that man, that ye have no company with him, to the end that he may be ashamed."

D. To show that the New Testament has the final and exclusive authority for those in this age?
1. Romans 7:4-6 -- "Wherefore, my brethren, ye also were made dead to the law through the body of Christ; that ye should be joined to another, even to him who was raised from the dead, that we might bring forth fruit unto God. For when we were in the flesh, the sinful passions, which were through the law, wrought in our members to bring forth fruit unto death. But now we have been discharged from the law, having died to that wherein we were held; so that we serve in newness of the spirit, and not in oldness of the letter."
2. Galatians 5:2-4 -- (One act of obedience to the Old Law requires a total submission to the whole Law...) "Behold, I Paul say unto you, that, if ye receive circumcision, Christ will profit you nothing. Yea, I testify again to every man that receiveth circumcision, that he is a debtor to do the whole law. Ye are severed from Christ, ye would be justified by the law; ye are fallen away from grace."
3. Hebrews 10:9-10 -- "(Christ) hath said, Lo, I am come to do thy will. He taketh away the first, that he may establish the second. By which will we have been sanctified through the offering of the body of Jesus Christ once for all."

E. What is the main thrust of the New Testament?
1. Acts 13:25-39 -- (A sermon of Paul) "Brethren, children of the stock of Abraham, and those among you that fear God, to us is the word of this salvation sent forth. For they that dwell in Jerusalem, and their rulers, because they knew him not, nor the voices of the prophets which are read every sabbath, fulfilled them by condemning him. And though they found no cause of death in him, yet asked they of Pilate that he should be slain. And when they had fulfilled all things that were written of him, they took him down from the tree, and laid him in a tomb. But God raised him from the dead: and he was seen for many days of them that came up with him from Galilee to Jerusalem, who are now his witnesses unto the people. And we bring you good tidings of the promise made unto the fathers, that God hath fulfilled the same unto our children, in that he raised up Jesus; as also it is written in the second psalm, Thou art my Son, this day have I begotten thee. And as concerning that he raised him up from the dead, now no more to return to corruption, he hath spoken on this wise, I will give you the holy and sure blessings of David. Because he saith also in another psalm, Thou wilt not give Thy Holy One to see corruption. For David, after he had in his own generation served the counsel of God, fell asleep, and was laid unto unto his fathers, and saw corruption: but he whom God raised up saw no corruption. Be it known unto you therefore, brethren, that through this man is proclaimed unto you remission of sins: and by him every one that believeth is justified from all things, from which ye could not be justified by the law of Moses."
2. 1 Corinthians 15:1-4 -- "Now I make known unto you brethren, the gospel which I preached unto you, which also ye received, wherein also ye stand, by which also ye are saved, if ye hold fast the word which I preached unto you, except ye believed in vain. For I delivered unto you first of all that which also I received: that Christ died for our sins according to the scriptures; and that he was buried; and that he hath been raised on the third day according to the scriptures."

F. Why should a person respond to the Gospel?
1. Romans 3:23 -- "...for all have sinned, and fall short of the glory of God;"
2. 1 John 3:4 -- "Sin is trangression of God's law."
3. Romans 6:23 --"The wages of sin is death..."

G. What is the first thing a person should do in response to these truths?
1. James 1:21-22 -- "Wherefore putting away all filthiness and overflowing of wickedness, receive with meekness the implanted word, which is able to save your souls. But be ye doers of the word, and not hearers only, deluding your own selves."
2. 1 Peter 1:22-25 -- "Seeing ye have purified your souls in your obedience to the truth unto unfeigned love of the brethren, love one another from the heart fervently: having been begotten again, not of corruptible seed, but of incorruptible, through the word of God, which liveth and abideth. For, All flesh is as grass, And all the glory thereof as the flower of grass. The grass withereth, and the flower falleth: But the word of the Lord abideth for ever. And this is the word of good tidings which was preached unto you."


H. What is the fundamental thing to obey for salvation?
1. Romans 6:17-18 -- "But thanks be to God, that, whereas ye were servants of sin, ye became obedient from the heart to that form of teaching whereunto ye were delivered; and being made free from sin, ye became servants of righteousness."
2. Matthew 7:21 -- "Not every one that saith unto me, Lord, Lord, shall enter into the kingdom of heaven; but he that doeth the will of my Father who is in heaven."

I. What is the second thing to obey?
1. John 6:28-29 -- "They said therefore unto him, What must we do, that we may work the works of God? Jesus answered and said unto them, This is the work of God, that ye believe on him whom he hath sent."
2. Romans 1:16-17 -- "For I am not ashamed of the gospel: for it is the power of God unto salvation to every one that believeth; to the Jew first, and also to the Greek. For therein is revealed a righteousness of God from faith unto faith: as it is written, But the righteous shall live by faith."

J. What is the next thing to obey?
1. Acts 17:30-31 -- "The times of ignorance therefore God overlooked; but now he commandeth men that they should all everywhere repent: inasmuch as he hath appointed a day in which he will judge the world in righteousness by the man whom he hath ordained; whereof he hath given assurance unto all men, in that he hath raised him from the dead."
2. Acts 3:19 -- (The purpose of repentance.) -- "Repent ye therefore, and turn again, that your sins may be blotted out, that so there may come seasons of refreshing from the presence of the Lord;"

K. What follows repentance?
1. Matthew 10:32-33 -- "Every one therefore who shall confess me before men, him will I also confess before my Father who is in heaven. But whosoever shall deny me before men, him will I also deny before my Father who is in heaven."
2. Romans 10:9-10 -- "....because if thou shalt confess with thy mouth Jesus as Lord, and shalt believe in thy heart that God raised him from the dead, thou shalt be saved: for with the heart man believeth unto righteousness; and with the mouth confession is made unto salvation."

L. What follows belief and repentance?
1. Mark 16:15-16 -- (Belief is followed by baptism.) "And he said unto them, Go ye into all the world, and preach the gospel to the whole creation. He that believeth and is baptized shall be saved; but he that disbelieveth shall be condemned."

2. Acts 2:37-38 -- (Repentance is followed by baptism.) "Now when they heard this, they were pricked in their heart, and said unto Peter and the rest of the apostles, Brethren, what shall we do? And Peter said unto them, Repent ye, and be baptized every one of you in the name of Jesus Christ unto the remission of your sins; and ye shall receive the gift of the Holy Spirit."

M. What does baptism accomplish?
1. Salvation.
a.Mark. 16:16 -- "He that believeth and is baptized shall be saved; but he that disbelieveth shall be condemned."
b.1 Peter 3:20b-21 -- "....the longsuffering of God waited in the days of Noah, while the ark was a preparing, wherein few, that is, eight souls, were saved through water: which also after a true likeness doth now save you, even baptism, not the putting away of the filth of the flesh, but the interrogation of a good conscience toward God, through the resurrection of Jesus Christ;"
2. Remission of sins.
a.Acts 2:38 -- "And Peter said unto them, Repent ye, and be baptized every one of you in the name of Jesus Christ unto the remission of your sins; and ye shall receive the gift of the Holy Spirit."
b.Acts 22:16 --"And now why tarriest thou? arise, and be baptized, and wash away thy sins, calling on his name."
3. Other things, such as being "in Christ," having "newness of life," crucifying the "old man," being "justified from sin," putting on "Christ," and going "into the body of Christ."
a.Romans 6:3-7 -- "Are ye ignorant that all we who were baptized into Christ Jesus were baptized into his death? We were buried therefore with him through baptism into death: that like as Christ was raised from the dead through the glory of the Father, so we also might walk in newness of life. For if we have become united with him in the likeness of his death, we shall be also in the likeness of his resurrection; knowing this, that our old man was crucified with him, that the body of sin might be done away, that so we should no longer be in bondage to sin; for he that hath died is justified from sin."
b.Galatians 3:26-27 -- "For ye are all sons of God, through faith, in Christ Jesus. For as many of you as were baptized into Christ did put on Christ."
c.1 Corinthians 12:13 -- "For in one Spirit were we all baptized into one body, whether Jews or Greeks, whether bond or free; and were all made to drink of one Spirit."


N. What follows baptism?
1. Acts 2:41-42 -- "They then that received his word were baptized: and there were added unto them in that day about three thousand souls. And they continued stedfastly in the apostles' teaching and fellowship, in the breaking of bread and the prayers."
2. Revelation 2:10b -- ".....Be thou faithful unto death, and I will give thee the crown of life."
3.2 Peter 3:18 -- "But grow in the grace and knowledge of our Lord and Saviour Jesus Christ. To him be the glory both now and for ever. Amen."

O. Now that I am a Christian, what things should I do?
1. Worship. John 4:24 -- "God is a Spirit: and they that worship him must worship in spirit and truth."
2. Work. 1 Corinthians 15:58 -- "Wherefore, my beloved brethren, be ye stedfast, unmoveable, always abounding in the work of the Lord, forasmuch as ye know that your labor is not vain in the Lord."
3. Build up others. 1 Thessalonians 5:9-11 -- "God appointed us not into wrath, but unto the obtaining of salvation through our Lord Jesus Christ, who died for us, that, whether we wake or sleep, we should live together with him. Wherefore exhort one another, and build each other up, even as also ye do."
4. Follow all the will of God. Colossians 4:12 -- "Epaphras, who is one of you, a servant of Christ Jesus, saluteth you, always striving for you in his prayers, that ye may stand perfect and fully assured in all the will of God."
5. Seek to have a full reward. 2 John 8 -- "Look to yourselves, that ye lose not the things which we have wrought, but that ye receive a full reward."

III. CONCLUSION--

A. There are many other systems of teaching, and many other passages from which to teach the truth.
1. These, however, seem good for me to use, but you may choose others (There are about 40 passages to learn here).
2.The Scriptures need to be studied, mastered, and remembered, to be effective in teaching.

B. Would you use this system, or one of your own making?
1. Would you do something to obey 1 Peter 3:15, which, if you remember, says, "....sanctify in your hearts Christ as Lord: being ready always to give answer to every man that asketh you a reason concerning the hope that is in you, yet with meekness and fear?"
2. Would you give some study to this project?
3. Can we restore our reputation as a people with answers?
What basic passages should be at the tip of the Christian's tongue?
(or, at least, in the mind)

(First, write what you know from memory about each of these passages, then look them up in your Bible, and write down the basic truth in each passage. This is your private test to help you find out how much you know about these verses.)

A. Concerning the credibility and authenticity of the Bible?
1. 2 Timothy 3:16-17_________________________________________
2. John 17:17______________________________________________
3. 1 Thessalonians 2:13_______________________________________
B. To show that the Bible is a complete guide?
1. 2 Timothy 3:16-17_________________________________________
2. 2 Peter 1:3_______________________________________________
3. Galatians 1:6-9____________________________________________
C. To show that the New Testament has the final and exclusive authority for those living in this age?
1. Hebrews 10:9-10___________________________________________
2. Hebrews 12:18-25__________________________________________
D. What is the main theme of the New Testament?
1. John 20:30-31____________________________________________
2. 1 Corinthians 15:1-4________________________________________
E. Why should a person respond to the Gospel?
1. Romans 3:23_____________________________________________
2. 1 John 3:4_______________________________________________
3. Romans 6:23_____________________________________________
F. What is the first thing a person should do in response?
1. James 1:21-22____________________________________________
2. 1 Peter 1:22-25____________________________________________
G. What is the fundamental thing to do for salvation?
1. Romans 6:17-18___________________________________________
2. Matthew 7:21____________________________________________

H. What is the second thing to obey?
1. John 6:28-29_____________________________________________
2. Romans 1:16-17___________________________________________
I. What is the next thing to obey?
1. Acts 17:30-31_____________________________________________
2. Acts 3:19________________________________________________
J. What action must follow repentance?
1. Matthew 10:32-33__________________________________________
2. Romans 10:9-10___________________________________________
K. What follows belief and repentance?
1. Mark 16:15-16____________________________________________
2. Acts 2:37-38______________________________________________
L. What does baptism accomplish?
1. Mark 16:16______________________________________________
2. 1 Peter 3:21______________________________________________
3. Acts 2:38________________________________________________
4. Romans 6:3-7____________________________________________
5. Galatians 3:26-27__________________________________________
6. Acts 22:16_______________________________________________
7. 1 Corinthians 12:13________________________________________
M. What follows baptism?
1. Acts 2:42_______________________________________________
2. Revelation 2:10__________________________________________
3. 2 Peter 3:18______________________________________________
N. Now that I am a Christian, what things should I do?
1. 1 Corinthians 15:58________________________________________
2. 1 Thessalonians 5:9-11______________________________________
3. 2 John 8________________________________________________
4. Colossians 4:12___________________________________________