A Hope That Shames the World Text: 1 Peter 3:13-22
Introduction: The Christian's Public Relations Strategy
We live in an age of frantic public relations. Corporations, politicians, and celebrities spend millions of dollars to manage their image, to spin the narrative, and to silence their critics. The world is terrified of being slandered, of being canceled, of having its reputation ruined by the digital mob. And so, many Christians have adopted the world's strategy. They believe the way to advance the gospel is to be as inoffensive as possible, to sand down all the sharp edges of our faith, and to hope that the world will find us respectable enough to leave us alone. They are desperate to be liked.
Peter, writing to scattered and persecuted believers, offers us a radically different public relations strategy. It is a strategy that does not seek to avoid slander, but rather anticipates it. It is a strategy that does not rely on clever marketing, but on a clear conscience. And it is a strategy that does not aim to be liked by the world, but to be blessed by God. Peter is teaching us that suffering well is the best argument for the truth of the gospel. A courageous and joyful hope in the face of hostility is a far more powerful witness than a thousand carefully crafted press releases. The world is drowning in fear, and Peter tells us not to be afraid of their fear. Instead, he tells us how to live in such a way that our very lives become a rebuke to our accusers, a source of shame for those who disparage us.
This passage is intensely practical. It is a field manual for Christians living as exiles in a hostile culture. It tells us where to set our hearts, what to prepare our minds for, and how to conduct ourselves when the pressure is on. This is not a strategy of retreat or of angry retaliation. It is a strategy of confident, gentle, and fearless testimony, grounded in the ultimate victory of the Lord Jesus Christ.
The Text
And who is there to harm you if you prove zealous for what is good? But even if you should suffer for the sake of righteousness, you are blessed. AND DO NOT FEAR THEIR FEAR, AND DO NOT BE TROUBLED, but sanctify Christ as Lord in your hearts, always being ready to make a defense to everyone who asks you to give an account for the hope that is in you, yet with gentleness and fear, having a good conscience so that in the thing in which you are slandered, those who disparage your good conduct in Christ will be put to shame. For it is better, if God should will it so, that you suffer for doing good rather than for doing wrong. For Christ also suffered for sins once for all, the righteous for the unrighteous, so that He might bring you to God, having been put to death in the flesh, but made alive in the spirit; in which also He went and made proclamation to the spirits now in prison, who once were disobedient, when the patience of God kept waiting in the days of Noah, during the construction of the ark, in which a few, that is, eight persons, were brought safely through the water. Corresponding to that, baptism now saves you, not the removal of dirt from the flesh, but an appeal of a good conscience to God, through the resurrection of Jesus Christ, who is at the right hand of God, having gone into heaven, after angels and authorities and powers had been subjected to Him.
(1 Peter 3:13-22 LSB)
The General Rule and the Blessed Exception (vv. 13-14)
Peter begins with a general principle of practical wisdom.
"And who is there to harm you if you prove zealous for what is good? But even if you should suffer for the sake of righteousness, you are blessed. AND DO NOT FEAR THEIR FEAR, AND DO NOT BE TROUBLED" (1 Peter 3:13-14)
As a rule, living a quiet, godly, and productive life is a form of protection. When you are a good neighbor, an honest employee, and a law-abiding citizen, you generally stay out of trouble. God's law is for our good, and following it usually brings a measure of peace and stability. This is common sense. But Peter immediately moves to the exception, because he knows we live in a fallen world that hates the light.
"But even if you should suffer for the sake of righteousness, you are blessed." This is not a maybe; it is an inevitability for a faithful church. When your righteousness exposes the world's unrighteousness, you will be targeted. But notice the astounding result. You are not cursed; you are blessed. This is a direct echo of the Beatitudes: "Blessed are those who are persecuted for righteousness' sake, for theirs is the kingdom of heaven" (Matt. 5:10). This suffering is not a sign of God's displeasure; it is a mark of true discipleship, a badge of honor.
Because of this, Peter gives a direct command, quoting from Isaiah 8:12. "Do not fear their fear." Do not catch the contagion of the world's anxieties. Do not let the talking heads on the news set your emotional thermostat. The world is in a constant state of panic about the economy, the climate, politics, and a thousand other things. Their fears reveal their idols. We are commanded not to participate in that fear. We have a different King, a different kingdom, and a different set of facts to deal with. To fear their fear is to start thinking like them, which is the first step toward acting like them.
The Internal Prerequisite (v. 15a)
Before we can face the world, we must settle a crucial issue in our own hearts.
"but sanctify Christ as Lord in your hearts..." (1 Peter 3:15a LSB)
This is the absolute center of gravity for the entire passage. The phrase "sanctify Christ as Lord" means to set Him apart, to recognize and enthrone Him in the control room of your soul as the ultimate authority. Before you speak a word of defense, before you face a hostile question, you must answer this for yourself: Who is Lord? Is it Jesus? Or is it your reputation? Your job? Your comfort? The government? The spirit of the age? All cowardice and compromise flow from a failure at this very point. When Christ is truly Lord of your heart, the fear of man begins to evaporate. His approval is what matters, not the approval of the mob. This internal submission is the necessary foundation for any external boldness.
The Confident Defense (vv. 15b-16)
With Christ enthroned internally, we are prepared for our external task.
"always being ready to make a defense to everyone who asks you to give an account for the hope that is in you, yet with gentleness and fear, having a good conscience so that in the thing in which you are slandered, those who disparage your good conduct in Christ will be put to shame." (1 Peter 3:15b-16 LSB)
We are to be "ready to make a defense." The Greek word is apologia, from which we get apologetics. This is not a whimpering apology; it is a reasoned, logical, courageous defense of the truth. And notice what we are defending. We are giving an account "for the hope that is in you." In a world that is cynical, despairing, and nihilistic, Christian hope is a bizarre and compelling phenomenon. When you are not terrified by the same things that terrify your neighbors, when you face suffering with peace, when you look to the future with joy, people will notice. That hope is the conversation starter. They will want to know the reason for your strange lack of panic.
The manner of our defense is crucial: "with gentleness and fear." Gentleness is not weakness; it is power under control. It means we do not respond with the world's tactics of insult, rage, and ad hominem attacks. The "fear" here is not fear of our interrogators; it is the fear of God. We answer with reverence for God, which leads to genuine respect for the person asking the question, even if they are hostile. We fear God more than we fear them, and so we can afford to be gentle.
And here is the secret weapon: "having a good conscience." Your life is the corroborating evidence for your words. The goal is that your conduct is so consistently good, so clearly Christ-like, that when the slanders come, they appear absurd. When they accuse you of being hateful, your demonstrable love for your neighbors puts them to shame. When they call you a bigot, your kindness to all makes the charge look ridiculous. The disconnect between the slander and your reality is what shames the accuser.
The Sovereign Paradigm (vv. 17-22)
Peter now grounds this entire ethic in the will of God and the work of Christ.
"For it is better, if God should will it so, that you suffer for doing good rather than for doing wrong." (1 Peter 3:17 LSB)
Our suffering is not a cosmic accident. It is under the sovereign hand of God. "If God should will it so." This is not fatalism; it is profound comfort. It means our trials have purpose. God is orchestrating these events for His glory and our good. And it is always better to be in the will of God and suffer, than to be outside the will of God and be comfortable.
This entire pattern is modeled for us by the Lord Jesus Himself.
"For Christ also suffered for sins once for all, the righteous for the unrighteous, so that He might bring you to God..." (1 Peter 3:18 LSB)
Our suffering for righteousness is a faint echo of His. He was the only truly righteous one, and He suffered for us, the unrighteous. His suffering was substitutionary and effective. It accomplished its purpose: "that He might bring you to God." This is the goal of everything. The slander we endure is part of the process by which God is drawing us, and others through our witness, to Himself.
Peter then takes us on a brief tour of Christ's cosmic victory. After being "put to death in the flesh, but made alive in the spirit," Christ "went and made proclamation to the spirits now in prison" (vv. 18-19). This is not a second chance for the damned. This is a victor's proclamation. In His triumph, Christ descended and announced His total victory to the fallen angelic beings, likely the "sons of God" from Genesis 6, who sinned so grievously in the days of Noah. He was serving them notice of their final doom. He was on a victory lap through the devil's territory.
This reference to Noah is not random. The world in Noah's day was universally wicked, and God's judgment came through water. But a few, eight people, were saved through that very water. The instrument of judgment for the world was the instrument of salvation for the faithful.
And this brings us to baptism. "Corresponding to that, baptism now saves you" (v. 21). Peter is quick to clarify that this is not some magical property of the water itself. It is "not the removal of dirt from the flesh." Rather, baptism saves as it represents our "appeal of a good conscience to God." It is our public pledge of allegiance to the Triune God. It is the uniform we put on as soldiers of Christ. It is the sign and seal of our union with Him in His death and resurrection. Just as Noah was saved through the waters of judgment by being in the ark, we are saved through the waters of judgment by being in Christ.
And where is this Christ now? He "is at the right hand of God, having gone into heaven, after angels and authorities and powers had been subjected to Him" (v. 22). This is the foundation of our hope. Jesus is not a defeated martyr. He is the reigning King. All spiritual and political powers are underneath His feet right now. He has won. The war is over, and we are simply engaged in the mopping-up operations. Because He is enthroned over everything, we can sanctify Him as Lord in our hearts and face a hostile world without fear.