But sanctify the Lord God in your hearts: and be ready always to give an answer to every man that asketh you a reason of the hope that is in you with meekness and fear: Having a good conscience; that, whereas they speak evil of you, as of evildoers, they may be ashamed that falsely accuse your good conversation in Christ. ( 1Pe.3:15-16)

Definitions
sanctify – To set apart for sacred use; consecrate. (American Heritage Dictionary)

ready – completely prepared or in fit condition for immediate action or use ( Dictionary.com, based on Random House Unabridged Dictionary)

always – 1) at all times; invariably 3) at any time; in any event (American Heritage Dictionary)

answer – a spoken or written reply or response to a question, request, letter, etc. ( Dictionary.com, based on Random House Unabridged Dictionary)

every – being one of a group or series taken collectively; each (Dictionary.com)

reason – 1. a basis or cause, as for some belief, action, fact, event, etc.: the reason for declaring war.
2. a statement presented in justification or explanation of a belief or action.
3. the mental powers concerned with forming conclusions, judgments, or inferences.
4. sound judgment; good sense.
5. normal or sound powers of the mind; sanity.
6. Logic. a premise of an argument.

hope – 1. A wish or desire accompanied by confident expectation of its fulfillment.
2. Something that is hoped for or desired:
3. Archaic. Trust; confidence.

meekness – humbly patient or docile, as under provocation from others. Obsolete. gentle; kind

fear -1. a. A feeling of agitation and anxiety caused by the presence or imminence of danger.
b. A state or condition marked by this feeling: living in fear.

Note the context of this passage (vv.12-17). Peter is exhorting the saints (1Pe.1:1-2) to be all of one mind, having compassion, being courteous, not rendering evil for evil, or railing for railing but rather blessing; and that he that will love life and see good days should refrain his lips from evil and eschew it, doing good and seeking peace. The reason for these things is because the Lord is over the righteous, and his ears are open unto their prayers: but the face of the Lord is against them that do evil.Then he asks the rhetorical question, “And who is he that will harm you, if ye be followers of that which is good?” But even if you do suffer for doing good, be not afraid of their terror, neither be troubled, “But sanctify the Lord God in your hearts: and be ready always to give an answer to every man that asketh you a reason of the hope that is in you with meekness and fear: having a good conscience; that, whereas they speak evil of you, as of evildoers, they may be ashamed that falsely accuse your good conversation in Christ.”It is not impossible for people who are living according to the word of God, who are walking in fellowship with him, in the light as he is in the light, to suffer for it at the hands of wicked men who have not faith. In fact anyone who has read the gospels and the book of Acts have read eyewitness accounts of wicked men rising up to kill such people. It happened a lot during Christ’s ministry and the ministry of the apostles and it still happens and it will continue to happen (2Ti.3:12). Peter says that if we suffer for righteousness’ sake we ought to be happy and not afraid of their terror nor troubled. Why on earth should we be happy about this and why shouldn’t we be afraid of their terror and be troubled? Because we’re suffering not for doing evil, but for doing good, and any child of God should rejoice to do good even if it means he suffers for it. In fact it should motivate him all the more to do good.

Paul and Silas, when they were cast into prison for nothing more than preaching the gospel openly, did not plead with the jailer or the arresting authority or cry lamentably in their cell. They rather sang hymns loudly and praised the name of the Lord (Acts 16:25). They knew that they were doing good and the word of the Lord was going forth and obviously having an impact on the people. They also knew that the God they preached and worshiped is the same God who delivered a faithful man named Daniel from the mouth of lions when he was cast into the midst of their den because he simply refused to stop praying and worshiping God according to a foolish law that had been passed in the land. And what do you know? Paul and Silas were delivered from that prison the same night they were cast into it. (Acts 16:25-26) And the jailer who nearly took his own life for fear of being killed for failing to keep the prisoners secure ended up repenting of his sins and being baptized. So their imprisonment fell out to the conversion of at least one sinner, which only gave them more cause for rejoicing.

This brings us full-circle. The jailer asked Paul and Silas a question: “What must I do to be saved?” At that question Paul and Silas told him with all authority to believe on the Lord Jesus Christ and they spake unto him the word of the Lord, and to all that were in his house. The point is that they had sanctified the Lord God in their hearts and they were ready to give an answer to every man that asketh them a reason of the hope that is in them with meekness and fear… It was clear to this jailer that these man had a great hope. Who in their right mind sings praises to God when cast into prison? That’s just it — only those who really are in their right mind (that is, who have the mind of Christ, 1Co.2:16) would ever do such a thing. It was obvious to the jailer that these men had a great hope and he wanted to know what he could do to be saved like they were: he ASKED THEM and they ANSWERED HIM. They responded to his gospel inquiry (whether he even knew he was making a gospel inquiry or not — they knew) and spake to him the word of the Lord. They didn’t just tell him to believe and be saved, they preached the gospel to him, starting with the simple answer to his question and expounding upon it.

This is the duty of every Christian. Peter is not writing only to ordained ministers, but to saints in general (1Pe.1:1-2) and to such people he makes the statement that we should be ready always to give an answer to every man that asketh us a reason of the hope that is in us with meekness and fear.