Word study:
1 Peter 3:15 But in your hearts sanctify Christ as Lord. Always be prepared to give a defense to everyone who asks you the reason for the hope that is in you. But respond with gentleness and respect,
Reflection:
As I read the verse I found out that we should:
- Sanctify Christ in our hearts
- Always be prepared to give a defense to everyone who asks us the reason for the hope that is in us.
- Respond with gentleness and respect.
How do I/you sanctify Jesus in our hearts actually?
SANCTIFICATION
I believed that before we can sanctify Jesus in our hearts, He should be invited to come in first if we haven’t done it yet. It said in His Word that he stands at the door and knocks, and if anyone hears His voice and opens the door, He will come in and dine with us. ( Revelation 3:20)
Our hearts are a dwelling place for God. It is to be a sacred place. Jesus enters our hearts as an invited guest, but more than that, as our King and Lord. If we refuse to allow Him to sit down on the throne of our hearts, then He will not consent to be our guest. If we try to limit Him to being just a guest, sort of like a Sunday visitor we would have over for dinner. On Monday or other days, He’s expected to leave until the next time we want to entertain Him. That is not the proper thing to do.
What does it mean to “sanctify Christ as Lord in your hearts”? To “sanctify” means to “hallow” or to “make holy.” The point is to make Jesus at home in our hearts. Put Him on the throne. Give Him honor and glory. Love and obey Him. Allow nothing from this world to crowd Him from His throne.
As Jesus said, “No one can serve two masters; for either he will hate the one and love the other, or he will hold to the one and despise the other. You cannot serve both God and mammon.” (MATTHEW 6:24).
I/ you must not hesitate to give Jesus such mastery over our lives. He deserves it. And obeying Him lead us to the right decisions, the right way, the right purpose, and heaven.
It is difficult to serve two masters. In this current world, we are tempted to serve many masters like materialism or ourselves. We can give way to what our bodies crave for pleasures forgetting what matters the most. The problem is, there is only one throne. There are not two, three, four, or more. Jesus said it was simply impossible to serve both, so we should not try. Instead, sanctify Christ as Lord in our hearts!
Mark that sanctification is God’s command to us, so we must decide to act on it with our will. Not sometimes, but all the time.
Probably, it is hard for us sometimes to do so because sanctifying Jesus in our hearts will result in suffering for the sake of righteousness. Maybe we are afraid to die for it? To be ridiculed and go out of our comfort zones?
“But even if you should suffer for the sake of righteousness, we are blessed. And do not fear their intimidation, and do not be troubled.” (I PETER 3:14).
We are blessed if we sanctify Jesus in our hearts. We are going to walk a love walk as Jesus did. We are going to be merciful, forgiving, grateful, generous, and helpful.
Because Jesus is sanctified in our hearts, we act and speak righteously. Our words and deeds exalt Him. Sin should not be a part of our lives. We are the salt and light on the earth. The spices that this world needs. The joyful people despite of troubles and hardships.
Satan of course will always attempt to get Jesus out of our hearts. He will try to intimidate us into compromising our faith or at least neglect it. He will tempt us with a lot of things in this world that satisfy our flesh so that we will lose our interest in God. But we should remain steadfast because our soul is at stake and so is our loved ones.
WE SHOULD BE PREPARED
“…always being ready to make a defense to everyone who asks you to give an account for the hope that is in you…” (I PETER 3:15).
How do we make ourselves ready to defend? We make ourselves ready by putting on our armor which is the word of God. And in continuous communication with God in prayer. Be prepared mentally, emotionally, and spiritually.
Like the athletes, they train and train continually without ceasing in order to win. And so, should we.
Jesus used God’s Word to defend his faith in God when evil tempted him. He said that we should not live by bread alone, but by the word of God. Matthew 4:4
If we know who we are in Christ, then we will not have a problem defending what we believed.
GENTLENESS AND RESPECT
“…yet with gentleness and reverence.” (I PETER 3:15). These are two characteristics that spiced our answers as well as our lives. “Gentleness” means meekness or mildness. Truth is not determined by who shouts the loudest, or by who is the most overbearing or insulting. While our answers need to be confident, they should not be arrogant.
The second characteristic is “reverence.” This means having proper respect for others’ opinions. We should tell “the reason for the hope” within us. But we should not force others to accept what we believed. We are talking about the holy things of God to those who may not share our reverence for Him. Though they might mock and ridicule, we are serious. Though they might seek to lower the dignity of the conversation, we seek to maintain it. Those who may be listening for a message of hope in a dark world need to know that a serious answer is being offered.
A GOOD CONSCIENCE
“…and keep a good conscience…” (I PETER 3:16). What is necessary for “keeping a good conscience”? We should try to do our best. To be sincere in the things we say and live what we are proclaiming. During our conversation with others, we will be able to hold our heads up and look people squarely in the eye and proclaim that our faith is valid and be able to tell them why. If we are seeking to live honorably and righteously, then with a clear conscience we will be able to make our defense of the truth. But if our faith is fake and hollow, judgmental, hypocritical, uncommitted, and/or without dedication, then it will show.
SANCTIFICATION BRINGS GOODNESS
“…so that in the thing in which you are slandered, those who revile your good behavior in Christ may be put to shame.” (I PETER 3:16). We may receive the impact of the harshest of criticism and be treated unfairly. The best answer to the wrong charge is our godly living. Our honesty and goodwill should show in our actions. Our love for God and our fellow man has been crystal clear. Our commitment to principles of righteousness should be seen by all. We should have openly made known our faith by both your words and deeds. That is sanctifying Christ as Lord in our hearts. When people see our deeds, maybe we don’t even need words to defend our faith.
