DAD'S RAMBLINGS -- SANCTIFYING GOD IN OUR HEARTS

SANCTIFY THE LORD GOD IN YOUR HEARTS

"But sanctify the Lord God in your hearts, and always be ready to give a defense to everyone who asks you a reason for the hope that is in you, with meekness and fear, having a good conscience, that when they defame you as evildoers, those who revile your good conduct in Christ may be ashamed. For it is better, if it is the will of God, to suffer for doing good than for doing evil." (I Peter 3:15-17)

What does it mean to "sanctify the Lord God in your hearts?" As you probably remember, "sanctify" means to set apart, to make holy. We speak of a church building where we worship as a "sanctuary" -- that is, a place that is sanctified – set apart – for worship. When we sanctify the Lord in our hearts, our hearts are set apart as place of worship.

Listen to some other translations of this verse: "You must worship Christ as Lord of your life." (NLT) "But in your hearts revere Christ as Lord" (NIV. "In your hearts honor Christ the Lord as holy" (ESV). It means to make Jesus number 1 – the Lord of one's life.

When that happens, people will see the difference between us and the rest of the world who do not honor God as their priority, and some will become curious and ask what makes us different. Even if they revile us our good conduct, they will be convicted of their sin and be ashamed. Often that is the reason people mock and ridicule Christians. They, in a way, are acknowledging their own sinful lives and try to shift the focus from themselves. Even if people mock the believer for his righteous life, it is better to suffer than to do evil.

There are benefits for sanctifying God in our hearts. God gave promises to Israel. He said that if they would hallow Him in the eyes of other nations, that He would separate them from the countries of their captivity, he would cleanse them from their filthiness, He would give them a new heart and put a new spirit in them so that they would walk in His ways, and that He would be their God and they would be His people (Ezekiel 36:22-30). These also are the benefits to anyone who will make God their #1 focus and serve Him. They will experience God's blessing and be a light to the unbelievers.

Let us sanctify God in our hearts – hallow Him, worship Him, and honor Him, and live for Him.

Love, Dad