ByWe bless God for another week of wonders to study scripture again. Today is a continuation of what we shared two weeks ago. It’s all about handling persecution of your faith as a child of God. And today, I’ll be writing about how to sanctify the Lord God in your heart even in the midst of turmoil. Let’s dive in.
Verse 15
[15] “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;” – 1 Peter 3:15 (NKJV)
The Word “sanctify” in the verse above means to render or acknowledge. So, to sanctify the Lord God in your heart means to revere Him every single time, whether man recognises it or not. That is why as a believer, doing the right thing at your workplace amazes others. They don’t see you lie, do wicked things or show any form of irresponsibility. All those things give you a good name amongst people. But your work is to lead a quiet life in Christ (1 Thessalonians 4:11).
Be ready to defend the gospel
Of course, when you live in reverence to God, people will see you differently. While everyone is doing evil things to get their way around things, you live well without soiling your hands and hearts. So because of this, here is a Word to keep you strong. God says defend the gospel whenever people ask you why you live a holy life. That means, tell people about Jesus when they come to you for questions on your clean way of living. The Lord will strengthen you to do this.
Verse 16
[16] “having a good conscience, that when they defame you as evildoers, those who revile your good conduct in Christ may be ashamed.” – 1 Peter 3:16 (NKJV)
Aside from defending the gospel, God knows that people will still not understand you when you talk. But in all of that, God says have a good conscience. Others will defame you as an evildoer for following Jesus. And still, others will also insult you for your good conduct. But shame is such people’s portion because their spiritual eyes are blind to discern what God calls good.
I remember living with a relative for a while in my life. I was so focused on overseeing ministerial systems at The Bible Daily Network that he had problems communicating with me from a spiritual level. He was (and is still) not a minister. So he doesn’t know how to live with such people. I pray that living with him for a while impacted his life.
Verse 17
“For it is better, if it is the will of God, to suffer for doing good than for doing evil.” – 1 Peter 3:17 (NKJV)
Here is the end of the matter. It is God’s will if you suffer for doing good than doing evil. So don’t engage in evil acts and suffer for it. If that happens, it’s not God’s will for you. But even that, God will not leave you. He will teach you how to live well unto Him. But for now. Live well, live right and be responsible.
Shalom!
