Separate and Sanctified

" Now who is there to harm you if you are zealous for what is good? But even if you should suffer for righteousness' sake, you will be blessed. Have no fear of them, nor be troubled, but in your hearts honor Christ the Lord as holy, always being prepared to make a defense to anyone who asks you for a reason for the hope that is in you; yet do it with gentleness and respect." (1Peter 3:13-15 ESV)

Peter teaches about “Godly Living” in chapter 3 by telling us how we can have a new perspective about how we live our lives. The part of these verses that I want to talk about today is “sanctify Christ as Lord in your hearts” because if we can understand this direction from Peter, everything else that he tells us about godly living will be possible.

Peter chose his words carefully; remember, Peter was the disciple who denied Jesus three times right before Jesus’ crucifixion. Peter knew what he was talking about when he said that “we,” including himself, need to “Sanctify Christ as Lord in our hearts.” When he didn’t do that, Peter denied the power and Lordship of Jesus, but when Peter did, God used him mighty as the Apostle to the Jews. Peter knew the difference in a life that has “sanctified” or set apart Christ as Lord.

The Greek word that Peter uses is “hagiazo” (χαγιάζω), which is translated as “sanctify” in the ESV and NASB and many other translations. Sanctify is one of those “churchy” words that is not used a lot outside of church writings. So, what does “sanctify" mean? It means “to treat as holy, to set apart as holy”; in other words, to start treating Jesus as the Holy one from God that He is. This means treating Jesus as different from everything else that is in your heart. It means that Jesus is just not important to you, he is what is most important to you. It means that Jesus is not just one of the top 10 or top 3 things that’s important to you, but that He is at the top of the list, separated from everything else that is important to you. It means that no one or nothing shares his importance in your heart.

Just making Jesus important in your heart will not get you through the tough times; remember, Peter was writing to Jewish believers who were persecuted for their faith in Jesus; these good folks knew tough times.  Peter was telling them that for them to be blessed while being persecuted, they needed to make Jesus first place in their hearts. They needed to set Him apart as Lord. If they didn’t do that, then they would start to think that God owed them something, that God owed them good health, financial security, or protection from false accusations, which are not true. If we remember and put Jesus first in our hearts, set Him aside from everything else, understand the proper order of our allegiance, then even in persecution, sickness, family, and financial problems, we will see God’s blessings.

We can find contentment in our present relationship with the Lord Jesus. Paul tells us this in Philippians 4:13: “I can do all things through him who strengthens me.” Remember the context: Paul said that no matter what this world throws at him, whether he has plenty or is in need, whether he is clothed or cold, nothing matters to him because he has the “Sanctified Christ as Lord in his heart!”

Believers, it's crucial that we re-adjust our thinking about Jesus. Jesus is not just important; He is the most important relationship in our lives. When we understand this and prioritize Him, we can find true contentment in our relationship with the Lord Jesus.

"Living in Grace is not about what I can do, but about what Jesus has already done!"