“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”

But sanctify

“But” – contrast. Instead of allowing fear to grip your heart, let the contents of this verse be your mode of operation. What is the remedy to “fear” and “trouble?” Solution — “Sanctify the Lord God in your hearts.”

The context is still the quotation from Isaiah 8. Isaiah spoke to Judah on the eve of the Assyrian invasion. His message – God is all-sufficient in his power. Isaiah said these words when a grand conspiracy formed against him. They were eager to destroy his reputation. As gathering storms of personal accusations arise against you, how do you handle them? 

“Sanctify” –The word “sanctify” means set apart. Since the Lord is supreme, give him a unique place in your heart.

PRINCIPLE: 

Give God a special place in your heart. 

APPLICATION: 

If we enshrine or enthrone God in our hearts, we place him first in our values. We make him distinctively foremost in our lives. 

It is our responsibility to “set apart” or enshrine God in our hearts. That makes us a “sanctifier.” No one else can do this for you. Only you can set it apart. Your parents cannot do this for you. Your wife cannot do this for you. Your husband cannot “set apart” Christ in your heart. This is your decision. You come to a crossroads in your life when you make this decision. We come to realize that Christ was our entire life, not just a portion of it. 

“Lord, I am yours: lock, stock, and barrel; hook line and sinker; body, soul, and spirit.” That relieves us from being the boss. The Lord alone has the authority of our lives. Many Christians accept Christ as Savior but not Lord. “Savior, yes. Lord, no. Take your hands off my life. Mind your own business. I’ll run my affairs.” That is why many of us spend a great deal of time in the divine woodshed. 

When we back our belief with life and lip, we sanctify the Lord in our lives. If we do not sanctify the Lord in our lives, we have little to say. We cannot back up what we say. Life does not match lip. If non-Christians see nothing in us that supports what we believe, we do more harm than good. 

Do not write a check for 10,000$ if you have 1000$ in the bank. Some people are all blow. They are all talk in witnessing. They do not set the Lord apart in their hearts with their lives. It is better to write a check for 1000$ if we have 10,000$ in the bank. It is our responsibility to write the check. We should back what we say with how we live.

We never know when an opportunity will present itself. We are creatures of mood and moment. At times, we do not feel like sharing our faith, and the opportunity slips away. We lost the opportunity. Some of us may not even recognize the opportunity – we are that dull spiritually. 

Rom 1:15, “So, as much as is in me, I am ready to preach the gospel to you who are in Rome also.”

Set the Lord on a pedestal and put him on the pinnacle of your life. Give him his due—Crown Christ King in your heart. Bow before him and say, “Lord, thank you for the sweet and the bitter. You have the right to do with my life what you please. My life is yours.” Only committed Christians can live like this. Christ is more than Savior; he is Lord. He is more than a fire escape from hell. This person matches his lip with his life.