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SANCTIFY THE LORD GOD IN YOUR HEARTS
Peter said, "but sanctify the Lord God in your hearts: and be ready always to
give an answer to every man that asketh you a reason of the hope that is in you
with meekness and fear" (1 Pet.
). This verse is usually used to show that we should know why we are Christians,
and to tell others the reason why, and to be able to reply to their inquiries
to this effect. This is well and good, but many times we completely overlook
the import of the first part of the verse. We are commanded to "sanctify the
Lord God in your hearts." In order to do this, we need to find out something about the heart as Peter uses
the term, and know what it is and what it does.
First of all, the "heart" here is the mind; the intellect of man. The mind of man thinks and reasons. Jesus asked, "wherefore think ye evil in your hearts" (Matt. 9:4). In the long ago God said that "the thoughts of man's heart were evil continually" (Gen. 6:5). Again, the Lord asked his disciples, "why are ye troubled, and why do thoughts arise in your hearts" (Lk. 24:38). So we see that with the heart man thinks. The heart is also the center of desires. "My heart's desire and prayer to God for The heart is also a workshop of spiritual activity. When the heart is not willing, man does not produce for God. Moses said, "whosoever is of a willing heart, let him bring his offering ..." (Exo. 35:5). In this same chapter (vv. 21, 26, 29) we see people working for the Lord because their hearts were "stirred up." They were active. Solomon said to "keep thy heart with all diligence, for out of it are the issues of life" (Pro. ). So we will do what our heart determines. When you see one busily engaged in God's work, you can usually be assured that "his heart is in it.” The heart is the seat of courage. We read of people who lost courage, and it is said that their "hearts melted" (Josh. 5:1). Do we lose heart when called upon to face the enemies of God? David said to Saul, king and commander of Finally, the condition of the heart determines the life a person may live (Pro. ). We will do what the heart commands us to do. We see from these passages some things the heart does, and what it is. But what of the command to "sanctify the Lord God in your hearts"? "Sanctify" is to hallow, separate from things profane and dedicate to God; to consecrate, set apart for God, to be as it were exclusively his (Thayer). Have we done this with God in our hearts? Since we have seen that the heart thinks, reasons and is the seat of desires and passions, to "sanctify God" in our hearts is to allow God to overrule any of these other things in the heart. Anything else in the heart, or mind, is to be subservient to God's will. He is to be "set apart" in our thinking and reasoning from these other things; to occupy first place in our hearts. Some people have not done as Peter instructs. God, in their heart, occupies a position on the same plane, or level, as other things. He is not particularly revolting to such people; they simply think as much of other things that arise in their hearts as they do of the Lord. When this condition exists, it ought to be changed. We need to give God first place; set him apart - "sanctify God in the heart." Whether or not a person has done this is evidenced by the things he thinks, says and does, for "as a man thinketh in the heart, so is he." - Bill Moseley AND ANOTHER THING ...
(Be Careful How You Say It!) Two jailbirds who occupied adjoining cells on row in Sing Sing prison had
become good friends during their stay there. So it was a sad time when the day
of Pat's rolled around. As the guards led him down the "last mile" to
the electric chair, Mike tried his best to think of something comforting to say
to his pal. Just as Pat disappeared through the steel doors leading to the chair,
Mike finally hollered, "More power to you, Pat!"
Yeah ... well, so it sometimes is with us! We open our big mouths often and things come out that for some reason or another just don't sound right for the occasion. What this says is that we need to be careful; to stop and think before we blurt something out that may be harmful to somebody else. Solomon said, "a word spoken in due season, how good is it!" But words spoken "out of season," and in such a way that causes others undue suffering, how bad are they! Show some consideration to those to whom you speak. Don't use language that will serve to intensify their pain or suffering. It wouldn't hurt any of us to be a little more encouraging to each other, to sympathize in times of affliction or trouble. "Let your speech be alway with grace; seasoned with salt, that ye may know how to answer every man" (Col. 4:6). - Bill Moseley |
