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Sanctify Christ as Lord in your hearts, always being ready to make a defence to everyone who asks you to give an account for the hope that is in you, yet with gentleness and reverence."
1 Peter Ch 3 v 15 (NASB)
Because our hearts or souls are to be set apart sanctified for the Lordship of Jesus in our lives.
There is a branch of Christian theology called Christian Apologetics. It is all about reasons for “the hope that is in you” as a Christian and answering objections to that “hope”.
The word Apologetics comes from the Greek word "Apologia" which means "a defence". Knowledge of Christian Apologetics equips the Christian to respond with sound reason and faith for the hope – a knowledge that empowers confidence.
1 Peter 3:15 is the battle cry of Christian Apologetics. It gives the Christian an apostolic command to be prepared to stand up for the Christian Faith - the hope that is in us.
Because our hearts or souls are to be set apart sanctified for the Lordship of Jesus in our lives, we are then to be always ready to make a defence. That means in good times and bad, regardless of the personal cost, we are to be ready to give the reasons for the hope within us. Even if it means persecution or ridicule.
According to Romans 1:16, we are not to be ashamed of our Faith. We are to be confident that it is true. This is because it IS true. We stand on a firm foundation.
How we defend the hope within us is crucial. Apostle Peter instructs us to be gentle, kind and respectful in the way that we communicate the reasons for our Faith to people who may oppose Christ and His Gospel. We are to defend the Faith, but we are not to be defensive. We are to give reasoned arguments, but we are not to be argumentative. The goal isn’t to win the argument, but to win the heart(s) of the other person(s) for Christ.
A Christian is to have knowledge, wisdom and character. They are to know the Faith, and to have the wisdom and character to communicate it in a winsome way. All for the glory and honour of our Lord, Jesus Christ.
1. Sanctify means "set apart"
2. Hearts refers to the soul which is the centre of your being. It consists of your mind, your will, your emotions, your intentionality.
3. Hope means "confident expectation".
