Sanctify Christ As Lord In Your Heart

Today’s Word Of Encouragement From Wayne:

“Sanctify Christ as Lord in your hearts, always being ready to make a defense to everyone who asks you to give an account for the hope that is in you, yet with gentleness and reverence”

1 Peter 3:15

To sanctify Christ as Lord in our hearts is to set Him apart in a holy place within us.

This is what we do as priests in our heavenly Father’s a kingdom of priests (1 Peter 2:9, Revelation 1:5-6).

Jesus Christ, our High Priest, is sanctified, or set apart, in the inner court within us. When we are “ministering to the Lord” (Acts 13:2), we are in the inner court, in our innermost being, before our Lord in His presence, ministering to Him as priests.

The inner court within us is a specifically sanctified place unto our Lord. There is always a great shining “hope that is in you” when Christ is sanctified as Lord in your heart and you are with Him in fellowship in His presence.

There is also always “gentleness and reverence” within you as you minister to God in His presence, for Christ our High Priest Has said of Himself, “I am gentle and humble in heart” (Matthew 11:29).

Ministering to the Lord fulfills and sets this scripture from 1st Peter perfectly within yourself. There is “hope that is in you” because your hope is in Christ and you are with Him in His presence. And, as we have been seeing these past few days (“ministering as a priest the Gospel of God” Romans 15:16), we minister to others with “gentleness and reverence” because this is the very nature of our High Priest, Whom we have set apart as Lord in our hearts and Whom we minister to.

Being an actual minister to the Lord puts you in the best place possible to minister in the Spirit of Jesus to others, “always being ready to make a defense to everyone who asks you to give an account for the hope that is in you, yet with gentleness and reverence.” Ministering to the Lord Sanctifies Christ as Lord in your heart on a continual basis and empowers you in “ministering as a priest the gospel of God” (Romans 15:16).

Thank You Lord that, even as we minister to You, You are changing us into Your Own image, so we may better know You and may better serve others. Hallelujah!