In 1 Peter 3:15 we are told to “sanctify Christ as Lord in your hearts.” The word sanctify is a translation of the Greek work hagiazo [hag-ee-ad'-zo] (agiasate) which literally means to make holy. How do we make Christ holy in our hearts?
We believe God to be holy, “Holy, holy, holy, Lord God Almighty...” we sing in one of our hymns. “Holy, holy, holy Lord, God of power and might...” we pray together at the Eucharist. We believe Christ is the Second Person of the Holy Trinity, so how do we make Christ holy in our hearts?
Some translators use the word revere instead of sanctify here, so the text would read to “revere Christ as Lord in your hearts.” That is certainly an understandable translation, but the word revere comes from the Latin word (vereri) for fear and misses the aspect of holiness that we find in sanctify.
We do have reverence for Christ. We stand in awe before Him. We bow down in sumbission to Him. But we are called to do more. We are called to sanctify Christ as Lord in our hearts. It is only when we truly worship Him that we sanctify Him in our hearts. It is only when we truly make Him Lord in our lives that we sanctify Him in our hearts.
I invite you today to sanctify Christ as Lord in your heart.
Almighty Lord,
come into our hearts this day.
May you find there a place prepared and made holy.
May our worship of You make you holy in our hearts.
Amen.