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Let Your Spoken Testimony be Consistent with your Set Apart Life

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“But in your hearts honor Christ the Lord as holy, always being prepared to make a defense to anyone who asks you for a reason for the hope that is in you; yet do it with gentleness and respect.”

1 Peter 3:15 ESV

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1 Peter 3:15 ESV states, “but in your hearts honor Christ the Lord as holy, always being prepared to make a defense to anyone who asks you for a reason for the hope that is in you; yet do it with gentleness and respect.” As Christians, we must sanctify the Lord, which means to set apart Jesus Christ as Lord in our hearts! And then, we must be ready to answer any man that asks for a reason for the hope in you. In order to answer that question correctly, the Christian must know the Word of God, before one can defend the Word. It is written that we must study to show ourselves approved. It is written that we must defend the Word of God in meekness and fear and not from an "holier than thou” attitude. Don't beat people down with threats of going to hell overnight if they don't change. We ourselves didn't change overnight!

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I discovered in 1 Peter 3:15 that Paul is reminding Christians to activate this scripture in our daily lives. It states that we should always be ready to give an answer to every man that asks what is the hope inside of you. Defending the faith is called apologetics. Romans 12:2 ESV states, “Do not be conformed to this world but be transformed by the renewing of our minds.” The Christian cannot have a winning testimony, if we are conformed to the ways of this world. The world's way of living is the opposite of living for Jesus Christ. Our minds must be transformed so that when we are tested with temptation, doubt, worry, or sin, we as Christians will not draw back from righteousness.

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Living the Word is another testimony in this hostile world because people will be able to see an example of a steadfast Christian that kept standing on the Word of God, even during the trials and temptations of life. Psalm 34:19 ESV states, “Many are the afflictions of the righteous, but the Lord will deliver us out of them all.”

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How to be Consistent with your Set Apart Life:

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Christians must be consistent by practicing daily what you preach. You cannot be excited about Jesus one day and depressed the next day. People are watching the Christian walk. Your daily lifestyle should be like a billboard, displaying a “Set Apart Life” wherever you are in your city, state, and even worldwide. I am reminded of the sermon titled, “Be the Difference” from Matthew 5:16 ESV, “Let your light shine before men that they may see your good works and glorify your Father which is in heaven.” As the Christians let their light shine, you are demonstrating how to live a set apart life. As Christians, we must be agents of change. We must let our spoken testimony display agents of change.

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1 Peter 2:9 ESV states, “But you are a chosen race, a royal priesthood, a holy nation, a people for his own possession, that you may proclaim the excellencies of him who called you out of darkness into his marvelous light.” We are all a group of people that have all accepted Jesus Christ. Jesus Christ is our king, and our high priest. It seems due to the Christian being set apart, we are all considered kings and priests. According to Revelation 1:6 ESV, it states we are a holy nation. It is like we are a multitude of people with the same nature. We are a peculiar people, set apart, and we are all different and unique in God’s eyes. Galatians 5:24 ESV can be the Christian measuring stick, “And those who belong to Christ Jesus have crucified the flesh with its passions and desires.”

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In Closing:

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The Christian testimony in a hostile world is to walk uprightly before God!

Psalm 84:11 ESV “For the Lord God is a sun and shield; the Lord bestows favor and honor. No good thing does he withhold.”

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