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but sanctify the Lord God in your hearts, and be ready always to give an answer to everyone who asks you a reason of the hope in you, with meekness and fear; 1 Peter 3:15
This verse could properly be called the apologist’s verse. Along with Jude 3 many apologetics ministries use this verse as the keystone upon which their ministry is built. There are really two things that are important about this verse.
The verse reminds us that there is a reason for the hope that we have within us. Our faith is not a blind leap of faith, to the chagrin of the existentialists and mystics. Nor is our faith rooted in gnostic knowledge as the Apostle tells us to be ready to give an answer to anyone that asks, not just the initiates.
Our faith is to be one that demonstrates hope to the world. This hope is in word and deed. We cannot just talk about hope rather we must live hope. As Christ’s disciples our lives should be saturated in hope. The expectancy of that which is to come should so envelope our lives that the watching world rushes to ask the follower of Chirst, what is this hope that you have?
Our apologetic should be rooted in fear. Not fear of man as this would contradict the clear teaching of scripture in many places. Rather our apologetic should have a healthy reverential fear of the Lord who sovereignly plucked us as a brand from the fire. Second our answer is to be given with meekness. We are to rely and trust completely in the Lord’s completed work and his sovereign plan of election and predestination. The task before us does not depend on our powers of persuasion or even a method. If we are to be biblical then we are to answer the world with meekness and fear.
Most importantly though we are to sanctify Christ in our hearts. This does not mean that we can add to his holiness. He does not become holy because of man. As John Gill states in his commentary on this verse Christ is essentially, infinitely, and perfectly holy. Rather we are to proclaim his holiness, to exalt his holiness, to give to Christ alone all the praise, honor, and glory.
For the apologist this is the most important point of the verse. We are never to glorify ourselves in the apologetic task. We are to exalt Christ alone as all together wonderful. Remembering that all of the treasures of wisdom and knowledge are hidden in Christ.
Thanks for the encouragement, Dan.