How To Be Ready Series

In verse 13, we’re told that doing good will make persecution less likely. While he generally believes that this will help, he knows that not all of our adversaries will be so lenient in verse 14. But, even if we suffer, we will be blessed. Matthew 5:10 puts it this way: “Blessed are those who are persecuted because of righteousness, for theirs is the kingdom of heaven.”

The last part of verse 14 contains a quote from Isaiah 8:12-14: “Do not fear what they fear; do not be frightened.” The context in Isaiah 8 describes how Ahaz, who was king of Judah, faced a crisis when the Assyrian army was just about to attack. The kings of Israel and Syria invited Ahaz to join them in an alliance so they could oppose Assyria, but he stubbornly refused. When he turned them down, Israel and Syria begin to make plans to attack Judah. Now, there are three powerful countries poised to pounce on Ahaz!

Unbelievably, Ahaz decides to align himself with the wicked king of Assyria because he is so afraid. The prophet Isaiah warned him against this ungodly partnership and urged him to trust God for deliverance. Peter quotes this passage from Isaiah to remind us that when we are faced with a crisis we may be tempted to give in to our fears and make wrong decisions. The bottom line is that the fear of the Lord conquers every other kind of fear. If our relationship with God is strong, we can handle opposition and even persecution.

As we learned last week, fear can paralyze us. The disciples were huddled in fear in the upper room after the Resurrection. The same word for “fear” that described the disciples is used here in verse 14 and means “to be so frightened that you want to flee.” Have you ever felt that way? I have. It’s especially scary when it comes to witnessing, isn’t it?

Friends, the first step in being ready to make a difference is to demonstrate authenticity in your Christian life. Verse 15 begins with a contrast to verse 14. The word “but” shows that we don’t have to be filled with fear. The word “hearts” is from the Greek, “kardia.” The heart is the most important place in the human system and came to represent man’s entire mental and moral activity. What Peter is about to ask us to do must take place internally, not externally because it must happen at the core of our being.

We are to “set apart Christ as Lord.” To “set apart” means to “sanctify” or “make holy.” Peter is arguing that Jesus must be Lord of our lives. The word “Lord” is a title of honor that demands respect and reverence. It’s the New Testament equivalent of the title “Jehovah.” To say that Jesus is my Lord is to say that He has sovereign power and authority over me and I submit to Him with reverent obedience, because I am His possession. When Jesus is set apart as Lord, He will deliver us from fear.

To live under the lordship of Christ is a command. It’s one thing to acknowledge Jesus as Savior, it’s another thing to make Him Lord of your life. Scripture never separates the Lordship of Jesus from his work as Savior. In the book of Acts, He is referred to as Savior twice, but is called Lord 92 times! When the two titles are mentioned together, Lord always precedes Savior. When Thomas finally recognized Jesus as His Savior after the Resurrection, he exclaimed: “My Lord and my God!” Charles Spurgeon has said, “You cannot have Christ for your Savior unless you also have Him as your Lord.”