Today’s devotion comes from 1 Peter 3:13-17.
“13 Who is there to harm you if you prove zealous for what is good? 14 But even if you should suffer for the sake of righteousness, you are blessed. And do not fear their intimidation, and do not be troubled, 15 but 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; 16 and keep a good conscience so that in the thing in which you are slandered, those who revile your good behavior in Christ will be put to shame. 17 For it is better, if God should will it so, that you suffer for doing what is right rather than for doing what is wrong.” 1 Peter 3:13-17.
————————–
Today’s devotion gives us three things to do.
First, “do not fear their intimidation, and do not be troubled”. Verse 14.
Second, “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”. Verse 15.
Third, “keep a good conscience so that in the thing in which you are slandered, those who revile your good behavior in Christ will be put to shame”. Verse 16.
To do these three things, it helps us to believe in a sovereign and faithful Savior. For example, look what can happen when we more fully believe the following Question and Answer 1 of the Heidelberg Catechism.
Question 1. What is thy only comfort in life and death?
Answer. That I with body and soul, both in life and death, am not my own, but belong unto my faithful Savior Jesus Christ; who, with his precious blood, hath fully satisfied for all my sins, and delivered me from all the power of the devil; and so preserves me that without the will of my heavenly Father, not a hair can fall from my head; yea, that all things must be subservient to my salvation, and therefore, by his Holy Spirit, he also assures me of eternal life, and makes me sincerely willing and ready, henceforth, to live unto him.
First, we will not be intimidated nor troubled, because we know that “without the will of my heavenly Father, not a hair can fall from my head“.
Second, we will sanctify Christ as Lord in our hearts, because we know that we “belong” to Him. He truly is our Lord. We don’t trust our self; we trust our sovereign Lord. It is not a partnership where we need to trust our self to do half of the job. We “set apart” (the meaning of sanctify) Christ as our sovereign Lord.
Third, we will keep a good conscience, because we know that God “makes” us “sincerely” (good conscience) willing and ready, henceforth, to live unto him.
In conclusion, by this belief in our sovereign and faithful Savior Jesus Christ, we don’t approach these three things as three separate “to do” things which we depend on our selves to remember and do all three things. By this belief in our sovereign and faithful Savior, all three things flow together out of us as “living water”, so to speak, out of such belief in our sovereign and faithful Savior.
And, this truly is our only comfort in life and death, throughout whatever suffering we experience.
Reformed Doctrine Daily Devotions 