Deo Gloria
Sermon for May 10, 2026
Pastor Martin Bentz
Text: 1 Peter 3:13-22
Theme: In Your Hearts Set Apart Christ as Lord!
- Whenever you suffer for him
- As you live your life for him
- As you share the hope you have in him
Who is the Lord of your life? Who is the master of your heart, the one to whom you give your love, your devotion, your loyalty? There’s plenty of competition, isn’t there, things that vie for that top spot in your heart? Your job, your money, your family and friends, yourself. But for us as Christians there is only one person who deserves that spot: our Savior Jesus. And in the verses we have before us this morning from his first letter Peter urges us to keep him front and center. In your hearts set apart Christ as Lord!
Why? Well, first of all, because he is the Lord of all creation, the mighty Maker of heaven and earth. He’s the one who made our world and our universe. He’s the one who made you and gave you life. That in itself should be more than enough reason; but there is more.
As Peter mentions in v. 18, he died for you. “For Christ died for sins once for all, the righteous for the unrighteous, to bring you to God.” Should we unpack that a bit? Christ was righteous. He’s the only person in history who never did anything wrong. You and I can’t make that claim. We can’t even make it through one day without doing something wrong. Jesus did it every day, his whole entire life. He was truly righteous. So why did have to die? For you and me, for the unrighteous, for those who do things that are wrong and say things that are wrong and think things that are wrong day after day after day. You see, the unrighteous don’t get to live with God in heaven; in fact, just the opposite. Because of their sins, they deserve to be excluded from heaven and banished to hell for the rest of forever. But Jesus didn’t want to see that happen. He didn’t want to see us spend the rest of eternity banished from God’s presence in hell, so he went to the cross and offered up his life in place of ours, his perfect, sinless life in place of our imperfect and sinful ones, so we could be forgiven. And his goal? To bring us to God, so we could be at peace with God, so we could be in a right relationship with God, so we could know God’s love and peace and blessing now, and so that we could live with him forever in heaven. A friend might put in a good word for you at his place of employment and help you land a new job. That’s great. A teacher might write a letter of recommendation for you and help you get into the college of your choice. That’s great too; but they can’t help you get into heaven. Jesus can, and he has. By his death and resurrection he has brought you to God. I think that’s a pretty good reason to make him Lord of your life—but there’s more.
Notice what Peter says in v. 21: “…and this water symbolizes baptism that now saves you also—not the removal of dirt from the body but the pledge of a good conscience before God. It saves you by the resurrection of Jesus Christ.” To make sure you knew that your sins really are forgiven, God washed them all away in the waters of Holy Baptism. You now have a clean conscience before God. Yes, I know you have a committed a few sins in the meantime, since the time of baptism. Perhaps you’ve committed more than a few sins since the time of your baptism. But it doesn’t matter in the eyes of God. Baptism has saved you. Baptism has cleansed you. Baptism has removed every, single spot and every, single blemish and every, single sin and made you holy and righteous and forgiven. Jesus has saved you through the waters of Holy Baptism.
And now he is ruling in heaven over all things for you. Take another look at the very last verse: “…who has gone into heaven and is at God’s right hand—with angels, authorities and powers in submission to him”(v. 22). Yes, Jesus humbled himself when came into this world to serve as our Savior. Yes, Jesus humbled himself when he suffered and died on Calvary’s cross. But he isn’t humble anymore. As our risen and victorious Savior, Jesus now sits at God’s right hand in honor and power and glory. And he rules over all things—even angels and authorities and powers. O sure, the good angels submit to Jesus, but so does the devil and the demons of hell. Yes, they can do lots of bad things, but they don’t get to do whatever they want. They have to submit to Jesus. The same goes for world leaders or state officials or local authorities. They can’t do whatever they want either. They too have to submit to Jesus. And who does Jesus rule for? For the benefit of his church, for his people, for you and for me. Don’t ever forget that, friends. Don’t ever forget who is the Lord of all, who is the Lord of your life. It isn’t Satan. It’s isn’t addiction. It isn’t your boss or Governor Walz or President Trump. Jesus Christ is Lord of all. In your hearts set apart Christ as Lord.
Doing so makes a difference in your life. It changes your outlook. It changes your perspective on things, like when you face suffering because of your Christian faith. That’s actually the background for what Peter is saying in this section, actually for much of what he says in his entire first letter. Take another look at the first three verses: “Who is going to harm you if you are eager to do good? But even if you should suffer for what is right, you are blessed. ‘Do not fear what they fear; do not be frightened.’ But in your hearts set apart Christ as Lord”(vv. 13-15a). Christians back in Peter’s day often did experience suffering because of their faith in Jesus. Often that suffering came in the form of rejection or ridicule from family members and friends. Sometimes it came in the form of a job loss or exclusion from a local workers’ guild. Sometimes it came in the form of arrest and imprisonment. Sometimes it even came in the form of being fed to the lions in the local arena. Christians today often experience suffering on account of their faith too. They too often experience rejection from family members or friends who are not Christians, especially when they speak up about their Christian faith. They too often experience negative consequences at work or at school when they stand up for what they believe in. Their professor might flunk them out of a class. Their boss might pass them over for a promotion. No, they may not get fed to the lions or get locked up in prison, at least not here in this country; but I do know some people here in this country who have lost their lives because of their Christian faith.
So where do we find comfort and peace and strength in times like that? Where do we find the comfort and peace and strength to deal with rejection and persecution and suffering? Well, first Peter says, “Don’t fear what they fear.” What do they fear? They fear rejection. They fear loss of status or approval from peers. They fear getting a poor grade on a class that is important for their major. They fear the loss of a big promotion or the loss of a career opportunity. “Don’t fear what they fear,” Peter says. Instead in your hearts set apart Christ as Lord. Remember that your boss doesn’t get the final say in your life. Jesus does. Remember that your college professor may flunk you on his exam, but Jesus has given you a passing grade; and his approval gets you into heaven. Remember even when certain family members or friends reject you, Jesus accepts you as his own and he will never turn his back on you. Remember that Jesus is Lord and they are not. In your hearts set apart Christ as Lord.
Keep that in mind as you live your life for him as well. Did you notice the various ways Peter describes living your life for your Savior in these verses? In v. 13 he talks about being “eager to do good.” In v. 16 he talks about “keeping a clear conscience.” In v. 17 he talks about doing good rather than doing evil. And again in v. 16 he says that we should live such good lives that those who speak maliciously against our good behavior in Christ might be ashamed. So where do we find the strength to do that? Where do we find the strength to live a godly life, the strength to say “no” to sin and Satan, the strength to do what’s good and right, the strength to live in such a way that people would actually be embarrassed to accuse you of doing something wrong? I know that strength doesn’t come from me. I know how good I am at living a godly life. I know that all too often I fail. I let my ego and my pride and sinful nature get the better of me and I don’t do what’s good and right. Same thing true of you? The strength has to come from God, doesn’t it? The strength has to come from Jesus our Savior. In your hearts set apart Christ as Lord.
Remember that he is the Lord of your life; you are not. Remember that he is the Lord of your life; Satan is not. Remember that he is the Lord of your life because he gave his life for you to rescue your soul from death and to make you his both now and forever. Remember that by his death and resurrection he has set you free from your sinful, selfish, self-indulgent lifestyle and has given you a new life to live and a new purpose for living—to live your life for him, to thank him for all that he has done for you. The apostle Paul says it this way in 2 Corinthians ch. 5: “For Christ’s love compels us, because we are convinced that one died for all, and therefore all died. And he died for all, that those who live should no longer live for themselves but for him who died for them and was raised again”(vv. 14+15). Let Jesus be your motivation. Let Jesus be your inspiration. Let Jesus be your guide and your helper, your wisdom and your strength. Each and every day set apart Christ as Lord in your heart and live your life for him.
As you do that, as you endure suffering patiently for Jesus, and as you strive to live your life for him day by day, people will notice. Your neighbors and friends will notice. Your classmates and your co-workers will notice. People will notice. And sooner or later they’re bound to ask, “Why?” “Why do you get up and go to church when everyone else in the dorm sleeps in?” “Why were you willing to take an “F” on that exam when others would have lied or cheated just to pass?” “Why were you willing to help that guy at work when he’s always been such a jerk to you?” “Why don’t you swear and tell raunchy jokes like everyone else?” “Why aren’t you afraid of dying like so many other people I know?” So you need to be ready. Peter says you always need to be ready: “Always be prepared to give an answer to everyone who asks you to give the reason for the hope that you have”(v. 15). What if they ask while you’re riding home on the bus after school or after a track meet? What if they ask while you’re riding together on the way to the next job site? What if they ask while you’re hanging out together in the backyard, enjoying a burger and a beer? What would you say?
I have a few suggestions. Be honest with them. Speak from the heart. And tell them about Jesus and why you love him so much, why he means the world to you. You might say something like: “You know, please don’t misunderstand. I’m not perfect, not even close. I often say and do things that are wrong too. And I’m not proud of that, not at all. But that’s why Jesus means so much to me. Without Jesus I would be lost. Without Jesus I would have no peace. Without Jesus I would have no hope. But that’s why Jesus came into this world of ours, why he was born as a baby in Bethlehem. In love he came to be my Savior. In love he came to pay the penalty for all my sins, all the wrongs I’ve said and done. That’s why he suffered and died on the cross, not because of any wrongs he had done, but because of the wrongs I have done. He gave his life for me so that I might be forgiven, so that I might be at peace with God, so that I might enjoy his love and favor now, and so that when this life is over, I might live with him forever in heaven. Besides that he promises to be with me each and every day. He promises to help me and comfort me when I go through trials and troubles. He promises to love me and forgive me even when I screw up. That’s why I try to be honest. That’s why I try not to curse and swear like the other guys. That’s why I try not to get drunk, why I try to be kind and helpful to others. I do it for him, because he’s my Lord and Savior.
What difference does it make? It makes a tremendous difference when we face suffering for our Christian faith. It makes a tremendous difference as we live our lives day by day, as we strive to live a godly life. It makes a tremendous difference as we seek to share the hope we have with others. You and I have a living Lord. And our goal is to keep him first and foremost in our hearts and our lives. In your hearts set apart Christ as Lord. Amen.