Sanctify The Lord God In Our Hearts

by Pastor Mark
April 16, 2026

The call to sanctify

We thank God that He has called us to salvation. We have been redeemed through the Lord Jesus Christ. But God’s plan of salvation does not stop there. We are also called to be sanctified. The Apostle Peter gave this call, “But sanctify the Lord God in your hearts, and always be ready to give a defense to everyone who asks you a reason for the hope that is in you, with meekness and fear” (1 Peter 3:15). The Greek word for “sanctify” is “hagiazo” which means “to be holy, set apart”. How do we sanctify the Lord God in our hearts? It means to hallow the Lord in our hearts. He should be revered and honoured. There should be a sacred awe of God, rooted in a deep appreciation of His holiness.

The problem of the heart

  1. The heart of the problem is the heart.
  2. The heart tends to be filled with many things.
  3. We fill our hearts with the things of the world.
  4. It is defiled, dark and evil.
  5. It becomes divided and distracted.
  6. It is unable to focus on the Lord as we have not sanctified Him.
  7. The heart needs to be cleansed before the Lord can be sanctified.

The cleansing of the heart

“Therefore, having these promises, beloved, let us cleanse ourselves from all filthiness of the flesh and spirit, perfecting holiness in the fear of God.” (2 Corinthians 7:1)

  1. The Apostle Paul also sought to focus on the sanctifying of the heart.
  2. For Paul, the promises of God should be sanctified in our hearts.
  3. The Word of God should fill our hearts, be hallowed and well-regarded.
  4. When we sanctify the Lord and His Word in our hearts, there will also come cleansing.
  5. We can cleanse ourselves of all the filthiness of the flesh and the spirit.
  6. The cleansing of our sin cannot be merely external, but also internal…deep down into the heart and spirit.
  7. Only the Lord and His Word can do such deep cleansing for us.

Godly sorrow

  1. The sorrow of the world is only to show regret and does not go very far.
  2. But godly sorrow produces repentance leading to salvation (2 Corinthians 7:10–11).
  3. There are 7 features in godly sorrow.
  4. Diligence…Godly sorrow produces diligence in us…to be truly careful not to fall.
  5. Clearing of yourself…to make sure that we do not become like our sinful selves again.
  6. Indignation…to be vexed by the sins that affect us.
  7. Fear…to fear falling into sin again.
  8. Vehement desire…a deep desire to be cleansed of our sins.
  9. Zeal…to be zealous in guarding ourselves against falling into sin.
  10. Vindication of self…to prove that our repentance is genuine and that we have changed.

Changes in life

When we sanctify the Lord and His Word in our hearts, we should see real and definite changes in our lives. We should never return to the sins and ways of the world. Our hearts must be filled with God, the Lord Jesus, the Holy Spirit and so much more. Let us be challenged to sanctify the Lord God in our hearts in all that we do in life and ministry.

Back to Article Listing

More Articles

View more