Set Apart

But in your hearts set apart Christ as Lord
1 Peter 3:15

Have you ever seen someone buy or upgrade to something better thinking it was going to make them play a sport better, get the job done quicker or make their life easier. If you think about it that's why infomercials are a Billion dollar a year business. You would think we could be confident in what we already have and put our inner strengths to work instead of something external.

Peter had this in mind when he wrote to the people in this first epistle. He knew they were driven more by worldly change, than they were by the Holy Spirit in their lives. In the first 3 chapters he gave them stern messages about living holy, be sympathetic, passionate and love like brothers. Be humble and live in harmony. But when he got to the 15th verse, he condensed these many admonitions into one. Make Christ Lord over every area which means to give Him total Supremacy in your heart. When you do this, everything I previously talked about automatically happens. That is when the living hope from 1 Peter 1:7 happens. 

....the proven genuineness of your faith-of greater worth than gold, which perishes even though refined by fire-may result in praise, glory and honor when Jesus Christ is revealed. (in You)