1 Peter 3:15 (YLT)

Passage

and the Lord God sanctify in your hearts. And <FI>be<Fi> ready always for defence to every one who is asking of you an account concerning the hope that <FI>is<Fi> in you, with meekness and fear;

Nearby Context

1 Peter 3:13 and who <FI>is<Fi> he who will be doing you evil, if of Him who is good ye may become imitators?

1 Peter 3:14 but if ye also should suffer because of righteousness, happy <FI>are ye<Fi> ! and of their fear be not afraid, nor be troubled,

1 Peter 3:15 and the Lord God sanctify in your hearts. And <FI>be<Fi> ready always for defence to every one who is asking of you an account concerning the hope that <FI>is<Fi> in you, with meekness and fear;

1 Peter 3:16 having a good conscience, that in that in which they speak against you as evil-doers, they may be ashamed who are traducing your good behaviour in Christ;

1 Peter 3:17 for <FI>it is<Fi> better doing good, if the will of God will it, to suffer, than doing evil;

Study Lenses

The verse centers on "lord", "sanctify", "hearts", "ready", "always", "defence", "asking", and "account". It is saying that the verse draws attention to "lord" and "sanctify", so its meaning should be read from those terms before moving to application.

The nearby context moves from verse 14's "but if ye also should suffer because..." into verse 16's "having a good conscience that in that...", so "lord" and "sanctify" belong inside that flow. In 1 Peter context, the local focus is hope in suffering, holy conduct, submission, and grace.

A plain takeaway is to answer the verse's own emphasis on "lord" and "sanctify" with trust shaped by these words, not by a vague optimism outside the passage.