Semper Paratus!

The United States Coast Guard has as its motto the Latin phrase, “Semper Paratus” – Always Ready. The Coast Guard stands “Always Ready” to seek and save those who have become lost at sea and to defend our shores against those who seek to do our country harm.

We're always ready for the call,
We place our trust in Thee.
Through howling gale and shot and shell,
To win our victory.
"Semper Paratus" is our guide,
Our pledge, our motto, too.
We're "Always Ready," do or die!
Aye! Coast Guard, we fight for you.

The Coast Guard must be ready at all times because they never know when the SAR (search and rescue) alarm might sound off and call them out into some of the worst weather imaginable to rescue the lost. One might ask how they are able to maintain a high state of readiness at all times. The answer is simple – they train, they drill and they train some more. They train so hard to do their mission – they practice their techniques over and over again to the point that it is second nature – that when the time comes to rescue someone or to intercept a smuggler they just go out and do it. They have prepared themselves for the mission and they courageously execute it.

Christians could learn a few lessons from the United States Coast Guard. Christians ought to adopt the same motto as the Coast Guard – “Semper Paratus”, “Always Ready”. In fact, the Bible commands us to be “Semper Paratus” when it comes to defending or proclaiming the truth. 1 Peter 3:15 “But sanctify the Lord God in your hearts: and be ready always to give an answer to every man that asketh you a reason of the hope that is in you with meekness and fear.” In the Latin Vulgate Bible, the phrase “ready always” is rendered “parati semper.” “Parati” is a derivative of “paratus” – both carry the same meaning: ready or prepared. So in essence, Peter tells us to be Semper Paratus!

Peter teaches us the need to be “Always Ready” to “give an answer.” The word “answer” here is from the Greek word “apologia”. In English, an apologia is not an admission of guilt, like an apology, but rather it is “a desire to make clear the grounds for some course, belief, or position.” (Webster’s Dictionary) In other words, “to give an answer,” means to make a scriptural defense for the things that we believe. We must be always ready to tell people the reason why we have this hope within us and to support this belief with the scriptures.

The question is how to achieve this level of preparedness and to be “Semper Paratus” to explain or defend our faith. Again, we can look to the Coast Guard for this answer as well – train (study), drill (practice), train (study) some more! Know your Bible! Peter said, “But sanctify the Lord God in your hearts...” “Sanctify” means to make holy, consecrate, or venerate. To “sanctify the Lord God” in our hearts means that we put Him first in our thoughts and in our daily life. We begin to do this as we, “study” to show ourselves “approved unto God, a workman that needeth not to be ashamed, rightly dividing the word of truth.” 2 Timothy 2:15. We are sanctified by the Word of God. “Sanctify them through thy truth: thy word is truth.” John 17:17.

As we study and learn more about God and what He has done for us our faith increases and grows stronger. As we constantly seek to apply what we have learned to our daily lives and to carrying out the Great Commission, we become more effective at our mission of saving those who are lost and defending against those who would seek to destroy our faith. After we have sanctified “the Lord God” in our hearts by studying and applying His Word, we will find that we have become Semper Paratus – Always Ready “to give an answer to every man that asketh...”