Staying Right At Home
Book of 1 Peter
3:1-12
So far as we have
studied the Book of 1 Peter, we have seen how to build our
relationship with God the Father. It must begin through God the Son,
the Lord Jesus Christ. We must be filled and sealed to redemption by
God the Holy Spirit.
It is the Triune God
that has brought about all creation.
It is the Triune God
that has brought about our salvation.
It is the Triune God
that will carry us throughout eternity.
Human reasoning
cannot fathom the reasoning around the Triune God but to doubt the
existence of our God in 3 persons is to doubt the truth of the
Scriptures, for even the Holy Scriptures would not exist without the
strength of God in 3 persons which is the truth of God.
Peter has spent a
lot of time teaching us how to build upon our relationship with our
God and with all the things already considered our relationship with
God must include the relationship we have with our family.
After all God is all
about family! We are to be the family of God! We are to be the "Bride
of Christ"! We are God's children if we accept His own dear Son,
God the Son, the Lord Jesus Christ!
God is One in regard
to essence! God is 3 in regard to persons! We must have understanding
and a complete acceptance of this doctrine!
So to continue to
see how God builds His family, we need to look to our own family, as
the family is to be an example of the doctrine of God!
(Hint: Look at this
wife as the Bride of Christ, God the Father as the Husband)
*****1Pe 3:1
Likewise, ye wives, be in subjection to your own husbands; that, if
any obey not the word, they also may without the word be won by the
conversation of the wives;
1Pe 3:2 While they
behold your chaste conversation coupled with fear.
God's family
planning is to show us the design of the ultimate family of God. In
all things, men and women are created equal except for some bodily
functions.
After the man and
the woman come together, the woman is to bear the child. This one
thing is observed throughout creation.
In reality, in the
family there must be a head of the family like the Lord Jesus is the
Head of the Church!
As we study this
passage, we must understand that the entire theme is giving ourselves
to God after He has made us to be a part of His family!
If the Christian
wife wants to give herself to God, in doing so she must also submit
herself to her own husband in God's design for the family!
Notice that phrase
"own husband". God did not want women to think they had to
submit to any other husband of someone else!
In reality the
Christian wife is to place herself under the authority and the
control of her husband, but this is to be as the Bride of Christ is
to live under the authority of the Lord Jesus Christ.
There are some keys
that we must understand.
1Co 11:3 But I
would have you know, that the head of every man is Christ; and the
head of the woman is the man; and the head of Christ is God.
This family will not
work as the Lord describes, unless that husband has submitted himself
to Christ, the woman also submitting herself to Christ.
Eph 5:22 Wives,
submit yourselves unto your own husbands, as unto the Lord.
Eph 5:23 For the
husband is the head of the wife, even as Christ is the head of the
church: and he is the saviour of the body.
Eph 5:24 Therefore
as the church is subject unto Christ, so let the wives be to their
own husbands in every thing.
Eph 5:25 Husbands,
love your wives, even as Christ also loved the church, and gave
himself for it;
Eph 5:26 That he
might sanctify and cleanse it with the washing of water by the word,
Eph 5:27 That he
might present it to himself a glorious church, not having spot, or
wrinkle, or any such thing; but that it should be holy and without
blemish.
Eph 5:28 So ought
men to love their wives as their own bodies. He that loveth his wife
loveth himself.
The main key being,
we must all obey the doctrine of God, not the doctrine of this world
or the doctrine of some man!
Rom 6:17 But God be
thanked, that ye were the servants of sin, but ye have obeyed from
the heart that form of doctrine which was delivered you.
Rom 6:18 Being then
made free from sin, ye became the servants of righteousness.
God is building the
perfect family, The Lord and the "Bride of Christ". The
family upon this earth should resemble the family of God to be a true
family.
It is the families
that are suffering the most upon this earth.
You know many things
are said in trying to stop abortion but "if the men" would
follow the Word of God themselves, abortion would cease to exist!
The wife is to be a
beautiful example of the "Bride of Christ" and therefore a
true witness of the Gospel of Jesus Christ!
Php 1:27 Only let
your conversation be as it becometh the gospel of Christ: that
whether I come and see you, or else be absent, I may hear of your
affairs, that ye stand fast in one spirit, with one mind striving
together for the faith of the gospel;
Php 1:28 And in
nothing terrified by your adversaries: which is to them an evident
token of perdition, but to you of salvation, and that of God.
What makes the wife
to be beautiful to God and therefore the husband?
*****1Pe 3:3 Whose
adorning let it not be that outward adorning of plaiting the hair,
and of wearing of gold, or of putting on of apparel;
1Pe 3:4 But let it
be the hidden man of the heart, in that which is not corruptible,
even the ornament of a meek and quiet spirit, which is in the sight
of God of great price.
There is absolutely
nothing wrong with a woman trying to do everything she can to look
beautiful to her husband, but it is not the way she fixes her hair.
It is not adorning herself with gold and it is not trying to find the
nicest apparel.
It is the same
things that please God!
God looks into the
heart of all His children.
A man, if He takes
the time to truly look into the heart of a woman, instead of that
outside adornment, he will find that wife that will truly please him
and who is already pleasing to God!
You see, it is the
"Gospel of Jesus Christ that will produce these qualities in
that adoring wife that will make her fairer than all others!
It is the Body of
Christ that is the Church! Many see the Church as a building, but a
building is only the house where the Body of Christ meets to worship
God.
It does not take the
most beautiful buildings to serve the church for it's not what is on
the outside of any house of God that is important, but it is the
"heart" of the congregation on the inside that makes the
church.
Much money spent on
adorning the outside of buildings could be spent on promoting the
Gospel of Jesus Christ.
Having said that,
God does not want to the Church to reside in tents, but nice
buildings well equipped to make disciples, is the purpose that should
come first!
Remember we are to
be good stewards of the tithes and offerings to God!
Will heaven be a
place of great adornment? We must trust the Scriptures, but the one
thing Heaven will be is perfect.
We have no idea what
perfect looks like nor can we describe perfect!
What does the
perfect woman of God look like?
A heart given to
God, a beautiful ornament of a meek and quiet spirit that is
uncorruptable, which when God sees this, He knows the woman has paid
a great price to be this way in our evil world.
This is a woman who
is noticed. A woman who has this inward holiness, is well worth
holding onto but without leaving your first love which must remain
the Lord!
A godly woman will
not be trying to attract the world to herself, she will be trying to
attract the lost to the Lord, and she does this buy first being in
submission to the Lord, then in submission to her husband and then to
the welfare of her family, not willing to lose any of them to Satan!
Jas 1:21 Wherefore
lay apart all filthiness and superfluity of naughtiness, and receive
with meekness the engrafted word, which is able to save your souls.
Jas 1:22 But be ye
doers of the word, and not hearers only, deceiving your own selves.
Isa 57:15 For thus
saith the high and lofty One that inhabiteth eternity, whose name is
Holy; I dwell in the high and holy place, with him also that is of a
contrite and humble spirit, to revive the spirit of the humble, and
to revive the heart of the contrite ones.
According to the
Lord we can see that holy women of old, as far back as Abraham and
Sara had no problem with all these things and they were not slaves to
their husbands.
*****1Pe 3:5 For
after this manner in the old time the holy women also, who trusted in
God, adorned themselves, being in subjection unto their own husbands:
1Pe 3:6 Even as
Sara obeyed Abraham, calling him lord: whose daughters ye are, as
long as ye do well, and are not afraid with any amazement.
Again we see the
greatest quality of that precious lady is her holiness. Far greater
than great riches and beauty!
Beauty fades with
age and sickness.
Wealth finds so many
ways to disappear.
Grace holds on to
eternal life and even God blesses such a woman.
Remember Jesus
possesses Heaven and Earth, but He also had a mother!
When a godly
gracious man meets a godly gracious woman in the love of God, a
family has begun!
Notice Peter does
not mention women of the world, but some women who already had their
names written down in the Scriptures.
If a woman has
become a Christian after her marriage, then there is a very good
chance she could win her husband over to the Lord!
If a woman is
Christian along with her husband, then she will be in subjection to
her husband.
Col 3:18 Wives,
submit yourselves unto your own husbands, as it is fit in the Lord.
It is by Sarah that
the nation of Israel was formed.
It is by Sara that
we can have such a godly example.
Her daughters would
be all those who have followed her in the examples of godliness.
When Peter looked at
these things, he could see nothing in the world that could resemble
the family of Abraham and Sara!
Abraham was the
father of all believers:
Rom_4:16 Therefore
it is of faith, that it might be by grace; to the end the promise
might be sure to all the seed; not to that only which is of the law,
but to that also which is of the faith of Abraham; who is the father
of us all,
Sara also had great
faith and mother of all wives of holiness.
Heb 11:11 Through
faith also Sara herself received strength to conceive seed, and was
delivered of a child when she was past age, because she judged him
faithful who had promised.
Gal 3:7 Know ye
therefore that they which are of faith, the same are the children of
Abraham. (By his wife Sara)
Men never get off
the hook with God, yes women were to subject themselves to the man,
but God holds the man accountable for the family.
Watch that word
"likewise".
*****1Pe 3:7
Likewise, ye husbands, dwell with them according to knowledge, giving
honour unto the wife, as unto the weaker vessel, and as being heirs
together of the grace of life; that your prayers be not hindered.
The Bible pulls no
punches with the husband. Each husband is to live with his own wife,
not some other woman, and he is to understand and honor her with the
highest esteem!
This same husband as
a father, is to see that his children are taught the Word of God.
Isa 54:13 And all
thy children shall be taught of the LORD; and great shall be the
peace of thy children.
Notice that the man
is to dwell with his wife. This is not just living together, but it
covers all the things of married life!
The man is to dwell
with his wife, and not anyone else, he is not to know anyone else
other than a godly friend.
He is to dwell with
her in purity, righteousness and holiness!
To dwell means he is
not to be gone all the time but must reserve some time just for her!
He must set aside
some time for his wife. Remember all the time of the Lord is spent in
concern for His Bride!
He is to be a close
companion not a faraway companion.
He is the leader of
a godly team, he and his wife!
Obviously, this is
not to do away with individuality, but this is never a problem
between two loving people.
It is all these
things a man should consider before he even takes a woman to be his
wife!
Mar 10:6 But from
the beginning of the creation God made them male and female.
Mar 10:7 For this
cause shall a man leave his father and mother, and cleave to his
wife;
Mar 10:8 And they
twain shall be one flesh: so then they are no more twain, but one
flesh.
Mar 10:9 What
therefore God hath joined together, let not man put asunder.
Outside the family
there are still things the man and woman of God must do.
*****1Pe 3:8
Finally, be ye all of one mind, having compassion one of another,
love as brethren, be pitiful, be courteous:
1Pe 3:9 Not
rendering evil for evil, or railing for railing: but contrariwise
blessing; knowing that ye are thereunto called, that ye should
inherit a blessing.
Maybe the greatest
problem with Christianity, is the fact that we are not all of one
mind.
The Apostle Peter
was not the only one who taught this principle by the Holy Spirit, so
was the Apostle Paul.
Rom 15:5 Now the
God of patience and consolation grant you to be likeminded one toward
another according to Christ Jesus:
Rom 15:6 That ye
may with one mind and one mouth glorify God, even the Father of our
Lord Jesus Christ.
The church is to be
unified in one thing in particular, we are all to be in one mind
concerning the "Gospel" of Jesus Christ and just so we are
all not to forget it, Jesus Christ is the foundation of the Church
and the Church is to teach the Doctrine of the Apostles and the
Prophets.
It is easy to see
how the mainline denominations have strayed from this truth!
Where is the unity
and the compassion? Many a church now act like each church is the
enemy of the other.
What happened to
love and be loved as brethren?
What happened to
being pitiful, which is being sympathetic and courteous?
We are all to know,
that it is evil to go against the written Word of God and it is even
more evil for anybody who have chosen to go against the Scriptures to
bring evil upon those who adhere to the Word of God!
Any, body of
believers that have accepted the leaven of those who teach that the
marriage between one man and one woman is now meaningless and
marriage can be between anyone including animals, are a joke to the
truth of God.
We cannot allow the
courts and the politicians to determine what a godly marriage is to
be!
All those who call
themselves Christians, but allow babies to be murdered (yes, I said
murdered) in the womb, saying they have some kind of right to do so,
are a joke to the truth of God!
Contrariwise, we
have forgotten that we are to be a blessing to one another, and we
are not to allow the world, nor the things of this world, inside the
Church.
What happened to the
spirit of oneness to the truth of God?
What happened to a
repenting soul knowing they have sinned!
Sin is sin because
the Scriptures say so, it is not open to discussion to politicians
nor the world, nor world governments!
There are no
blessings to those who toss the Word of God out, there is only a
place called Hell, which itself will be tossed into the "Burning
Lake of God"!
Rom 12:1 I beseech
you therefore, brethren, by the mercies of God, that ye present your
bodies a living sacrifice, holy, acceptable unto God, which is your
reasonable service.
Rom 12:2 And be not
conformed to this world: but be ye transformed by the renewing of
your mind, that ye may prove what is that good, and acceptable, and
perfect, will of God.
We cannot teach the
Word of God properly without mentioning the sin in our world, but the
true church must take a stand in this evil world and those who do so,
must be likeminded teaching the truth of God and still showing the
truth of God!
God says we must not
forget to hate evil, and there is to be no compromise with evil!
*****1Pe 3:10 For
he that will love life, and see good days, let him refrain his tongue
from evil, and his lips that they speak no guile:
1Pe 3:11 Let him
eschew evil, and do good; let him seek peace, and ensue it.
What is a life worth
living upon this earth?
Psa 34:11 Come, ye
children, hearken unto me: I will teach you the fear of the LORD.
Psa 34:12 What man
is he that desireth life, and loveth many days, that he may see good?
Psa 34:13 Keep thy
tongue from evil, and thy lips from speaking guile.
Psa 34:14 Depart
from evil, and do good; seek peace, and pursue it.
What does God want
us to clearly understand, before we allow the world to influence the
Church?
Rom 1:17 For
therein is the righteousness of God revealed from faith to faith: as
it is written, The just shall live by faith.
Rom 1:18 For the
wrath of God is revealed from heaven against all ungodliness and
unrighteousness of men, who hold the truth in unrighteousness;
Rom 1:19 Because
that which may be known of God is manifest in them; for God hath
shewed it unto them.
Rom 1:20 For the
invisible things of him from the creation of the world are clearly
seen, being understood by the things that are made, even his eternal
power and Godhead; so that they are without excuse:
Rom 1:21 Because
that, when they knew God, they glorified him not as God, neither were
thankful; but became vain in their imaginations, and their foolish
heart was darkened.
While we are upon
this earth, we learn the principles of life and the Word of God
directs us to that life that is a blessing to our God, if we listen
to what He says.
Life has never been
about, "do what we want to anytime we want to"!
Life is about
knowing there is an enmity that has given us this life and His
purpose is for us to learn about Him and His character and His truths
and then, life as He describes and then a precious future that is a
life that we cannot even imagine!
That word eschew
means, that we are to do everything we can do stay away from evil!
To avoid doing evil
ourselves and taking no part in the evils of the world, but also the
evils that have entered into many a place that at one time were true
houses of God, but are now no more than a platform for the Devil to
broadcast his definition of life, which is a dead life or not a life
at all but being in the slave market of Satan!
If we will avoid
evil as bests we can, do good and never bad, seek the peace of God
and all the blessings that come with a personal relationship with the
Lord Jesus Christ and ensue it, then we can know life here as God
expects us to know it.
By the way Peter
used that word “ensue” which means to follow these things with
the full force of our being!
We are never to be a
bunch of wimps in our Christian stance before this world and before
all evil!
There is a very good
reason we are to be this way in this life!
*****1Pe 3:12 For
the eyes of the Lord are over the righteous, and his ears are open
unto their prayers: but the face of the Lord is against them that do
evil.
Jehovah God is the
source of all life!
As the righteous, we
have the true love of God, and to all His commandments, and not allow
ourselves to be drawn into anything contrary to the revealed Word of
God!
There are and never
will be any revisions to the Word God given to the writers of the
Scriptures.
There are no lost
books of the Bible.
Remember God gave
these words to the writers, "so they are the actual words of our
Creator"!
2Ti 3:16 "All
scripture" is given by inspiration of God, and is profitable for
doctrine, for reproof, for correction, for instruction in
righteousness:
2Ti 3:17 That the
man of God may be perfect, throughly furnished unto all good works.
Those who love the
Lord, can only be perfect in the eyes of God by learning and loving
the Holy Ghost inspired Word of God!
Then there are those
who intentionally do evil!
All of us are
capable to do evil in most cases by ignorance, but those who
intentionally live a life of evil, rejecting the Word of God, will
find that the Lord God Jehovah is against them as long as they have
chosen this life!
What does God say
again?
Eze 15:7 And I will
set my face against them; they shall go out from one fire, and
another fire shall devour them; and ye shall know that I am the LORD,
when I set my face against them.
Eze 15:8 And I will
make the land desolate, because they have committed a trespass, saith
the Lord GOD.
Psalms 34:16 The
face of the LORD is against them that do evil, to cut off the
remembrance of them from the earth.
Psa 9:16 The LORD
is known by the judgment which he executeth: the wicked is snared in
the work of his own hands. Higgaion. Selah.
God knows most of
those who are evil will never read these things, so they are written
for our assurance but also for our admonition.
We need to serve the
Lord, but we must serve the Lord according to what He has taught us!
Remember the things
God write to us are also His promises!
Amen
Let us all pray!
