Embracing Submission As a Way of Life: Christian Spouses to One Another - 1 Peter 3:1-7

0:53I didn't plan this, by the way. I thought I'd woke up Monday morning, started looking at this, and wow, I guess this is where we're going next. As those of you who are with us know, we take, we're working our way through 1 Peter, and we just take the next block of scripture in our path. It just happens to be this today. So we rest in the knowledge that God has a purpose for our thoughts being here this morning. So let's start over. In the same way, you wives, be submissive to your own husbands. So that even Even if any of them are disobedient to the word, they may be won without a word by the behavior of their wives, as they observe your chaste and respectable behavior. Your adornment must not be merely external, braiding the hair, and wearing gold, jewelry, or putting on dresses, but let it be the hidden person of the heart with the imperishable quality of a gentle and quiet spirit, which is precious in the sight of God. For in this way, in former times, the holy women also who hoped in God used to adorn themselves, being submissive to their own husbands. Just as Sarah obeyed Abraham, calling him Lord, and you have become her children if you do what is right without being frightened by any fear. You husbands, in the same way, live with your wives in an understanding way, as with someone weaker, since she is a woman, and show her honor as a fellow heir of the grace of life, so that your prayers will not be hindered.

2:35Well, as we come into this section, the very last thought of the section before this, as Peter was dealing with the obligation of servants before their masters, he closes in verse 25, speaking about the shepherd and guardian of your souls, literally the supervisor of your soul. Christ is the supervisor of your soul, and he has other objects. Little supervisors that he puts in your life for his purposes. And submission of any kind, first of all, starts with faith. Colossians 1:16 says, For by him all things were created, both in the heavens and on the earth, visible and invisible, whether thrones or dominions, or rulers, or authorities. All things have been created through him and for him. God has a purpose for certain authorities that he has placed in your life.

3:35And going against them is going against God, going against a tutor that God has placed in your life for a purpose. So, what is God's will for your life? God's will for your life and for my life is to embrace submission to every God-ordained authority in your life. And the portion of 1 Peter that we are now in does a good job answering the question: what is God's will for my life? What is God's will for my life? We've asked that over. It's a question that's frequently asked, that I am asked, What is God's will for my life? And I can tell you, and what Peter is telling this body of believers who are scattered under the persecution of their day, he's telling them to. Embrace submission as a way of life. He's talked about the area of politics. He's talked about the workplace. And now he's going to speak about the home. And I promise you that if you will wholeheartedly embrace submission to the authorities that God has placed in your life, your day will be so filled with activities that you will hardly have to wonder what God's will is for your life. If you will wholeheartedly embrace this principle, you see, God's will isn't intended to be difficult to know. And showing respects for the positions of authority is going to go a long way in shaping the daily activities of your life.

5:21So, so far, he has addressed politics, he's addressed the workplace, and he is specifically concerned about those relationships where the church is interacting with the unbelieving Gentile world, those who are outside of Christ. And his whole purpose in this section is to say, keep your behavior excellent among the Gentiles. Keep your behavior so beautiful so that people will see your life and they will observe your good deeds and, as a result, glorify God as He visits them.

6:00Purpose for excellent behavior in his people is redemptive. So other people will see the doctrine of our God on display and they will come to receive him. And now he's going to talk about the home. He's going to address wives and then he's going to address the husbands. And in the context of Roman law, this is very profound. Roman law, Patria Potestas, the name, was the power of the head of the Roman family that he had over his wife, his children, his descendants, his slaves, even the free men in his home. The father had complete control, even to the point of death. He had control over the rights and duties of all the members of his household.

7:04And under Roman law, a woman had no rights. When she was under her father, she had no rights. And then when she was married, her power was transferred over to her husband. She was entirely subject to her husband and completely at his mercy. You can almost see how. The domestic slaves would have felt in the day. As Peter is saying, be submissive to your masters, literally, the despot of your house, you be submissive to them. In fact, Barclay records a number of Roman people that said some very strange or what we would consider awful things today. Cato was typical of the ancient Romans, said, If you were to catch your wife in an act of infidelity, you can kill her with impunity without a trial.

8:12Roman matrons were prohibited from drinking wine. One individual beat his wife to death when he found her drinking. Another dismissed his wife because she had once appeared in the streets without a veil. Another one divorced his wife because he secretly saw her speaking to a freed woman in public. Another divorced his wife because she went to the public games. Such is the world under false religious systems. It's true then, it's true today. So, how should a Christian wife act towards an unbelieving husband in this context? There is an interface there.

9:01Where the believing world connects with the unbelieving world. How should a Christian husband act toward his wife? He's going to address both of those in the seven verses that we'll look at this morning. And the whole purpose that I want us to look at this is so that you and I will be submissive to our God-given roles in the home. First word to the wives, second to the husband. And this isn't just about wives and just about husbands, it's about the principles that God has laid out in Scripture for all of us to look at. And though some of you may not be married, some of you may not have wives or families or children or whatever, there's still application here because it reveals to us the nature and heart of God, and there is application in your situations as well. I first want to look at the Christian wives to their husbands. Wives to husbands. Look back at verse 3 and chapter 3, verse 1. And this answers the question: how does a wife, under submission to God, relate to her husband? How does a wife under submission to God relate? Look at verse 1, in the same way. In the same way. And that looks back to the duty of submission that has already previously been outlined. First, Citizens are to be submissive to their government. Second, domestic slaves to their master. Third, the same vein of thought, same language. Wives, be submissive to your husband. And be submissive. The word is taken from the idea to arrange under. Wives, arrange the affairs of your life under the affairs and the directives and the personality and the desires and the general life direction of your husband. In other words, wives, study your husbands, take your cues from him.

11:11And notice it's important to recognize here that we're talking about wives to your own husbands, not all women to all men. Talking specifically to wives, Christian wives. This is a message to Christian wives to their husbands. Would stop short of saying, okay, here, everybody, go do this. I would say the message of the Scripture to you who are not a believer is, first of all, you need to come to Christ. That is the message of the Bible. It's not about putting on a morality, it's about you coming to Christ. And those of you who want to follow Christ and put him on will learn to be submissive to the authorities that God has placed in your life.

12:00The Bible does not teach moralism. It teaches coming to Christ and then following in Christ's steps. And so this is a message to Christian women, specifically before unbelieving husbands for the most part, but certainly applicable to all. But notice the goal. So there's the directive. Be submissive to your own husbands. Look at the goal for this direction. So that, back to verse 1, be submissive to your own husbands, so that even if any of them are disobedient to the word, they may be won without a word by the behavior of their wives as they observe your chaste and respectable behavior. So there's somebody here who has a disobedient husband, probably disobedient to the word, simply maybe unbelieving. Somebody who is disobedient to the gospel, refusing to obey, refusing to believe. But it can also extend beyond that to those who may be adamantly opposed to the gospel and even include the unreasonable. Think about the servants who were given the command to be submissive to their husbands, even to those who are unreasonable. And there were no doubt some women who found themselves with a new faith. Under the leadership and married to an unreasonable man, a despot in the house.

13:42And why? That they may be one, literally gained for Christ, that they may be one. That's the purpose, is that they may be one without a word, not by words that come out of the mouth, not by a bunch of theology being laid out in a verbal form, but by demonstrations of the truth. And Peter has already made it clear that salvation regeneration does not happen apart from words of truth. But the truth here is not the truth that is necessarily spoken, but is demonstrated. Demonstrated, the principle of Scripture being lived out and demonstrated before the eyes of an unbeliever.

14:33What he's saying is: look, you can win this battle without even a shot being fired. That's the idea. Without a word. Notice the preposition at the end of verse 1. It is through the behavior of their wives, or by the behavior of their wives. Through. Through that behavior. Think about it. Salvation. Is going to come by means of the behavior of the wife, by the manner and conduct of the life, by her living exposition of God's word in her daily life. And this is what Peter is saying in verse 12, chapter 2 and verse 12. Keep your behavior excellent. Keep your daily life excellent.

15:28And he says this to all. So what does excellent behavior for a wife in this context look like? Well, he goes on, verse 2. See the word chaste and respectful. Chaste and respectful behavior. Chaste speaks of her purity, her holiness, her set apartness from the worldly norms, her set apartness from the contemporary pagan norms of Roman culture. Respectful, literally fear. Fear. A manner of life which is characterized by respect, fear, and trepidation. And fear of what? Fear of the husband? Well, I think so, to some degree. His position of authority, there is to be a level of respect, recognizing that God in His sovereignty has placed him. Where he's at, has placed her where she is at, and she has a level of fear for his position.

16:39But I think, even another aspect of this is that it carries the fear of bringing shame upon the gospel by an unchaste conduct, or by an unchaste action, or by an unholy lifestyle. It's a fear of bringing the least stain of unchastity upon the gospel of Christ. It's the fear of the faintest shade or shadow that would diminish the message of our Lord and Savior, Jesus Christ. I think that's what Peter is getting at. Live a chaste and respectful life.

17:30Fear of bringing even a hint of stain upon the name of Christ. And how are they going to be one? Through the behavior of their wife, the daily conduct, by observing the chaste and respectable behavior of their wife, they will be one, maybe one to Christ. This is an important observation to make here. Godly conduct wins lives. Whether it's in this conduct or whether it's in any other context, godly conduct wins lives. It does not replace the word, but it effectively communicates it. Life and conduct, life and doctrine go together.

18:21Your belief in Christ is reflected in the way you live, much more than we realize. And it is this godly conduct which is the means through which lives are one to Christ. You see, the message of the gospel cannot hardly be separated from the conduct of the messenger, contrary to what anybody else may say. What comes out of you is who you are, and you do communicate your view of God and your love for Christ daily in all of your activities. It does come through.

19:06And that's why in Philippians 1:27, Paul is adamant, only conduct yourself in a manner worthy of the gospel. So, Peter is telling this wife in this situation to be chaste, to be respectful. Now, the question is: what is chastity and respectability? This context. Or, how, perhaps, as he goes on to speak, how does a godly woman adorn herself? What does godly femininity look like in this context? Look at verse 3. Your adornment must not be merely external. One thing about God is he loves to adorn things. He can look into nature and see it all around, whether it's the incredible stars at night and space and the beautiful cosmos, what he is, he adorns it. He doesn't just make it functional, he makes it beautiful. I see it in the fields of flowers. I see it in the individual flower. I see it in the birds. I see it all around. I see it, if you've ever been snorkeling on a reef, I mean, there is a beauty there that staggers the mind.

20:37God loves to adorn things. He didn't just create a functional universe. He created a beautiful universe. He even went beyond that and decorated it brilliantly and beautifully. This is the nature of God. He adorns things. And certainly, he has in his mind. What beautiful, godly femininity looks like. He adorns things. And he expects that a woman will be adorned. And he delights that it should be so. So, what does godly adornment look like? Well, in verse 3, first of all, he describes what it is not.

21:25What it is not. Your adornment must not be merely external. Braiding the hair, wearing gold jewelry, or putting on dresses must not be. This is an imperative command. This must not be how you decorate yourself. It must not be of the character and nature of the world. It must be very different. The world is not the adornment or the cosmos, literally, the cosmos is that used there. The world must not be put on. So, what does he say here? Four expressions. Look there. It is not to be merely external. That is merely focused upon decorating the body. Your beauty, your adornment as a Christian woman follower of Christ is not to be merely focused upon the body.

22:31It is not to be just the braiding of the hair, the wearing of gold jewelry, the putting on dresses. And all of these are speaking about the decorations of high fashion. Obviously, he's cultures throughout time braid their hair. That isn't necessarily an expression of, okay, you guys, I see that braid there. That's not what he. At the time and in the culture, what goes along with this is the high fashion, the decorations of chasing fashion and merely fashion. It's the mindset and attitude that seeks to adorn the body and the body alone. It's a shallowness.

23:25And by the way, let me just say something here at this point to ladies. Ladies, a lot of you have a much finer taste for and an eye for things that the men have no clue about. I mean, much of this effort is wasted, if I could put it that way. I mean, most of us men do not know the difference between cut glass and a diamond, or a red stained glass and a ruby. We don't have that. Nor do we have the eye for the fine silks and the fine laces and the differences between fabrics.

24:10We don't really know what's in style. Let me give you an example of just how clueless some of us can be. When Nancy and I were engaged, we lived at the boys' ranch out here. She lived in a trailer on the property, and for some reason, on some occasion, I had to go in there. She wasn't around, and I needed something like a key or something. I can't remember exactly what it was, but I rushed into her room. We were engaged. And I picked up whatever it was. I came out and later saw her and told her I got whatever it was I picked up or whatever. And she was mad at me. Like, what did I do? She said, Didn't you see my wedding dress? Like, no, I didn't see a wedding dress. And there it was in the center of the room on a big dress rack displayed for all to see. I walked right, never even saw it, walked right out. So, ladies, I can assure you that a lot of times your efforts are wasted on mere external decorations. Let me tell you something. A worldly-minded woman is not going to win her husband to Christ. She can't because she is just like her worldly-minded husband. If her husband is worldly-minded and she is worldly-minded, she can't win him anywhere.

25:43A woman who is enamored with herself, her body, and how she appears in public is not chaste and probably more suspect in her husband's eyes than respectable. Proverbs 11:22 says, As a ring of gold in a swine's snout, so is a beautiful woman who lacks discretion. What a picture, especially in Judea, in Israel. Pigs were unclean, pigs that represent the woman's character, the ring, her external beauty. A woman who is very beautiful on the exterior, who lacks discretion, is like a pig with a ring. So, what is Peter saying? Is he saying that a woman should just let herself go to seed?

26:40Is Peter telling women not to think about their physical appearance at all? So, is Peter saying the way to win your wife is to be or to win your husband is to be messy, shabby, frazzled, and unkept? Is that the godliness that he's wanting? No. No, not at all. In fact, I'm not going to be able to do that. I can say that a woman who lets herself go is also neither chaste nor being respectable to her husband. So, Peter in verse 3 has described what godly adornment is not. Then he goes on in verse 4 to describe what it is. What it is. Look at verse 4. But let it be the hidden person of the heart with the imperishable quality of a gentle and quiet spirit, which is precious in the sight of God. And he gives four expressions. There is the hidden person of the heart, that contrasting the outside with the inside. God is far more concerned about what's on the inside than he is on the outside. Then there is the comparison between the eternal and the temporal. That is the imperishable quality and that which perishes. If you're merely about adorning your body, your body is going to perish.

27:58And what God is interested in is something that's going to endure a beauty. He wants women adorned with beauty that's going to endure, that has that same imperishable quality. Then there's a gentleness and the quiet spirit. Opposite is a rebellious spirit, maybe a rough spirit. A quiet spirit is a discreet spirit, one that doesn't react. In a hot and hasty fashion, one who is under control, one who is not disorderly and not disorderly in her conduct, but one who can bear graciously with the disorderly conduct of others. That's what a quiet spirit is about. One that is not disorderly but can bear the disorderliness of others. That is what is beautiful, because that's exactly what our Lord did. That is exactly what he has called servants to do, citizens to do. A gentle and quiet spirit is one that puts up with the demands of others without causing any demands itself.

29:16And such ornaments, look back, are precious in the sight of God. These are the ornaments of the soul that God esteems. Very precious is the word. Very valuable. It's the same word as that valuable, costly perfume that was poured out in Mark chapter 14 upon the head of Jesus. You know, I often think if you and I were there that day, the day before, or the week of his crucifixion, and we saw that costly oil being poured out, would we ourselves have poured out that costly oil ourselves?

30:00Well, I think the answer to that question lies in the day-to-day submission to the authorities in your life. I think there's a far greater connection because when we pour out ourselves in submission to the authorities that God has placed, it is like precious oil. And that's what he is saying here, to bear up unjustly. That pleases God. He's already said that earlier with the servants. Why are such adornments immortal? Because they are precious to God. And they will never go out of style. Because they will never cease being precious to God.

30:50So he says what godly femininity isn't, and then he says what it is, but then he goes on to give an illustration. Look at verse, what is it, five? For in this way, in former times, the holy women also who hoped in God used to adorn themselves, being submissive to their own husbands. Former times, he could say, once upon a time, there were holy women who hoped in God, and let me tell you how they dressed. Let me tell you how they adorned themselves. They were being submissive to their own husband. This is the very command that's given in verse 1.

31:27And the example is Sarah, one of the most remote. Remembered women in history. Verse 6, just as Sarah obeyed Abraham, calling him Lord, she called Abraham Lord. You remember when Abraham, God called Abraham out of his country into go forth in chapter 12 of Genesis? Well, guess what? That had huge impacts on Sarah, right? Take everything. God said, Abraham, come. Abraham said, Sarah, we have to go. Pack up. She went. And I wonder what history would have been like had Sarah said no.

32:19I have no idea. But I'm sure it would have made life a lot more difficult for Abraham. Listen, sisters in Christ, do not put your husbands in such a situation. If God has a call on his life, do not make him choose between your will and his will. Look, a marriage doesn't go anywhere when it's stuck grinding the gears. I've got this mule. It's a Kawasaki mule. My kids learning how to drive it. Sometimes they don't know how to get it in gear, and I'm in there studying in the morning. I hear this.

32:59That's the way a lot. Of marriages are grinding, trying to get in gear. Let your husband lead. And a word of caution: some of you ladies, and I say this with deep respect and humility, some of you are such wonderful leaders and such powerful leaders that you can lead your husband even when you're submitting to him. Be careful of that. It's like, husband, you get out and lead. No, not that way. You lead over there. I'm going with you. Be careful. Be careful. Sarah obeyed, calling him Lord. Her speech was highly respectable. And the reference here is to Genesis 18:10. You remember when the angels came to visit and said, Behold, Sarah, your wife is going to have a son? And Sarah laughed to herself and said, After I have become old, shall I have the pleasure of basically having a son? My Lord is also old. That's the expression.

34:10And the word for Lord, it contains the basic idea of ruling. By calling him Lord, Sarah was graciously recognizing her husband's right to direct the affairs of their life, to direct the affairs of his family. And it was by faith. Sarah did so. She is regarded as a woman of faith because ultimately her faith wasn't in her husband. Her faith was in God. And women, if your faith is merely in your husband, you're in trouble. It's not about your husband, it's about God. It's about the supervisor of your soul and where he has placed you. Can he lead even through this bozo?

34:59That's the issue. The answer is not the bozon-ness of your husband, it's about the goodness of God. So then he goes on. So he talks about what godly adornment is, describes it, illustrates it, and then there's a test of godly femininity. Sarah was a woman of faith. And the spiritual daughters of Sarah are also characterized by faith. Verse 6: And you have become her children if you do what is right without being frightened by any fear.

35:34You see, godly women do what is right. They are doing what is right. They seek what is right in God's eyes. And Sarah's record is not spotless. Any of you who have read it, she got in trouble when she tried to hurry up God's plan, didn't she not? But at every juncture where faith, when she was called upon to exhibit faith in following her husband, she took the right steps. And notice that godly women, not only are they doing what is right, they're not frightened by any fear. In other words, they're not intimidated. And especially in context, they're not intimidated by the Roman law and the authority that is placed in the husband that she has to submit to. Even if he is saying, you don't go there. You don't follow Christ. This would have been conflict in the home. And there could have been threats, could have been punishments, could have been a lot of things.

36:41But a godly woman does what is right and is not afraid of the intimidation by threats of others. No, a godly woman's hope is in God. And Sarah's ultimate confidence was in God. So Christ-like women are not distinguished by outward adornment, but by inward godliness. That's what Peter is saying. So wives, arrange the affairs of your life according to or under the wishes and the desires, the peculiarities of your husbands. Sin excluded, of course. This is God's will for your life. This is God's will for your marriage. Even if you will be married, Your husband isn't a believer. That's what Peter is saying.

37:35Well, that's his message to wives. Now he's got a message to husbands, but maybe we ought to just go home. We had a good stopping point, right? Look at verse 7. You, husbands, in the same way. Again, look at that phrase. It looks back to the submission principle that's already been laid out about citizens, servants, and wives. Husbands, you have a submission obligation in your marriage as well. And there are two verbals that bring this to the front.

38:12First one, I mean, it's going to rock your boat. Husbands, live with your wife. I mean, I love how the scripture does a good job of just setting forth the obvious, right? Husbands, live with your wife. Literally, be living with your wife. You know what this means? This involves physical proximity. So be careful of anything, any job, any avenue in life that would take you away from a physical proximity to your wife, certainly for any extended period. Dwell with her. That's the idea. Be there.

38:51Be engaged in the total marriage relationship. And not just be there like a bump on a couch. That's. Physically there, but there's more. Live with your wife involves a mental proximity, an emotional proximity, a spiritual proximity. Be there. Be her companion. Be totally engaged in the marriage. Don't check out. That's what men do. Walk away from responsibility. Don't do it. Live with your wife. Don't be drawn somewhere else. Don't get infatuated with your friends or another woman, obviously. Don't get infatuated with your career. That's not where God's will for you is. And don't get infatuated with some video game. Be careful of anything that would draw you away from living with your wife. It's a very simple command. Living with your wife. And he goes on to elaborate: live with your wife in a live with her in an understanding way. I can remember, and I know I've shared this story before, but I remember when I was managing an office, we had trouble with some women in the office, and it was rather large. I had a number of women, a number of conflicts, very high-tense environment for a number of reasons. And one of my Ladies in the office came into me one day and said, Thomas, I need to talk to you. And this was kind of the motherly executive secretary. I need to give you some advice. I need to tell you how to respond to women. I said, Okay. So I'm responding. She goes, Listen, let me tell you something. A woman wants to be heard. When you come in and there's a problem, don't try to correct it. Listen to her. Make sure you understand it before you jump in and try to correct her problem. Many times, if you will just understand, that may solve the problem.

41:05It was good advice, by the way. And I found it applied beyond the realm of women and applies to just a general disposition of life. But that's the idea. Understand. Make sure you've got your mind engaged and you know what's going on and you're understanding. That's what he's saying. Live with your wife in an understanding way. Live with her according to knowledge. That's the word gnosis. And this is knowledge that comes from personal insight. Not just abstract knowledge, but knowledge that comes from personal insight and it leads to consideration and care for her well-being. That's the kind of knowledge. And this involves a wide scope of knowledge, but it includes any knowledge that would be beneficial to the marriage. Whether it's knowledge of the Bible and God's purposes for marriage, or whether it's knowledge of your wife, her strengths, her weaknesses, her goals, her desires, her aspirations, her Hopes, her likes, her dislikes, her frustrations, her fears, her peculiarities, whatever it is, you must know those. Live in an understanding way. And let me tell you something: this can only happen through times of regular, uninterrupted, unhurried study of God's Word and regular, uninterrupted, unhurried times of private fellowship with your wife. Date nights, long walks, times away can really be investments in eternity. Create the time, create the occasion, live with your wife in an understanding way. And he goes on: She is the weaker vessel. And I think in context, we're talking about not just a physical limitation, although be mindful of that. We're not just talking about her emotional sensitivity, although beware of that.

42:57But I think in context, woman had a weaker position in society. Roman law, she was far more socially vulnerable, far more weak politically. She had a lot less social leverage in society, and she had a far greater dependence upon her husband's faithfulness. That was the condition then, and I think certainly application. But she also, in context, her authority in the marriage. Was less than her husband's. Husbands understand that. She was obligated to submit to her husband and depend upon the direction where he leads. I remember when I was a little, by the way, did anybody, when you were growing up, did you ever have some friends and they had a motorcycle and they tied your bicycle with the rope and you wanted to go fast? And they, did you guys, did anybody ever do that? Tie a motorcycle, get somebody to lead with the motorcycle and you're tied.

44:01None of you guys really lived growing up, did you? Let me tell you something. You'll do it about once. They take off, they're going, and all of a sudden you realize this is scary. I am totally dependent upon whether the person driving that motorcycle slows where he goes, what he does. It's pretty frightful. Well, I think that's the way a wife may feel sometimes in a marriage. Understand that. Husbands, live with your wife. Second thing, and show her honor as the fellow grace of life. Honor your wife. Honor your wife. That is respect. Pay tribute. Regard highly. Honor. Honor her. As one would honor their father and mother. Honor all people. In 1 Peter 2:17, honor the king. Now he's saying, honor your wife, but it's a noun. It's a noun. It's not just an action. It's the tribute. Pay tribute to your wife. How do you like that? Women, huh? Husbands, pay tribute to your wife. Show her honor. Publicly, private, public and private demonstrations of honor. Tribute, small and large, is to be a constant disposition of any man who follows Christ, any husband who follows Christ. Pay tribute to her in thoughtful ways.

45:33Man, I'm going to tell you a new word. It hadn't been heard a long time in the English language, but it's called chivalry. Learn it. Live it. Men show chivalry. Women, let men show chivalry. That's a tongue-tire. She is a fellow heir. That is, you inherit together. She is equal with you in inheritance, equal in position. She is a joint heir of the grace of life. So pay tribute to her. The grace of life. What an expression. Grace is the unmerited favor. I don't think what's in view here is eternal life, though maybe there is an aspect that this applies to that. But certainly, I think what he is in view here, marriage is the union of two souls for life. It is the grace of life. They experience life together. There is a blessing of intimate companionship that Peter is talking about here.

46:30And it is one of the richest blessings in this life. So, husbands, unmerited favor. She is your fellow heir. You know what this means? Husbands, you don't deserve your wives, they are gifts to you. Show her honor. Be fearful in showing her honor for the Lord's sake. She is a gift, and you don't deserve her. Well, this whole grace of life was totally a foreign concept in the Greco-Roman world. It's even a foreign concept in our times. And why does he do all this?

47:16So that your prayers will not be hindered. Look at that. There is a direct correlation between the way you live with your wife and the way God hears your prayers. The supervisor of your soul wants you to get this right before moving on. He wants you to submit yourself to the disciplines of a godly husband before you go and do anything else. He wants you to get this right. It is the first place to gauge the sincerity of your Christianity.

47:49The truth of your relationship with Christ is first and foremost seen in the relationship with you that you have with your wife. Husbands, Ephesians 5:25. Love your wives, just as Christ also loved the church. Well, a husband who has learned to submit to his role in marriage will know how to pray more effectively. I can assure you that. His prayers will not be so selfish, but they will truly be Christ-honoring. And unified hearts produce unified prayers, and God is pleased to answer unified prayers.

48:28You see, love is a voluntary selflessness, is it not? A voluntary arranging the affairs of your life for the welfare and benefit of someone else. And why is God doing all this? Why does He want Christian homes? So that the world will know how He relates to us, so that the gospel will go forth, so that people will see the good and adorning behavior of His people, and they will turn and embrace Christ as Lord and Savior. So, ultimately, the purpose of adorning the grace of our Lord is what's at issue here. And it doesn't matter who you are or in what station you are in life. Let's pray. Heavenly Father, we thank you for the Word. We thank you for the message. We thank you for fathers. We thank you for marriages and for us. Father, I just pray that you would cause us, stir in us a desire to be better husbands, to be better wives, to be better servants, to be better citizens. Father, help us to learn submission as our Lord also submitted himself to ungodly men and brought redemption out of it. Father, I thank you for his example. I thank you for his work. Help us, Father, to walk in his steps. In Christ's name.