Who Are We? // Husbands & Wives [1 Peter 3:1-7] (Andrew Linton)

We are in the book of First Peter before we get into our

reading this morning. Just a quick review for those

who have missed the start. If your visitor we haven't been

for a while the introduction is this that Peter is writing in

the early 60s ad and around 30 years after Christ's death and

Resurrection. Ian and Peter.

The impetuous impulsive Brash fisherman is transformed and he

is now writing as an older man and a matured eyewitness with

advice and instruction for his audience.

And his sharing precious values that he has learned through

life, wisdom and insight for Christian Life and for Christian

conduct, Now, there's many useful outlines that you have in

your study Bibles but four sections, very helpful.

First of all, God's blessed people chapter 1 through 12 12,

12, Gloria head for chosen Exiles, God's blessed people.

Secondly, God's holy people. 1:30 and through 22 verse 10,

Christians in a watching world and thirdly God's Meek people

and that's the section we're in today. 2:11 through 24 verse 19,

where We are as Christians entrusting ourselves to God

while doing good and sick. And finally, God's waiting

people chapter 5 faithful. Shepherd serving, humbled

flocks. So, that's a bit of an overview.

But every chapter of this book, this letter refers to the

sufferings of Christ and you'll find that in every single

chapter, chapter 1 verse 11, chapter 2 verse 21.

We read last week, 3:18 4 verse 13 and 5 verse One each of those

chapters refer to the sufferings of Christ, and this passage

today on husbands and wives is wedged between two references to

suffering. So how good is that?

There's no connection. I'm just letting just pointing

that out to you. So let's read together, shall we

First Peter chapter 3. Verse 1 likewise wives, be

1 Peter 3 · chapter mention

subject to your own husbands. So that even if some do not obey

the word, they may be won without a word by the conduct of

their wives. When they see your respectful.

And pure conduct, do not let your adorning be external, the

braiding of hair and the putting on of gold jewelry or the

clothing you wear, but let your adorning be the hidden person.

Of the heart with the imperishable beauty of a gentle

and quiet Spirit, which in God's sight is very precious for this,

is how the holy women who hoped in God used to Adorn themselves

by submitting to their own husband's, as Sara obeyed,

Abraham calling him Lord, and you are her children.

If you do good and do not fear anything that is frightening.

Likewise first seven husbands live with your wives in, an

understanding way showing honor to the woman as the weaker

vessel, since they are is with you of the grace of life.

So that your prayers may not be hindered, and God will bless his

word to us. Now, I reading today, of course,

is Peter's advice specifically for husbands and wives.

It's not speaking about men and women in general, but the

husband and wife relationship and will unpack these seven

verses as follows, firstly, a watching World, secondly,

changing cultures, and thirdly Timeless truths.

So before you say this morning that you are not in either

category of husband and wife and before you say that this has

nothing to do with me, can I ask you this question?

Have you ever noticed how much Society watches and assesses

Christian Behavior? Have you noticed how much

Society watches you? If you are a Believer.

Now, we have a neighbor who knows of our faith and

occasionally, she'll text us especially if things go wrong

and sometimes we'll go. But like this, I thought you

seemed to be could caring people.

And then occasionally about visitors, does Jesus, or God

allow young people to drive silly and fast.

And round about us here. We have some wonderful neighbors

and they're very kind to us very patient with us, but

occasionally, they do send us messages and often the emails

will be things about noise or about fences or building

projects or even about parking. You see people are watching us

day by day and the widest scope in this letter of First Peter,

is this your life as a Christian?

Is been watched, it is on display and your choices your

responses, your attitudes, your behavior.

Your language is actually been scrutinized Your driving habits.

Your tax return. Your response to sickness your

response to tragedy your response to accident disaster.

Injustice, false accusation. Each of those things are on

display to a watching world. And as we've heard already

earlier on in the series, we are living stones.

But literally we are, as it were living stones in a glass house

and people are watching us very, very carefully.

And so, therefore, this later that we are reading this morning

is not just these seven verses but actually, it's an

ambassador's handbook. It's an instruction.

And in chapter 2, verse 11, Peter says, I urge you, I beg

you or beseech you too. To be as strangers and Exiles,

keep your conduct among the Gentiles.

Honorable, So I want today to just start with their one word

to give you that thread the word conduct.

And if you look through this letter, you'll find it happens

again. And again, look at chapter 1

verse 16, verse 15 as he who called you is, Holy you also be

holy in all your conduct 2:12. Keep your conduct among the

Gentiles. Honorable, 3:2.

When they see you're respectful and pure conduct.

Is he is not just little seven little words, it's not seven

little versus it's not just two hours on a Sunday morning here,

it is a life in a watching world.

And so our approach to this letter has been to focus on who

we are. Our identity in Christ and we

are strangers. We are pilgrims.

We are on a journey, we are as it were Exiles, Ambassador

citizens of Heaven, just passing through, we have new birth, we

have new conduct responsibilities and hope and

focus. And by the way, there's four

phrases that confirm how special you are.

If you are a Believer, look at To this 9 and 10.

You are a chosen people, a royal priesthood, a holy nation, a

special position to Proclaim his praises.

So I hope that helps to as it were Elevate, this passage into

something much more significant and integrated with life.

In general, your home, your marriage, if you are, married is

on display if you are a Believer.

Now, our reading today starts with the linking word, likewise

and Peter has mentioned the area of submission to government and

in the workplace and again uses the word submission or or

subjection in these verses and we might have those verses on

the screen if we can, this is 1327.

Thank you. So this section here is

instruction for Godly submissive Christian conduct in a variety

of social context. And as we've heard the word for

submission, the Greek word is basically to put under, it's a

word to be a subordinate, to be in obedience.

And if you have an LT or be talking about, Accepting

Authority. And so the first impressions as

you read this passage today, maybe a slight awkwardness.

Doesn't sound all that PC politically correct.

Is it countercultural to talk about Authority and submission?

Does it imply inferiority? Is this passage out of date in

this modern world, in which we live.

No, it is not out of date, but we might be out of step with

gods revealed plan and purposes for us.

We might be out of step in our understanding and our

application of the truth. And so today, we need to

identify the immediate context. And then apply the Timeless

principles for Christian marriage in today's world.

All right, the context changing context.

But first of all the culture of the first century ad was vastly

different today's modern world, the women of the day were, in

many cases, treated as Commodities and chattels, and

under law. They had no civil rights, they

did not have equality under the law.

They were on the same social plane as a slave, or as a

disposable. Commodity it was a patriarchal

culture. It was a situation where most

were growing up under the authority of the Father Figure

and then subsequently if they married dependent on husband and

I guess in that way you could say that the women of the day

were as it were under the thumb. Peter is writing to Believers to

men and women who are finding the way forward in this context.

And Galatians, of course, explains to us that as Believers

there is, neither male or female.

We Are All One in Christ and Peter is right in two wives, who

may have been converted to Faith and now have a new freedom in

Christ. And how do they respond to

unbelieving? Husbands, maybe even in

situations of Oppression in difficulty.

I got into big trouble with future in-laws, a few years ago

by describing a rare commodity and in 1989, even then it wasn't

good form to say, a rare commodity I was referring to, of

course, character, but I wasn't referring to it in a proper way.

So we need to be very careful that we recognize who we are in

Christ. One in Christ.

Marriage is God's design, and I just want to pause because of

what Dan is red already. This morning is what a pause and

read. Read a couple of verses from The

Book of Genesis. Please turn to Genesis chapter

2:18. Genesis 2:18, then the Lord God

Genesis 2:18

said it is not good that the man should be alone.

I will make him a helper fit for him.

Verse 23. Then the man said this at last

is bone of my bones and Flesh of My Flesh.

She shall be called woman. Some people pronounce that.

Whoa, man. But it says she shall be called

woman because she was taken out of, man.

Therefore a man shall leave his father and his mother and hold

fast to his wife and they shall become one flesh.

Marriage is God's precious sacred and special design.

It is companionship, it is teamwork and God has created

differences in the roles and responsibilities of husbands,

and wives the term Partners in Chapter 3 of First Peter is not

used husbands and wives not partners.

It's a treasured title husbands and wives.

It is between man and woman. There are times when the

children will phone and they admit that today, they just need

to talk to mum and that's very good.

Very occasionally, they'll phone.

And they say, we need to talk to Dad.

And that's very good too, and so it's a complementary

relationship. It's, it's designed to be

Harmony is precious, it's sacred is not casual, it's not de

facto, it's not temporary, it's valuable, it's significant, it's

not cheap. It is not try.

Before you buy It's for Keeps. There's no trading in on a newer

model, it's not negotiable and it's a precious precious picture

of God's love Christ. Love to the church for which he

died. And so, to sum up in this

context, in this culture, Peters instructions are quite liberal

for the audience of the day. This text is actually elevating

and valuing women, it is not demeaning in any way, it is,

promoting equality and to prove that I point out, to verse 7,

where it talks about the fact, their husbands and wives

sharing, Heirs together of the grace of life.

Thank you for the verses. That's very good.

And so, it is addressing the differing roles of husband and

wife. It's showing honor and respect

and consideration and it is Godly submission at work.

No wonder in this context. Marriage is so much under attack

in the world today because Satan hates Godly Christian marriage.

Does not like to see this expressed in a Godly way between

husband and wife. Until we come today to Timeless

truths. We have a watching World

watching what we do and say, what she know, attitudes and

behavior. We have a changing culture and

then we come to this passage and say, well what are the Timeless

truths that we can gain for today's living?

I'll bring you three truths from the scripture today.

And all have three outcomes, three very special outcomes.

In a sense, all of these truths are countercultural.

They're not, they're not what you'd expect their

counterintuitive. Should I say?

Number one is this, the victory of the unspoken word We find

that in verse 1, the victory of the unspoken word is he's their

wives be subject to your own husbands.

They may be won without a word. You see there are times in

marriage and in Christian witness where it is better to be

silent. Then to speak.

The unspoken word. The value of listening, the

value of Love In Action. We all know that actions speak

louder than words and Love Is A Verb, not a noun.

Peter exhorts wives to show respectful and pure conduct and

the outcome of the unspoken word.

May even result in the salvation of an unbelieving husband.

What a victory that would be if the silent faithful gracious,

Witness Unspoken. But love and action.

Results. In a softening of the heart.

And a victory 1. And so first of all, the victory

of the unspoken word and we need to learn that one more.

Secondly a Timeless truth from our Edge and we get this from

the scripture again is found in verse 3 and here it is.

Again the value of unseen Beauty verse 3 speaks of a gentle and

quiet spirit. Unseen Beauty.

In a character is more important than external charm.

We need to be very careful in a world of adornment and fashion.

Scripture is very clear here adornment by definition is

external, much of adornment is for two purposes, bear with me,

two purposes for a dormant one, it may be to cover up or

secondly, it may be to attract attention.

Tension, fair enough. It is appearance.

It's not health-related. It is interesting that we use

the word cosmetic or the phrase makeup because that's exactly

what it is. It is on the surface.

It makes an impression For Better or For Worse.

And so, Peter is saying here braiding of hair and wearing of

Julie and that was often a show of wealth or even of worldly

excess Peter's, not saying here that adornment is forbidden.

After all, we brush our hair, we wear clothes, we dress up to go

to an interview. We're not instructor here to

wear dull clothes and to look Drear not at all.

But verse Here emphasizes there is an adornment that is much

more precious and Lasting. It is a gentle and quiet spirit.

This is an inner beauty that shines and Proverbs puts it this

way. Charm is deceitful, and beauty

is fleeting The writer in first, John, chapter 2 reminds us that

John 2 · chapter mention

this world is passing away. And Peter here, appeals to True

Value, that is often overlooked and unseen.

Man looks on the outward appearance, but God looks on the

heart and the outcome of unseen beauty.

Is this verse 4, it is seen by God and it is very precious to

him. What could be more precious than

that? To be seen of God and to bring

joy to his heart. This is what Peter is referring

to. in verse five and six, he reminds his readers that this

beautiful meekness and modesty is a mark of holy living and

hope in God, In Genesis Chapter 18, Sarah referred to Abraham as

Genesis 18 · chapter mention

master or owner and that is a useful template for a

husband-wife relationship based on rightful respect but not

harsh rules and fear. So, the victory of the unspoken

word. The value of unseen Beauty.

Thirdly the virtue of mutual submission verse 1 and verse 7.

Now again I've deliberately used the word mutual because twice in

the reading today, there is the word likewise two wives and two

husbands and marriage is a two-way street.

And the exaltation is for husbands and wives, Now I'm not

going to get into a discussion today about Co governance and

what that might mean. But what we can see here in

verse 7, that husbands are required to show a consideration

and an understanding and marriage should not be a power

struggle or a issue of control. Not at all the Greek word here

used for honor and verse 7 implies, the thought of value

and dignity and godly husbands will Noise, their wife is a

treasure to be cared for and appreciate it.

Some 31 problems that he one puts it this way.

And excellent wife, who can find.

She is far more precious than Jewels.

Her husband has full confidence in her and lacks nothing of

value. Peter, urges husband's believing

husbands to acknowledge and encourage their wives, and

recognize their giftings, and the reference and verse 72.

A weaker vessel, May Express, generalized, physical

differences, but does not in any way, diminish, the wives value,

her capabilities, or her qualities.

As we've seen already, she is a CO are of the gift of life.

And so there is an aspect of mutual respect and the outcome

is a Godly, prayerful home prayers are not hindered, Christ

is exalted and as we all know, a happy wife is a happy life. so

in summary today, Christian marriage is a witness to a

watching World marriage is precious and God's.

Holy design regardless of changing cultures and godly

marriage models submission and respect between husband and

wife. And that is the Timeless truth.

Let me close today with a true story.

To just bring to your hearts. The thought of submission.

Now, I know this is an unusual one to give you but I think it

will help just over 60 years ago before I was born.

My father was involved in a very serious and tragic motorbike

accident in North India. I don't think I've ever shared

this with the church family, so please bear with me.

I'll give you a bit of detail. My father was part of a wave of

post-war Pioneer Mission work and there's many others here.

In the room who have been on the mission field, who will relate

to that stage of life. He left in the air, as a single

man in 1952, and he served there as a missionary, over 30 years.

He first met his wife to be my mother who's still alive.

He met her at a small Brethren Fellowship in Delhi, North

India. She had been saved from Hinduism

as a young medical student at Ludhiana and none of her Hindu

family, were supportive of her conversion to Christianity has

subsequent baptism with death threats, and let alone her

marriage to a European a missionary.

The day of the accident was like many others in mission life.

My father was on his motorbike going out to a remote Village to

give out the reason why gospel tracts and for Matt Simonton and

Dan the make of the motorbike. It was a British BSA Bantam bike

about 150 cc. Riding on the back of the bike.

As a pillion passenger was an Indian believer.

And older, man who also worked in the Army and his name was

Major, John David. He was a dear man with a

grown-up family of eight. And in those days helmets, were

seldom seen and protective riding gear was very basic Not

much has changed. The rural roads in, India are

quite narrow, the paving is narrowed, the traffic is

chaotic, and the rules of travel Behavior, are very primitive and

there many accidents. So, in India, typically, the

truck drivers play chicken with oncoming Vehicles.

So, you know, you try and stay on the nice paved area and you

drive and the other one comes towards you, and it's whoever

blinks first. Not very nice.

So, playing chicken with ongoing traffic was very common and the

details of the accident are sketchy.

But what we do know is that an overtaking speeding truck

smashed into my father and major David?

And they were knocked off the motorbike, both bleeding heavily

and my father. Seriously, Comcast major David

seriously hurt and they were rushed to a military Hospital.

Sadly on the way. David passed away.

Later in childhood, we were told his last words to his Rescuers

were, I am going to heaven. The truck driver was found

guilty and went to prison for 18 months.

And by God's mercy, my father recovered from his injuries and

went on to have many more Vespa Scooter accidents.

And also two more children by God's grace.

Incredibly God used the tragedy to soften my mother's relatives

and restore contact and relationship even though none

turn from Hinduism to accept Christ. you might be wondering

why I'm telling you this story in regard to chapter three and

first Peter, Well, about 40 years ago, I was learning to

drive And my father was my tutor.

And he gave me two basic driving tips.

Number one don't speed. And number two, keep left.

And to this day I wonder if those driving tips were a legacy

of that sad day on the Indian Road which cost a man's life.

Don't speed and keep left. You see there was no problem

with submission on that day. My father tried to yield his

space, to give away, even though he had every right to carry on.

You see my friends? There are times we have to wear

give way merge like a zip. Let others go first.

Yield to others even in suffering.

Let them go. It, maybe you have an

unbelieving spouse in the home. Maybe you haven't troubled a

troubled past, where you have been hurt where you've had to

deal with, fractured relationships, submission to

God, and to one another is paradoxically, an act of great

courage. It's a liberating thing.

It is strength, not weakness, based on a solid relationship

with God and His grace Today, I pray that God will help us to be

faithful in the challenging area of submission to Authority.

In the workplace at home, even in the face of Injustice and

false accusation, trust God with the outcomes and as we do.

So let us always remember the perfect example of submission,

the Lord Jesus. Who submitted and sacrificed

himself for us. He committed.

No sin. Neither was deceit.

Found in his mouth when he was reviled.

He did not revile in return. When he suffered, he did not

threaten. May that be the example and may

our homes be a wonderful witness to God's purposes for us.

His perfect design and may it be Harmony and a blessing to others

as we respect and love one. Another let's pray.

Father, we give thanks for your perfect plan.

The fact that you have provided for us in so many ways that you

have instructed us and these words written.

So long ago are not out of date, their truth are still very

valuable and very, very precious and very relevant pray that you

will help us in this area of submission.

We pray that you'll bless each home represented here, he's

marriage. We pray for faithfulness, we

pray. Pray for integrity, we pay for

truth and we pray for a very positive witness to one another

especially Lord. We pray that you help us to be

faithful to you and that we will be following in our lord.

Jesus steps that we will keep his example before us the one

who, when he was suffered, he did not threaten.

He did not retaliate, but he gave himself to the accusers and

he was faithful even unto death. Thank you for your love to us.

Lord, thank you that you're providing for us and that you

are continuing to teach us through these words and we pray

that your bliss and receive the glory and honor.

In these words. And this message, pray this in

Jesus name,