1 Peter 3:1-9
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A Transformed Life Wins People to God
A Transformed Life Wins People to God
Look at our Vision: multitude of Gospel-centered believers.
How can we make Gospel-centered believers?
Before a person becomes a believer, First they must hear the gospel from us believers. for Faith comes from hearing, and hearing the word of God.
Second, they must see the Gospel-transformed life - a transformed life is a believable testimony of the power of the Gospel. This is the most visible way of witnessing that the Christian faith is real and powerful.
The Gospel is powerful to win over those who are self-centered, sin enslave neighbors, friends, and family member…as they hear the gospel and see the light of Christ in our behavior, they will be attracted to Christ and his redeeming love, just like how the moth is attracted to light.
In this passage, we shall see the same theme - Show Your Transformed lives in Christ.
He challenged his readers to show the new behavior they’ve learned from Christ in their God-given roles - as wives and husbands. So they can both influence the unbelievers around them.
I. For Christian wives - A command to be in submission to husbands. (vv. 1-6)
I. For Christian wives - A command to be in submission to husbands. (vv. 1-6)
1 In the same way, you wives, 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, 2 as they observe your chaste and respectful behavior.
All Christians were commanded to submit governing authority in 2:13. Here in chapter 3, the Apostle Peter, extended the principles of respect and submission to authority, from Christian conduct in the world to Christian conduct in the family.
submit - it means to render obedience, it is the opposite of self-assertion, the opposite of independent spirit. It is the desire to get along with someone else...
This is a command to accept your place in the family under the leadership of the husband because this is God’s design.
a. even to unbelieving husbands
b. even to backsliding husbands.
The goal of this type of behavior is to win over to Christ the non-believing husband. This occurs without words. This does not mean that a wife is never to speak, but rather that she is not to resort to constant arguments and nagging discussions
Your husband will observe how you behave now that you are a believer of Christ. Is there any difference? Is it positive difference?
Reasons: Won them over by your behavior - for them to become submissive to Christ.
That they might be attracted to Christ as they see your godly behavior.
2 as they observe your chaste and respectful behavior. 3 Your adornment must not be merely external—braiding the hair, and wearing gold jewelry, or putting on dresses; 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.
Show a Transformed and Christ-like behavior such as:
a. pure behavior - moral and ethical behavior
b. respectful behavior
c. modest appearance
d. gentle and quiet spirit (inner beauty)
the beauty that never fades.
5 “Blessed are the gentle, for they shall inherit the earth.
8 “Blessed are the pure in heart, for they shall see God.
9 “Blessed are the peacemakers, for they shall be called sons of God.
5 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; 6 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.
Examples of Holy Women
Sarah’s voluntary obedience to Abraham, not by fear or coercion. She understands her God-given role and she’s content and joyful in it. She stood by with his husband Abraham even if Abraham made mistakes like going to Egypt and for lying about their relationship.
Fear = in dealing with unbelieving husbands, the husband might intimidate and coerce the wife to abandon the faith, but she must maintain her commitment to Christ, above all.
II. For Christian husbands - A command to live with the wife with a considerate heart (v.7)
II. For Christian husbands - A command to live with the wife with a considerate heart (v.7)
7 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.
Peter commands the husbands live the wife in an understanding or considerate way.
To use your authority in a considerate way (not harsh).
Understanding way (knowledge) - know her weakness and help her in that area, protect her from that specific weakness whether in the physical, emotional, and spiritual realms.
Application:
- know your wife's desires, goals, and frustrations.
- Know the things that would help enrich your marriage.
- But first, husband you must be considerate (knowledgable) by knowing your God-given role and function. How - by reading God’s Word!
As the weaker vessel = If the wife is weaker, then the man is weak. This is a comparative term. Only Christ can make you strong.
Weaker - It is not that she’s spiritually or morally weak…physically weak…yes... but you are expected to be her protector.
Your wife expects you to show leadership in the family and the protector of your relationship.
Husbands are expected to protect and lift up the wife, not to put her down.
Look at the example of Jesus’s understanding for his bride (the church).
Show honor / respect / value as fellow heir of the grace of life (equal value).
Reason: Your prayers will not be hindered - Prayer you can continue to worship the Lord and grow in the Lord.
1 Peter: An Introduction and Commentary 2. Husbands: Live Considerately with Your Wives (3:7)
No Christian husband should presume to think that any spiritual good will be accomplished by his life without an effective ministry of prayer. And no husband may expect an effective prayer life unless he lives with his wife ‘in an understanding way, bestowing honour’ on her. To take the time to develop and maintain a good marriage is God’s will; it is serving God; it is a spiritual activity pleasing in his sight.
When there is disrespect and failure to understand, it results to anger and pain, that then leads to quarrel..
have you tried praying with your spouse while you have a quarel? How did it go? Were you able to pray with a right motive?
The strength of every marriage comes from the consistency of prayer time.
Prayer time for every couple is an unseen indestructible rope that binds the couple together so that they might experience the joy in Christ.
Be on the lookout for sins that builds barriers to intimacy with your spouse. This is why communication is critical in understanding which sins to confess and why.
The behavior that you show to each other will have either a positive or negative impact to your children.
So, by giving of respect and honor for each other, will not just benefit you, but your children as well.
They will have a healthy view of marriage and they would want to marry a Christian man or woman.
We all have been influenced by our parents and how they treat each other. We have to re-learn and learn from Christ himself.
III. For Christians in general, you must be known to be lovers of peace and unity (vv. 8-9)
III. For Christians in general, you must be known to be lovers of peace and unity (vv. 8-9)
8 To sum up, all of you be harmonious, sympathetic, brotherly, kindhearted, and humble in spirit; 9 not returning evil for evil or insult for insult, but giving a blessing instead; for you were called for the very purpose that you might inherit a blessing.
(adjectives)
Display the Christ-like characters that will attract unbelievers to Christ:
a. Harmonious / Unity of Mind
b. Sympathetic / Compassionate
c. Brotherly love
d. Tender heart / Affectionate
e. Humble mind / thinking of others highly than yourself.
f. Repay evil with blessing
a. Harmonious / Unity of Mind = like minded
b. Sympathetic / sharing the feeling of others; especially feelings of sorrow or anguish = compassionate
These are Christ-like characters that will bring peace and unity and it will bless others when you practice these.
This finds favor with the Lord and in so doing, you will inherit a blessing from God.
Illustration:
An Aid to the Heidelberg Catechism (Why We Ought to Do Good Works)
It is helpful to the salvation of our fellow-man, “That by our godly conversation others may be gained to Christ” (i.e., encouraged to believe on Christ and thus to become children of God). This is the demand of love toward our neighbor and of duty in respect to the extension of the kingdom of God. Our godly conversation is to have a beneficial influence,
a) Upon those who are united with us in the faith. Rom. 14:19.
b) Upon those who stand in any relation to us, but are still unbelieving. 1 Peter 3:1, 2.
c) Upon those who are yet hostile to the faith. 1 Peter 2:12.
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