1 Peter - Part 19 - 3:3-6 - 6-18-2017
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True Beauty
True Beauty
Last week we started to look at a particularly difficult passage of scripture coming from 1 Peter chapter 3, it is a passage not particularly liked, even among the church who is supposed to love the word of God. In fact I think in my entire life I may have heard these particular passages as the key texts of sermons maybe twice. Why? Because what we have read and are about to read does not conform to our culture, in fact it stands in direct defiance of the cultural norms to such an extreme degree that our heavily feminized American church pretends these texts don’t exist and do everything they can to avoid them. But in order to be both faithful followers of Jesus and consistent Christians we must look at these texts and learn what God intends us to learn from them. And so Father as we approach this text today we ask your blessing...
PRAYER
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 husbands, as Sarah obeyed Abraham, calling him lord. And you are her children, if you do good and do not fear anything that is frightening.
Peter continues speaking to wives in verses 3-6 by now moving to the subject of not just submission and obedience, but now of looking at the inward character, the spiritual existence of the wife. Peter starts talking about hair, jewelry, and clothing - all the things that the world thought determined the beauty of a woman even back in Peter’s day. Isn’t funny how much everyone thinks the world has changed, but really only the technology changes, the heart of cultures never really change. Even a cursory perusal of the magazines as you check out in the grocery store will show you how much time, money, and effort is spent on “beauty” in our culture. There are books, magazines, TV shows, and YouTube channels all dedicated to the subject. Globally the beauty product industry is worth about $426 Billion dollars annually. That’s a lot of money my friends. And there’s nothing wrong with wanting to look pretty, nothing wrong with taking care of your physical appearance or wanting to look good for your spouse, in fact those are very good things. That’s not what Peter is getting at. Peter isn’t saying don’t care about your physical appearance, contrary to what some very bizarre denominations of the church and various cults have said over the years. No what Peter is saying specifically to wives in this text but as a good general principle to all of us is that our beauty, what makes us attractive should come more from the inside than from the outside. The best quality that we’re known for should be the loving, gentle, kind, and humble spirit that we possess, not just the quality of our skin, how good the make up turns out, or what nice clothes we wear. These physical things fade, the clear smooth skin of our youth fades, clothes wearout and go in and out of fashion, makeup doesn’t always turn out the way you want it to, but possessing a beautiful spirit and inner loveliness - THAT never fades and never goes out of style.
I love watching cooking shows. I like to get recipe ideas and learn knew techniques. On one of the shows I watch there was this young lady who used to be a fashion model. She is by the world’s definition beautiful. She is blonde and skinny with all of the typical physical attributes that we think of when we speak of beauty, yet she is one of the least liked persons on this particular show. Why? Because while on the outside she may be pretty, inwardly she is rotten to the core. She has a bad attitude that is reflected in her constantly sour expression and self-centered demeanor. She criticizes everyone and everything thinking that she is not only the prettiest, but the smartest and the most talented person in the room constantly. The outside wrapping might be attractive, but inside she is absolutely ugly and as a result no one can stand her. This is not what we are to be like as Christians. It’s fine to want to be beautiful on the outside, but if that’s all that you’re worried about and the only thing you’re focusing on, Peter says you’ve lost the plot. As Christians we are supposed to radiate with an inward beauty, the inward person, the spiritual being that we are should shine through no matter what the exterior may look like. It is this beauty that is lasting and most attractive. Ladies the best lipstick and masquara in the world won’t cover up a rotten, self-centered attitude. Gentlemen the best clothes in the world won’t hide a cruel and calloused heart. Our attitudes and spiritual attributes are what will not only define us, but also make us most attractive.
And Peter builds on this, specifically speaking to the wives. He says that throughout their history the women of old would adorn themselves not merely with physical adornments, but with attitudes that made them attractive. Peter says when a wife is holy submitting first to God in all obedience and then to her husband as the head of the family there is nothing more attractive. And ladies it’s true. There is nothing more ugly than a woman who disobeys God and who treats her husband disrespectfully. You want to see distance develop between you and your husband, constantly belittle and berate him. You want to see him draw away from you and find any excuse to be away from you, then don’t let him lead you, don’t let him be the head, don’t submit to him and he will surely want to be anywhere but with you. You know why? Because when that innermost being is ugly, it doesn’t matter what you put on the exterior, you will be repulsive in the most powerful and potent way possible.
Peter continues this thought by giving to Christian women the example of Sarah and Abraham. Not a perfect example to be sure, but definitely one worth drawing a powerful lesson from. Peter says Sarah used to obey and submit to Abraham, not just in word but in deed. So willing was she to be under his leadership that she called him lord, which we would better understand in modern terms as the word master. That is how deep her trust in and submission to her husband was. That’s powerful. That’s a type of love and relationship that though the whole world around may be burning, it will weather the fire and come out unburned. And Peter knows this isn’t easy. It goes against out sinful human nature to submit, it goes against cultural norms for a woman to submit. Even in Peter’s day this was so. How much more so in our culture where the very pagan feminist ideology has effected everything from education to work to politics and even theology. But Peter says we are not to concern ourselves with what the world sees as acceptable and good. And he’s right folks. We shouldn’t care less about what pagan and atheists think is right and wrong because they have no objective standard to measure by and they will measure by what they feel. They will be tossed and turned by whatever wind of emotion or culture is most prevalent or most powerful in the moment. They will have no objective standard or rule of law and no consistency in their worldview or lifestyle whatsoever. But we are not supposed to be like everyone else. Notice what word pops back up again in this passage from Peter - holy.
We are to be holy - distinct, different, other, altogether unlike our culture and our world.
And make no mistake, it will take courage. Peter wraps up his specific focus on wives by speaking about courage. He says do good and do not fear. You want to be holy? You want to be righteous? You want to live a life of obedience to Christ Jesus? You better buckle up buttercup because it’s not gonna be a cake walk. Your going to be hated. You’re going to be looked at weird. You’re going to made fun of and laughed at because of how strange you seem to the world, but be strong and courageous, because this is our call that all might see the good that God has commanded and created in us and give glory to Him because of it in the end.
Ladies, when the other women are dishing about their husbands and you honor him by not joining in - you’re going to look strange, but this is what you are called to. When other women are refusing to listen to their husbands and disregarding what they say while you choose to submit and obey - you are going to look weird to the other women, but this is holy and righteous living that God calls you to. And He calls you to it apologetically. This isn’t some outdated mode of family structure, this a timeless pattern established by God not only in the creation order, but also by direct command and decree for all time. God does not apologize that your delicate modern feminist sensibilities have been violated. God has spoken and therefore it is so. If that’s not good enough for you than may I suggest that the object of your worship is not really God, it’s whatever ideology or worldview you are trying to impose upon Him that you actually worship. That my friend is idolatry and if you are guilty of it in any of its forms you should approach Christ today fearful and trembling as you repent of your sin.
And this is true for all of us - anyone or anything we have elevated above God or to be equal with God makes us guilty of idolatry. Any time we have disobeyed God’s command in favour of our own views or ideas or laws we have placed ourselves on the throne of our hearts, we have pretended at being our own Master, our own Lord, our own God and we are guilty. And because of our guilt we deserve Hell. But I have good news. God Himself has seen fit to make a way for us to be forgiven and He, the Creator of all who we have sinned against is drawing sinners unto Himself to forgiveness, righteousness, holiness, and life. Today you are not hearing this message on accident, God’s word is coming to you for a reason. Do not rebel against your maker or attempt to suppress the truth - instead submit to Him throwing yourself on His mercy and He will be faithful to forgive you of all your sins and give you life. If you need to do that this morning we’re going to have a time of invitation for you to respond to the work God is doing in your heart. If you need to confess that you are guilty and that He is Lord than this is the time. Don’t waste it. Won’t you come forward as we stand and sing together.