Sermon Tone Analysis

Introduction

Will you please open your Bible and turn with me again to 1 Peter.

If you are a guest it may serve you to know that our mode of operation is study through books of the Bible together and right now we are studying 1 Peter.

We’re in chapter 3 now and this morning we are going to look at the first 7 verses of .

If you don’t have a Bible you can follow along by looking at the screens in front of you.

Please read along with me as I read .

Read .

Pray.

People do not have the be the same in order to be equal.

That sounds simple enough, doesn’t it?

After all, no two people are exactly the same, but we are all equal in dignity.

But I think as we press this idea deeper, its truth becomes more challenging.

Does everyone have to have the same abilities in order to be equal?

Does everyone have to have the same opportunities in order to be equal?

Or does everyone have to have the same role in order to be equal?

The dominate view of the culture we are a part of is emphatically saying “Yes!” to these questions, but as Christians devoted to God’s Word, we know that the answer is an emphatic “NO!” Sameness is not a synonym for equality.

Instead, the beauty of what God has done in creating a very diverse world is seen in the equality he has established for everyone through our diversity.

Our diversity in gender, roles, gifts, callings, and abilities does not eliminate our equality but enhances the beauty of it!

God has made us all equal before him as people made in his image, while at the same time giving us certain distinctives that display his wisdom and glory.

These distinctions should be welcomed and embraced.

You can see where this is going, can’t you?

As we just read from we see that the issue Peter wants to address with us this morning is the issue of marriage.

He wants us to understand how husbands and wives, both created by God and equal before him, are called to live in different, yet complementary ways within the marriage relationship.

More specifically, God wants you to know how you can live a honorable lifestyle in this world through your marriage.

I have entitled this message “A Beautiful Wife and A Humble Husband” because what we see in this passage is that God is honored in marriage as women embrace the beauty of submission and men embrace the humility of understanding.

God design for marriage is this expression of distinction in our roles as husbands and wives.

Though we are equal, we are not the same.

The beauty of God’s glory is seen in the diversity of genders, roles, and callings that he has given to a husband and a wife.

We should be aware, however, that this view is not at all common in our culture today.

This letter was written to exiles, strangers in a foreign land and there is no arena that we may feel like aliens and exiles than the arena of marriage.

The beauty that God describes is ugly to the world.

The humility that God commands is pathetic to the world.

And as people that have been swimming in these waters all of our lives, we ought not be surprised if we are wet ourselves.

What this means is that there are, no doubt, subtle ways that we have given in to the worlds views on marriage.

We have heard the whispers from the Garden all of our lives, “Did God really say...” and we have listened.

What emerges from this passage is not a critique on the world’s views on marriage, but a call to examine the ways that we have given in.

We need to reexamine the Bible and submit ourselves to God, change our thinking, and pursue relationships that honor God’s truth.

If we will, the dignity of men and women will be enhanced.

The culture assumes it is fighting for the value of men and women by promoting same-ness.

They are not.

Instead, the real beauty of men and women is represented through their diversity.

The world believes that it has increased the value of the Mona Lisa by giving it a mustache and strengthened the character of King David by giving him more muscles.

It hasn’t.

The beauty of a woman, according to the God that made her, is seen in her submission and the strength of a man, according the God that made him, is seen is his humility.

Peter helps us see this through these 7 verses.

In these 7 verses Peter describes both the obligation of a Christian wife and the obligation of a Christian husband.

In verses 1-6 we see a beautiful wife and in verse 7 we see a humble husband.

Let’s look first at A Beautiful Wife:

A Beautiful Wife

Though many years removed from us, the audience of this letter faced challenges that were just as difficult as ours.

The cultural context was different but no less difficult than ours.

Christians during this time were exiles just as we are.

They were slandered against, persecuted, and ridiculed for their faith.

This led to Peter telling them in 2:11-12 to live honorably so that even as they spoke against the church they would see their good deeds and some would glorify God.

It’s obvious that some of these newly converted exiles were women who’s husbands were unconverted.

What should a woman do in such a case?

Should one of the “royal priesthood” reject the authority of her unconverted husband?

Of course, this was a difficult situation to be in.

The common assumption of this day was that women would take on the religious practices of their husbands.

So a wife that abandoned her husbands’ religion would’ve been shocking.

It would’ve been considered rebellious by most.

The idea that a wife would leave her husbands “gods” and turn her allegiance to Jesus Christ was radical.

And the way that a wife lived out this allegiance to Christ was very important.

Again, what should she do?

Should she leave her husband?

Absolutely not.

Instead, they were to live in a such a way that was “honorable” to their husbands and in hope that their husbands would come to know Christ as well.

What is a wife’s call?

Her call is to submission.

Look at verse 1 again:

“Likewise” as in similarly to the submission we have learned about earlier at the end of chapter 2 as it relates to government and employment, wives are called to “be subject to” or submit to their own husbands.

Let’s be clear, just because the passage immediately before this one is talking about masters and slaves, this does not mean that the relationship of husband and wife is like that.

Wives submit voluntarily.

And the direction of their submission is clear.

Wives submit to your own husbands.

Women have no obligation to submit to every man.

This applies to the unique relationship of marriage.

In this context, wives, you are called to submit to your husbands.

What does it mean to submit?

I cannot improve on this from John Piper:

Your obedience to Scripture will leave you at odds with the world that you live in.

What then is submission?

It is the disposition to follow a husband’s authority and an inclination to yield to his leadership.

It is an attitude that says, “I delight for you to take the initiative in our family.

I am glad when you take responsibility for things and lead with love.

I don’t flourish when you are passive and I have to make sure the family works.”

But the attitude of Christian submission also says, “It grieves me when you venture into sinful acts and want to take me with you.

You know I can’t do that.

I have no desire to resist you.

On the contrary, I flourish most when I can respond creatively and joyfully to your lead; but I can’t follow you into sin, as much as I love to honor your leadership in our marriage.

Christ is my King.”

This is biblical submission.

This, wives, is what you are called to do in your marriage.

This does not mean that you have to always agree with your husband, depend on your husband for spiritual strength, act out of fear, or give up thinking or reasoning.

As we saw in the quote before, submission does not mean that you follow your husband into sin.

And this certainly does not mean that a wife should endure abuse from her husband.

Any wife enduring abuse should escape the abuse and report her abusive husband to the authorities.

Yet, ordinarily, a wife is called to submit.

And this passage paints us a beautiful picture of this submission.

Following this command God’s Word shows us the goal of this submission, the beauty of submission, and the reward of submission.