Adorning the Gospel with Godliness
1 Peter: A Living Hope for Holy Living in a Hostile World • Sermon • Submitted • Presented • 47:23
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· 83 viewsIn the context of wives being submissive to unbelieving husbands, Peter lays out the following instruction applicable to every believer: draw attention to the beauty of the gospel with godly behavior.
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Adorning the Gospel with Godliness - 1 Peter 3:1-6
Adorning the Gospel with Godliness - 1 Peter 3:1-6
INTRO: As believers is it ever difficult for us to work and live together closely with those who do not desire to obey God? Is it not even more difficult for us to submit to leaders when they are ungodly?
Peter gives three such examples common to his hearers in which they are called to be like Jesus and bear witness to Christ toward unbelievers, situations that he knows are not easy scenarios to have a submissive spirit that pleases the Lord.
The context is 1 Peter 2:11-12, where Peter reminds the believers that being called out to belong to God means that they are now resident aliens of this world. Our true citizenship is in heaven, but we still live here as temporary residents, and our task as his people is to live in such a way that draws attention to our true citizenship, our highest loyalty. In so doing, we are to abstain from the passions of the flesh that wage war against our souls, and we are to maintain such good conduct among unbelievers that they may see our good works and respond by giving glory to God!
Then come Peter’s three examples that are common to a great many people and also that give different angles to the importance of a submissive spirit in bearing witness to Christ. When we submit to governing authorities, with a substantial number of leaders (and perhaps even systems) that do not fear God, our submission helps to silence ignorant slander against true Christianity. Eventually the dishonest defamation becomes blatantly obvious… at least before the Lord, if nothing else.
The second scenario is if we should suffer unjust treatment from our masters, our bosses, those leaders who hold authority over us in some way that is beyond our control (and they bear responsibility for it, I might add.) Especially when they are godless, crooked leaders, and we suffer unjustly at their hands with the attitude of Jesus and with His goal of willingly suffering for the ultimate good of those mistreating us, we are pleasing to God who knows and sees all and who judges justly, and we draw attention to a central tenet of the gospel—Christ’s substitutionary atonement for the sins of the very ones who make his sacrifice necessary!
And now we come to the third situation where it is incredibly challenging to have a submissive spirit that displays the beautiful character and sacrifice of our Lord Jesus Christ—to adorn the gospel with attractive, submissive behavior in dealing with the headship of an unbelieving husband who does not desire to obey God.
Likewise, wives, be 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 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.
PRAY
Attractive Submission: “won without a word” (vv. 1-2)
Attractive Submission: “won without a word” (vv. 1-2)
A submissive spirit and action is a key component of behavior that attracts attention to Christ.
A submissive spirit and action is a key component of behavior that attracts attention to Christ.
In the context of relationships where we are under the authority (the leadership) of another, attractive submission is the key factor for being a powerful witness to the gospel of Jesus Christ.
Here’s a helpful reminder of what submission means: “Submission is the attitude and action of willingly yielding to and obeying the authority of another to please the Lord.” (Steve Cole) - Helpful explanatory thoughts:
Submission is not inconsistent with equality!
Submission is not inconsistent with equality!
God the Son’s submission to the will of God the Father proves the point. The Son is co-equal with God the Father and God the Spirit, but he did not cling to that equality as though it precluded him from willingly submitting himself to the Father to become a man and obediently die on a cross to accomplish the perfect plan of God (See Php 2:6-8).
who, though he was in the form of God, did not count equality with God a thing to be grasped, but emptied himself, by taking the form of a servant, being born in the likeness of men. And being found in human form, he humbled himself by becoming obedient to the point of death, even death on a cross.
Marriage roles were ordained by God and are maintained in N.T. teaching.
Marriage roles were ordained by God and are maintained in N.T. teaching.
Peter’s words here are not the only NT teaching on the subject. Consider especially Eph. 5:22-23.
Wives, submit to your own husbands, as to the Lord. For the husband is the head of the wife even as Christ is the head of the church, his body, and is himself its Savior.
Peter is not suggesting this because it cater’s the the man’s sinful ego. “Peter would not encourage a sinful behaviour pattern (whether from the culture or the husband himself)” Wayne A. Grudem, 1 Peter: An Introduction and Commentary, vol. 17, Tyndale New Testament Commentaries (Downers Grove, IL: InterVarsity Press, 1988), 147.
Peter is not saying this simply to accommodate the culture of the time and for the purpose of evangelism. (You might try to say that I guess if this were the only NT text that you had on the subject. But we cannot take such an approach with the whole cannon of scripture as our guide.) - Thomas Schreiner aptly concludes:
The New American Commentary: 1, 2 Peter, Jude (3) Wives, Submit to Husbands (3:1–6)
It is clear from Eph 5:22–33 that submission of wives to husbands is grounded in theology—in Christ’s relationship with the church. It is not an accommodation to culture. The submission of wives to husbands mirrors the church’s submission to Christ, and hence it should be accepted as a norm that transcends the culture of the first century.
Again, it is the consistent testimony of the NT that God has a good design, not based on inferiority or superiority, but simply based on what is beneficial for families to have the best order and live healthy lives.
Now, before moving on, let me add two more points from the other side of this coin:
“The purpose of authority is to protect and bless those under authority, not to benefit the one in authority.” (Steve Cole)
“The purpose of authority is to protect and bless those under authority, not to benefit the one in authority.” (Steve Cole)
“Because of sin, those in authority commonly abuse it and God will hold them accountable. But just because the one in authority abuses his position does not give those under authority the right to resist, unless they must resist in order to obey God.” (Steve Cole)
“God never tells husbands to get their wives to submit to them. All the commands to submit are directed to wives, not to husbands.”
“God never tells husbands to get their wives to submit to them. All the commands to submit are directed to wives, not to husbands.”
“A husband who focuses on his authority is out of line. His responsibilities are to love his wife sacrificially (Eph. 5:25) and to live with her in an understanding way, granting her honor (1 Pet. 3:7). Not once is there a command to husbands to get their wives into submission. A husband who suppresses, restricts, or puts down his wife is not exercising proper authority.” (Steve Cole)
Husbands, love your wives, as Christ loved the church and gave himself up for her,
Getting back to Peter’s point, this situation is particularly difficult because Peter gives the scenario of submitting to a husband who does not submit himself the the authority of God’s revealed word. (not that all or even most of their husbands were this way: “even if some do not...”) But again, Peter gives the scenario of a situation that potentially the most difficult - submitting to an unbelieving husband. - Because of the way Peter tends to use obedience synonymously with true belief, this use of the word is likely intended to mean the central message of God’s revealed word, namely the gospel. So this husband is an unbeliever whose life definitely does not revolve around seeking to obey God. (Some of us may think it’s even harder to be submissive to a leader who claims to be a Christian but whose character often betrays such a claim.)
Peter’s point is clear:
Let pure conduct in fear of the Lord do the talking.
Let pure conduct in fear of the Lord do the talking.
There’s a much better chance of winning them over by consistently submissive and pure behavior than by any amount of excessive preachiness and especially nagging. - “Won without a word” is deliberate hyberbole to say that…
Talk is genuinely cheap if it isn’t backed up by behavior... that is clearly grounded in integrity and consistency of character. - Especially when the husband knows where the wife stands and has heard her share the gospel, then the BEST thing to do, Peter says, is to live in such a way as for the husband to SEE by her changed life his own need. - And of course, God is ultimately the one who changes hearts, so we pray for transformation and trust in Him.
Again, pure conduct means not only chaste (although it is certainly that), but also that her behavior is not sinful and it is not manipulative. ***
A note on the way our text puts “respectful” as an adjective here: (Thomas Schreiner)
The New American Commentary: 1, 2 Peter, Jude (3) Wives, Submit to Husbands (3:1–6)
When Peter spoke of the “reverence of [the wives’] lives,” it should be noted that the word translated “reverence” is not actually an adjective, but in the Greek we have a prepositional phrase “in fear” (en phobō), so that a literal translation would be “as they observe your pure conduct in fear.” What should be emphasized here is that the fear is not directed to the husband, but as we saw in 2:18 (see commentary) “fear” in 1 Peter is always directed toward God.
One more reminder before we move on…
1 Peter: An Introduction and Commentary 1. Wives: Be Subject to Your Husbands (3:1–6)
This emphasis on conduct rather than words is also applicable to other situations in which Christians find themselves in regular daily contact with unbelievers (at work, within a family or college residence, etc.).
True Beauty: “the hidden person of the heart” (vv. 3-4)
True Beauty: “the hidden person of the heart” (vv. 3-4)
Some you here know what it means to be Dressed to impress… to have a tasteful appreciation for nice clothing, jewelry, etc. Others of us need help from someone else to dress us so that we’re not a frumpy mess.
External adornment vs the imperishable beauty of godly character… *** The focus of attention for “attractiveness”
And this does not cast off all form of concern for external appearance altogether: “[…] the text literally says, ‘Let not your adorning be the outward adorning of braiding of hair and wearing of gold or putting on of clothing.’ It is incorrect, therefore, to use this text to prohibit women from braiding their hair or wearing gold jewellery, for by the same reasoning one would have to prohibit ‘putting on of clothing’.” - Wayne A. Grudem, 1 Peter: An Introduction and Commentary, vol. 17, Tyndale New Testament Commentaries (Downers Grove, IL: InterVarsity Press, 1988), 148.
The New American Commentary: 1, 2 Peter, Jude (3) Wives, Submit to Husbands (3:1–6)
Obviously, Peter was not recommending that women wear nothing at all. His point was that they should not wear clothing that is exorbitantly expensive or immodest.
The hidden person of the heart - Not visible in itself, but revealed through words and actions which reflect inner attitudes.
A gentle or meek spirit is not weakness, but it is strength under control. In extrabiblical literature, it is used to describe a horse trained to respond to the direction of his rider, and it is most frequently in the NT used to describe the Lord Jesus. …Power under control… choosing submission.
Again, a quiet spirit doesn’t mean never talking… see 3:15. - “The spoken words of wives had not had an effect, and so they were called upon to live out the gospel before their husbands. The primary influence on husbands will not be the speech of wives but their godly behavior.” -
Thomas R. Schreiner, 1, 2 Peter, Jude, vol. 37, The New American Commentary (Nashville: Broadman & Holman Publishers, 2003), 150.
Steve Cole: She may be “quiet” and yet be articulate and persuasive in presenting her point of view. But she doesn’t do it in a demanding or obnoxiously assertive way.
Are you spiritually/internally dressed to impress? Ask yourself, WHO am I trying to impress?
Especially when it’s hard, draw attention to the beauty of the gospel with godly behavior. - Our #1 evangelistic tool is to be different from within. - What’s your number one evangelistic tool when talking too much is going to be problematic?
True beauty reflecting the character of God adorns the gospel of Jesus Christ.
Godly Models: “holy women who hoped in God” (vv. 5-6)
Godly Models: “holy women who hoped in God” (vv. 5-6)
*I don’t know about you, but I can hardly stand (since I have three daughters) the way our secular pop culture treats *** - It’s the blind leading the blind! Don’t be fooled! What is very precious in God’s sight? Are you aiming to be seen as pleasing the sight of the world or in the sight of God?
So, Peter says, follow the example of women who have gone before that deserve respect for their consistent godliness (not perfect, but as the overall practice in their lives). - And in context Peter specifically is speaking of their example in… “submitting to their own husbands.”
The New American Commentary: 1, 2 Peter, Jude (3) Wives, Submit to Husbands (3:1–6)
The most important comment in the verse is that these women “put their hope in God” (hai elpizousai eis theon). This comment is instructive, for it informs us that these women did not submit to their husbands because they believed their husbands were superior to them intellectually or spiritually. They submitted to their husbands because they were confident that God would reward all those who put their trust in him.
1 Peter: An Introduction and Commentary 1. Wives: Be Subject to Your Husbands (3:1–6)
Quiet confidence in God produces in a woman the imperishable beauty of a gentle and quiet spirit, but it also enables her to submit to her husband’s authority without fear that it will ultimately be harmful to her well-being or her personhood.
And by using Sarah as an example, then, it makes readers think of the wives of the patriarchs, these people of that past that are greatly revered in their faith and history/culture.
She obeyed Abraham and called him her master. That is, she recognized him as the leader and head of their household (Gen. 18:12).
The New American Commentary: 1, 2 Peter, Jude (3) Wives, Submit to Husbands (3:1–6)
It is crucial to note that obedience and submission are different in various spheres. Peter was hardly suggesting that wives submit and obey in the same way as children, for the relationship is between two adults.
So Sarah laughed to herself, saying, “After I am worn out, and my lord is old, shall I have pleasure?”
(The context of this only time that we have actually recorded of Sarah calling him lord/master in interesting if not comical. Her first reaction to God’s promise of a son is to laugh at the unreasonableness of such a suggestion… and then she’ll deny that she was laughing. But almost just as a passing note, she does refer to Abraham as lord, albeit an old one.)
And you are her children…
The NT presents us as Abraham’s spiritual children by faith in Christ. Peter takes that connection to say that those who continue… are behaving as women who are descendents of the same kind of spiritual nature as Sarah.
Do not fear anything: In their culture, wives were expected to adopt the religion of their husbands. Notice that Peter doesn’t advocate that. Instead, he recommends being the most gracious and godly member of the household that you can be in order to draw attention to the one you know is Master over everything, including the person in leadership over you!
Again…
The New American Commentary: 1, 2 Peter, Jude (3) Wives, Submit to Husbands (3:1–6)
The response of women to oppression by unbelieving husbands is exemplary and paradigmatic for all believers, just as the behavior of slaves points to the way all believers should react to persecution.
Conclusion: What are the one or two most important things to remember that will help us obey what God’s word says here?
Our submission is for the Lord.
When we submit to our husbands, even unbelieving ones who don’t obey God, we do it for the Lord and to be like Him. When we suffer unjustly at the hands of masters/bosses who are jerks because they don’t fear God, we do it to please the Lord and to be like Him. When we obey earthly governing authority it’s because we know that our goal is to obey God and be the best citizens that we can be of his heavenly kingdom. And Peter has been explaining, that what all of this beautiful submission does is attract attention to the true beauty of the sacrifice of Jesus Christ.
Through submission you are preaching the gospel.
If you think submission is a bad word or an antiquated notion of a bygone era, I challenge you to look closely at the gospel of Jesus Christ and tell me where you see that his submission is anything but beautiful, that his submission is anything but amazing sacrifice for the ultimate good of others.
Let’s go out and submit to leaders over us, in any way that we can, in order to declare the gospel of Jesus Christ… to the glory of God and the good of others.