It's good to be here with all of you today.
I have on the screen here, the passages under consideration in
First Peter chapter 3 and beginning there in verse 1.
And you might remember that about four years ago, I taught
on these passages but I just thought today especially as
today is Mother's Day, that these would be passages that
would be helpful to us and encouraging to us as we've given
our lesson a title. And that is a Godly wife.
And mother are passages are found in First Peter chapter 3.
Three and as we begin in verse 1, we will read wives, likewise,
be submissive to your own husband's that.
Even if some do not obey the word, they without a word, may
be won by the conduct of their wives.
When they observe your chaste, conduct accompanied by fear, do
not let your adornment be merely outward.
Arranging the hair wearing gold or putting on a fine apparel,
but rather let it be the hidden person of the heart with the The
Incorruptible beauty of a gentle and quiet Spirit, which is very
precious in the sight of God. May I just say that the two
great decisions that we have to make in life?
That are the most important decisions we will ever make.
Number one is our decision to obey the gospel and become a
Christian. There's no greater decision that
we will ever make. But the second great decision
that will determine so many things in our life, especially
our happiness is who were going to marry.
And if you as a man, find the right woman that is a Godly wife
and Godly mother. You are extremely blessed.
So valuable a Godly wife and mother.
I want to talk about these passages for just a little
while, but first of all, as we go to verse one, verse one
wives, likewise be submissive to your own husband's a little bit
of background here. When Peter begins with the word
likewise, what he's talking about is a continuation from
what he just said. In the second chapter Peter said
to be submissive to Civil Authorities.
He's he also said Masters be submissive to your or servants
be submissive to your Masters. So what he's saying here is
likewise be submissive to your own husbands and these are
talking about wipes you know I have to make a point here.
This passage is not talking about somebody that marry
somebody. That's not a Christian.
The background is this. There are two people that are
married and they hear the gospel, the wife obeys.
The gospel becomes a faithful child of God but the husband has
not done so. So what Peter's talking about is
he's talking about, what should your relationship be?
And what are your duties? As those wives he says wives in
this category? Wise, be submissive to your own
husbands. Now I got to say sometimes
people think that submission is an act of weakness sometimes
people even say this putting somebody in their place, there
is nothing more unscriptural than the interpretation of a
woman being in submission or subjection.
There's nothing more unscriptural than interpreting.
It like this, that the woman is to get in her place, that is not
found in the Bible. In fact, this word submission is
found in the King James version as subjection.
It is this Greek word here and it means to arrange under or
Subordinate. Now here's where it's an act of
strength. It's a willful act.
I'm going to tell you something. Jesus thought it not robbery to
be counted equal with God but made himself of no reputation.
There's no greater example than Jesus who made the willful act
of submission to God and God's plan in the scheme of
redemption. Jesus was a strongest man that
ever lived not weak at all, he submitted himself.
What else did Jesus do? He made himself to be for a
time, a little lower than the Angels so that he could die and
All that means is this it didn't mean that the Angels were
greater than Jesus. It meant that the Angels were
ones who could not die. So therefore, he made himself
lower than the Angels like a human being because we can die.
That was a willful act of strength.
It's the same kind of connotation about wives being in
submission to their husbands. It is a willful act Peters
teaching is in perfect, Accord with Paul's instructions in
Ephesians, chapter 5, listen to this wives, submit yourself to
your own husband's as to the Lord, for the husband, is the
head of the wife. As also Christ is the head of
the church, and he is the savior of the body.
Therefore, just as the church is subject to Christ.
So let the wives be to their own husband's in everything.
One more passage Colossians chapter 3 and beginning in verse
18 wives, submit yourself to your own husband's as is fitting
in the Lord. Husbands love your wife and do
not be bitter toward them. You know this is God's plan.
I heard somebody say one time. Yeah, I know it says all that
but times have changed and I really think God wants us to use
our heads. You know, that's not found in
the Bible. If God said for me to do
something or any of us to do something, it really doesn't
matter what we think about it. We might think that by way of
our own wisdom and our own human reasoning, we might think that
it's a better idea to do something else.
That's not the point. The point is, it's about what
God wants and what God Said is in the structure of this
marriage relationship that a woman would be submissive to
their own husband's. That a husband would love his
wife. As Christ.
Also loved the church, it's a willful act.
Therefore it's nothing of inferiority.
It's an act of Courage, obedience and strength.
Have you ever considered that the woman's role is a position
of Courage, obedience, and strength.
Absolutely. So Even if the husband is not a
Christian, First Corinthians 7:2, Paul gave the physical side
of the physical reasons, he said, nevertheless, because of
sexual immorality. Let each man have his own wife
and let each woman have her own husband.
Now, Peter is now giving reasons on the spiritual level and here
they are, here's the reasons on the spiritual level that even if
some do not obey the word very important here.
Okay? The Word obey is a word that
describes as Thayer says, somebody that absolutely will
not be subjected to what is said.
In other words, here's somebody that hears, the word of God,
they hear what the Bible says, and by the way, that's the
gospel, but they absolutely will not submit to it.
That's what he's saying. So here's the picture, you have
a Godly Christian woman, she's a faithful member of the Lord's
Church. You have a husband that wants
absolutely nothing to do with it.
In fact, when he heard the word of God, he has rejected it at
least for a Time. But look at the power of a Godly
wife. Notice right here.
In fact, one scholar said these husbands were obstinate non
persuadable. They were the type that would
not listen to reason and Peter says this, even if some do not
obey the word, they without a word may be won by the conduct
of their wives. Now, we have to make a couple
points here about what has the power to save.
Peter's not saying that a woman has the power to save because
you know what, nobody in the world has the power to save.
We can be an influence on people, but nothing in the world
has the power to save accept the gospel.
Paul said, in Romans 1:16 for, I am not ashamed of the gospel of
Christ for it is the power of God unto salvation to everyone
who believes to the Jew first and also to the Gentile, or the
Greek as the King James says. So in that we understand the
word of God, only the word of God has the power to save but
look at the power of a Godly life of his wife.
He heard the word of God. At one point wants nothing to do
with it, but he may be won by the conduct of their wife
without her saying a word. That's what that means.
Now, I'm going to tell you, when you look at the King James
version on this passage, it says this that even if some do not
obey the word, they without the word may be won by the conduct
of their wives, it seems a little confusing.
But what he's talking about is this not obeying the word of
God, but they will in the future.
Perhaps, without the woman saying a word May be persuaded
to hear the gospel again and Obey it down the line because
the gospel is the only thing that has the power to save what
we're saying is this. The silent.
But powerful persuasion of a believing Behavior has the power
to do great things. One man said one time that Godly
conduct is more powerful. Than persistent speech.
Now that brings us to verse 2 when they observe your chaste
conduct accompanied by fear. You know this words, observe is
in the King James it says behold and it's only found in the
Epistle of Peter. It's only found in First Peter
and it's found in two places. It's found right here and it's
also founded. I'll read you the passage in 1st
Peter chapter 2 and verse 12. Listen to this.
Having your conduct honorable among the Gentiles that when
they speak against you as evildoers, they may by your good
works which they observe glorify God.
In the day of visitation what a powerful passage that even
people, that would criticize you and speak evil of you.
You live your life in such a way that they'll be ashamed.
When they see how you live, it'll make everything that
they're saying by way of an evildoer false.
And What else? They may even have an
opportunity to observe you, therefore glorify God in the day
of visitation? What does it mean in the day of
visitation? Well, if you look back into the
Old Testament, you find the day of visitation where oftentimes,
as, when God came and judgment but here in that passage and
found in the New Testament, it's talking about the offer of
Salvation. So notice this you live your
life in such a way that when people in the world, observe
your life, they will be. Shame that would falsely accuse
you absolutely as an evildoer. But what else?
It will have the power or the influence that when they hear
the word of God, the day of visitation, they'll obey it and
become a Christian. Now, that's the same thing as
the wife. But what are they going to
observe those husbands? First of all, they're chased
conduct accompanied by fear. Chased means pure from Fault
Immaculate, and by the way, That doesn't mean perfect.
It doesn't mean perfect being Immaculate means free from
accusation. So what he's saying is this when
your husband's continually observe, your chaste, or pure
from fault or or Immaculate conduct, it will have that kind
of power fear. They are says, is the term of
reverence and respect. So, in conclusion of that,
thought the immaculate Life manifested by Godly living will
be seen by the Believing partner who otherwise would never see
the word of God. But the word of God is the only
thing that has the power to save, but The Godly life of a
Christian spouse can lead the unbeliever to respond and listen
to the gospel and Obey it in the future.
All right, all of that is now the foundational proportion.
In general of our lesson. Now we go to verse 3 and
sometimes verse 3 is very much misunderstood.
So let's begin verse 3. Do not let your adornment be
merely outward. Arranging the hair wearing gold
or putting on fine apparel. The Christian wife is not to
depend on outward, adornment to win her husband.
To Christ her adornment Rises From Within it, comes from what
is on the inside. And by the way, what you are in
every way on the inside is what you will be on the outside.
Side. In every way.
Sometimes people say the, I know he does all this stuff.
But he has a really good heart. Really.
If you're good on the inside, it will manifest itself as good on
the outside. You can't say I am one way when
really, I'm not and you can't separate your behavior and your
choices and your actions from what you are on the inside, they
go hand in hand. So what he's saying is this, you
wives, do not let the adornment be merely outward.
It's what is on the inside. So three distinct areas.
Now, here they are the way she wears her hair, the jewelry.
She selects and the Carol that she puts on now here it says the
adorned merely outward arranging of the hair but we also find
that that word is to plate or be either woven or braiding.
According to the King James version and by the way, this
doesn't mean that a girl cannot braid her hair.
Not with that means at all. fact, I used to say this one
Taylor was little Wherever she would have some activity.
Need to have her hair braided, I would do it.
I can why you get it tight, you know, when you grew up riding
horses, tails you figure out how to do that.
So I learned how to do that. Breda tell you can braid some
hair and I was good at it because I got a real tight.
Real tight braids. Is that what that's talking
about is it forbidden for a woman to braid her hair?
Absolutely not. Let's notice what it actually
means. According to the King James
version, it is called plating or boarding abroad.
Bring the hair. Now, in 1st, Timothy Chapter 2
and beginning in verse 9, Paul said this.
In like manner also that the woman Adorn themselves in modest
apparel with propriety and moderation.
Not with broided hair or gold or pearls or costly clothing but
which is proper for women. Professing godliness.
Now, evidently Paul is giving insight into the extravagant
excesses among women in the first century.
Roman Empire noticed what mr. Vincent said and I quote The
attendants will vote on the dressing of the hair as if a
question of reputation, or of life worth steak.
So great is the trouble. She takes in quest of Beauty
with so many tears. Does she load?
I tried to figure out what that look like.
We're so many tears, does she load with so many continuous
stories? Does she build up on high her
head? She is.
As tall as and Rumaki in front. Which by the way, was the Greek
mythology. The Wife of Hector captured by
the Greeks at the white at the fall of Troy, in the front
behind she's shorter, you would think her another person.
That's somebody that went out of their way to do something by way
of a personal outward. Look Clement of Alexandria.
Said, this first century women were given to Great Extremes in
braiding and plaiting, their hair, gold and silver were
intertwined and twisted within the strands with pearls.
Now, this is what Peter and Paul is condemning not by braiding.
The hair, would you talking about?
He's talking about This he's talking about stuck in the hair.
Mile-high with all of this show and then interweaving Pearl and
gold and all of that in it, an outward show.
In other words, don't try to win your husband to Christ by the
outward show. And I want to make a side point
here. This is talking about in
context, somebody that's a Christian trying to convert
their non converted spouse. But there's a secondary thought
here. Is there not If you're a young
lady, don't try to attract a young boy by doing the same
things. Let it be on the inward side,
and we're going to get more to that in just a minute, but never
let it be from an outward show. Paul said, Peter says, don't do
that. Don't let it be that which is on
the out side. Now, the wearing of gold wearing
is to put around or hang down according to mr.
Thayer now, it seems as though in passing by That there is a
general prohibit prohibition to wearing gold but that's not the
case. That's not the context in the
Greek text at all wearing gold. It was the adornment of the
golden ornaments that were placed around the head or the
body. And the Greek text really is
talking about that is talking about lavish conspicuous
displays of jewelry, the wearing of jewelry is not forbidden for
a Ian woman, but garlic gaudy, elaborate displays of expensive.
Jewelry is the same thing. As the artificial manner of
wearing the hair and then he says this.
So don't do that. Don't Let It Be by way of
arranging, the hair, or wearing gold.
But then he says this, or putting on of fine apparel.
The Greek uses two words for clothing.
One word is clothing to protect and cover the body.
That's not the word here in this passage.
The other is a word that describes clothing, that is
ornate, its decorative with complex patterns or fancy and so
on and so forth. The putting on of apparel is not
to be understood unconditionally prohibited just like braiding
the hair or wearing gold. They're not unconditionally
prohibitive. So, The point is this Christian
women are not to depend on outward adornment to win their
husbands and their adornment must come from the Christian
heart and that brings us to verse 4.
Here it is. This is what how we should do.
So But let it be the hidden person of the heart.
Now, what's the heart sometimes in the Bible?
Heart refers to your deep feelings.
Like when you would say, for example, I love you with all of
my heart or when Paul was writing to Philemon and wanted
Philemon to forgive onesimus. He says, this is my whole heart,
in other words, that's the deepest part of my feelings.
That's not the word heart hear the word heart and this passage
is talking about intelligence reason and will So let it be
from the intelligence reason and will the hidden man of the heart
First Corinthians 4:16? Therefore, we do not lose heart.
Even though our outward man is perishing yet the inward man is
being renewed day by day by the word of God.
So, the Inner Man of the heart is, what is under consideration?
In other words, as Christians, Christians clothing should be
consistent with the Purity and beauty of the Lord who, dwells
in his, or her heart. I want to say something.
You know. To the young ladies.
And by the way, the end of this little lesson is my favorite
part. Because we're going to talk
about how valuable our precious daughters are, that's my
favorite part of this whole thing.
Okay, can't wait to get there but I want to say something to
the young lady's right now. if you have to dress a certain way,
To attract a boy, he ain't for you.
We don't need him here in worthy.
And if you feel like you what to do that to attract the boy, A
little problem with the heart. We don't want to do that when we
get our heart, right? If a boy cannot look at you and
see the inner beauty that you are as a child of God, we don't
need him around. He ain't for us.
And remember this, remember this, the hidden man of the
heart. What's on the inside?
Again, will manifest itself on the outside?
And may I also say this, if we're having trouble with being
modest, Fitting in and I'm going to say this to listen, I'm
almost 55 years old, had been that long ago, that I was a
young person to. And when I was a young person, I
know how peer pressure's come down and you want to fit in.
And sometimes you feel alienated and ostracized, because you
don't feel like you fit in, I get it.
It's sometimes hard to stand and be the outsider, right?
I get it. But I'm going to tell you
something folks, if we're having struggles with that, because
there is a way to dressed. It's worldly.
There's a way to dress that's in modest.
And if we do that, we struggle with that, it's because we're
struggling with the heart. Got to fix it on the inside and
a precious godly woman is what's important.
And may I say this too. Don't ever think you have to
settle or compromise. Oh, I better compromise or I'm
never going to get a spouse. No.
Be the Christian. You should be be the best person
that you could be. Let Jesus come forth in your
life and other see it and somewhere along the line.
You may find somebody that's worthy of you.
I got to tell you I was going to say this at the wedding when
Taylor and way got married, but I start bawling, I could have
done it. But I went up, I cut it out.
She doesn't even know this, but I cut it out and I was going to
say that. I, when Taylor was born, I
remember, I remember when she came out and I got to go into
the NICU unit with her, and I remember I couldn't stop crying.
I was so thankful that I had a little girl.
And I'm going to take something as a dad.
I don't know if a greater gift that have a daughter.
I just don't incredible. And I now have a little girl.
And I thought man there's nobody in this world going to be worthy
of that, little girl. Nobody. and then when Wade came
along, I started praying for it because that's the right kind of
man that will see my daughter to understand.
Hey, I Loved Her First and God loves her too.
And Jesus loves her too. And a man that is willing to see
those things. That's what's important.
They are worthy of their affection, their love and their
worthy of having those Godly women for their wife.
Don't ever settle. Don't ever ever settle a
Christians clothing. Should be consistent with the
Purity and beauty of the Lord who dwells in their heart.
Now I want to say this now What is the importance of a wife or
the importance of the role of a mother?
And a wife, how important is that?
We bring up our daughters to Aspire to fulfill that role.
And I got to tell you, we spend a lot of time, don't we?
We need to, we need to bring up young boys at they'll be
teachers in the church. That true.
Yeah, well, we need some evangelists reason preachers.
We got to train, those guys to be preachers that true.
Yeah, we need to get those guys that want to be elders.
And Dickens, in the Lord's church, is that important.
Absolutely, you've heard my series on that, and I said that
a person is going to be a deacon or an elder.
Someday has to purpose in their mind Wayne Advance before when
they're young to be a Godly person and pursue it is all that
true. Yes, it is.
We spend a lot of time talking about the young men because of
this passage right here. Psalm 144 and 12 that our sons
may be as plants grown up in their youth.
Is that true? Absolutely true.
Absolutely true in the Hebrew, by the way, you know, it says in
the Hebrew, it says they'll be grown large in their youth.
The meaning the direct meaning of that is they'll cut become
Stout, strong, and vigorous and well-formed, even early in life.
One scholar said it like this. He offered this paraphrase.
I love this. Make our sons in their Prime, be
like, sturdy, Oaks in other words, not going out in sowing,
their Wild, Oats, as it were, but being strong in the Lord in
their youth. You know, I'm going to tell you
something, I don't know anybody. Including me.
I don't know anybody that reflects back on their youth.
Without at least a little bit of regret.
Right. I mean, if you can say that you
look back on your youth with no regret more power to you, I
can't I haven't made every decision, just right.
So is it important that we understand this?
Absolutely. We need those young men to grow
up as plants grown up in their youth.
Be strong oak trees. Absolutely, we need to do that.
That's true. But the second part is what I
love so much. One translation.
Renders it like this. Look at this, our daughters will
be like carved columns shapely as those of the temple.
The new English version, adds this crucial picture.
Look at this. It says, our daughters will be
like Corner, pillars, carved, like those in a pelops before I
go any further, let me ask you something.
Young ladies daughters. Do you have even a clue as to
how valuable you are? How necessary you are.
Look, not only about the young boys, but what about this?
Our daughters will be carved. Like, carved column shapely and
of those of the temple, our daughters will be like Corner
pillars and the King. James know, it says they'll be
Corner Stones. That's pretty important in it.
You know, that words being used to that Cornerstone words.
Been used again with the Lord. When you talk about the church,
the kingdom and Jesus is the chief Corner Stone, same
language about the home. Cornerstones.
I want to read you something bear with me while I read it
all. Listen to this, listen to what
was being described by way of Bible palaces back in those
days. Listen to this.
In Bible times, Palace has contained a number of large
columns. They were both decorative and
weight-bearing. The most expensive columns were
cut from Marble. They were highly polished and
carefully put in place. The most important of those
columns were placed at the intersection of two or more
walls. These core columns were crucial
because they held everything together.
The master Craftsman would take extra time, choosing the best
materials working overtime, to produce a stone that's cut to
exact measurements and Polished to a high degree of Brilliance.
If they were cut wrong or play strong, the entire building
would be unsound but when properly placed, they became the
foundation and Connecting Point for everything else.
Don't be deceived though by the emphasis on beauty and Grace.
These columns were Not Mere ornaments added to please the
eye. They were Corner pillars that
held the palace together and folks such is the image of Godly
daughters. They're like highly polished
carefully, chosen perfectly placed Corner columns that hold
together. The palace where the king,
dwells such a noble goal for our daughters to raise a polished
Corner pillar That will one day hold her family together with
strength, and joy, and love and laughter, having a contagious
faith in Jesus Christ. Yes.
As I've stated God's base, God's best gift to any man is a Godly
woman of strength and beauty. Her worth is far more above
rubies. Such a woman is truly God's
Masterpiece. And I like, what one man said,
one time about the family He said the father is the head of
the home? But the mother.
Is the heart. And the children.
Are the hope. The structure in God's eyes, or
how it should be. Make no mistake about it.
Young ladies, when you grow up, you don't have a role.
That is inferior. You just have a different one
that's all and you're not inferior.
And any way shape, or form, in fact, you realize, how valuable
you are. I'm going to tell you right now,
man. Can't do anything to their
maximum capacity without the right woman in their Corner.
Can't happen. You know the old saying behind
every good man is a good woman. Oh, that is so true.
So true. So we need to raise our
daughters, to be those kind of women.
Let it be the inner part of the heart that attracts others.
And not only did Peter say you can win your unbelieving spouse
or even. That's the kind of person that
you'll attract one day for you. As you are the right woman, that
godly woman in your own, I'm finished this morning.
Thank you for your kind listening, to what we had to
consider. And I hope something was said,
that was edifying to you in some way.
Encouraging to you in some way. Way a Godly wife and mother.
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