All right, we're going to be
in 1 Peter chapter 3. 1 Peter chapter 3, and our text
is going to be verses 1 through 6. 1 Peter 3, 1 through 6. And we'll read the whole text.
Likewise ye wives, be in subjection to your own husbands, that if any obey not the word,
they also may without the word be won by the conversation of
the wise, while they behold your chaste conversation coupled with
fear, whose adorning, let it not be that outward adorning
of plaiting or braiding the hair, and of wearing of gold, or of
putting on of apparel, but let it be the hidden man of the heart
and that which is not corruptible, even the ornament of a meek and
quiet spirit, which is in the sight of God of great price.
For after this manner, in the old time, the holy women also,
who trusted in God, adorned themselves, being in subjection unto their
own husbands, even as Sarah obeyed Abraham, calling him Lord, whose
daughters ye are, as long as ye do well, and are not afraid
with any amazement. And the apostle here honors the
wife who has an unbelieving husband and uses this as an example to
showcase what he's been talking about in chapter two. And it brings home, it makes
it very personal, especially to someone who knows what this
is like, right? Who is a believer and has a spousal
and that close and that near who doesn't believe. But in doing
so, what Peter's done is left the church with a blessed example
of what she does, the bride of Christ, in serving her Lord in
a place that is contrary to her, that is a trouble to her, that
provokes her and does all kinds of things that just can bring
someone down. We see it, though, where she's
faithfully serving her Lord, serving the brethren, in spite
of all this trouble, and it's done in a dark and in an unbelieving
world. Our title is Likewise, Ye Wives. Likewise, Ye Wives. And there's
certainly some valuable insights that we'll see here for the wife
that has a husband, but What I really want us to see here
this morning is the gospel and how every one of us can learn
and be blessed by the gospel here that is seen in this passage,
whether you're a male or female, whether you're married or single,
the gospel is here. And it's because every believer
is the bride of Christ. We all have a husband who is
faithful and kind and generous to us and we serve him. However,
we serve him here in this dark fallen world. We serve him with
great opposition against us. Great opposition to our faith
and what we believe and the things that we do just as a wife who
has an unbelieving husband serves and loves her God. So there's
a lot of similarities and it's not, don't tune out because There's
much for every believer to see here. We'll have three points. Wise, a type of Christ's bride.
Second, we'll see a contrast of natures. And third, sincere
faith calls him Lord. All right, Peter begins this
chapter, a man-made chapter, but they're helpful, nothing
against them. It's part of what we've been
looking at. And he says, likewise, ye wives. And he's saying, in
the same manner, in the same manner of the examples that I've
shown you previously in the last chapter, give honor, obedience,
and respect to those that are in positions of leadership and
authority over you. And the relationship of a husband
and wife is another example of someone having over them a headship,
someone who's a leader or has authority over them. And we see
this throughout the scriptures. This is not a man-made teaching
or a man-made doctrine. It says in Genesis 3, 16, after
the fall of man, our God said unto the woman, I will greatly
multiply thy sorrow and thy conception in sorrow, or thy conception. In sorrow thou shalt bring forth
children. and thy desire shall be to thy
husband, and he shall rule over thee. And the apostle also confirms
for us in 1 Corinthians 11 3, but I would have you know that
the head of every man is Christ, and the head of the woman is
the man, and the head of Christ is God. So that none of us, there's
not a single person here in this world that is without headship,
that doesn't have someone that's in authority and has the rule
over them, except for one. And that's God, who is our creator,
blessed forevermore. Amen, Romans 125. So God alone
has no one that's over him. He himself is God. Now Peter
says in verses 1 and 2, likewise ye wives, be in subjection to
your own husbands, that if any obey not the word, they also
may without the word be won by the conversation of the wives.
While they behold your chaste conversation coupled with fear,
So first, this wife is given that distinct honor of being
the bride of Christ. She's the bride of Christ who
lovingly submits to her husband, though he may trouble her and
give her a hard time by the things that she believes in and what
she does and how she does them. But she's not putting her confidence
and trust in the man. She's trusting her Lord and Savior. the Lord God. She's trusting
Jesus Christ, her Lord and Savior, knowing that he does all things
well. And I realize that this world,
especially today, thinks a woman is a fool for submitting to a
husband. They think, that's crazy. How
can you do that? Why would you, why would you submit to a husband? You know, and it's not because
your husbands are perfect. It's not because we men are perfect
or better or more holy or more righteous. than the woman. But it pictures even our subjection
as the bride of Christ to our Savior that we're not perfect
either. We who serve the Lord and trust
Him and look to Him, believing Him, we know the weakness and
the unbelief and the doubts that we have in our own heart and
in our own breasts. So we know that it's not It's
not perfect. So the woman isn't submitting
to her husband because there's something good in him or something
perfect or better in him. It's in love and in trust and
in honor to her savior, to her God, because this is the order
that he's done. So it takes a lot to trust a
sinner, but don't trust sinners because man will fail you every
time. trust the Lord that he knows
exactly what he's doing and you're trusting that God is going to
teach that man who's making decisions for the family and deciding things.
You're trusting that God will teach him and correct him and
instruct him and lead him and when he gets off track or when
he does something wrong that God is going to correct him and
bring him back to that where he should be. And also, you women
who are praying for your husbands as well, You also know that just
because it doesn't agree with you or what the way you would
do it, that doesn't necessarily make it wrong either. But in
all things, we're trusting God. Now, the lesson that's pertinent
to us is that we all have a faithful husband that we love and serve
and submit to and trust even in this dark, fallen world. Turn
over to Romans 7. Romans 7 and go to verse 4. Paul says, Wherefore, my brethren,
ye also are become dead to the law by the body of Christ, that
ye should be married to another, even to him who is raised from
the dead, that we should bring forth fruit unto God. So that
our Savior, we see how our Savior has has redeemed us, how he's
given us life, how he's filled us with his Holy Spirit to wash
us in the blood of Christ, to wash us in the word, to help
us to hear what Christ is saying and what he's done for us. He's
given us a new heart to believe him and to trust him and to follow
him and to submit to him. And just as a wife, a husband
and a wife come together and she yields her body to her husband,
So Christ our Savior comes to us and he bears fruit in us,
in every believer, so that we bring forth fruit now unto God,
unto his praise and his glory. In verse 5 he says, when we were
in the flesh, the motions of sins which were by the law did
work in our members, right? When we were married to that
old man and married to those old ways, they brought forth
fruit unto death. As religionists, as good religionists,
everything we did and strove for and tried and yielded ourselves
up to that did no good. It didn't profit us because all
it did was bring forth fruit unto death. But now we are delivered
from the law that being dead wherein we were held that we
should serve in newness of spirit and not in the oldness of the
letter. So we see in Christ our Savior
the perfect husband and we're trusting him and we're serving
him in whatever Whatever headship we have over us that we're serving
and submitting to and doing what we're supposed to do, even though
it's contrary to us, it's in trust to our Savior. It's trusting
Him and believing Him that He's working all things and that He's
bearing fruit in His church, in His bride, as it pleases Him. It's according to Him. Now, let
me just say, since we're on the subject, that you husbands, you
know that, you know, when you come in your house one day and
you and your wife are talking and there's some friction, a
disagreement between you and you say, you know, you're my
wife, you're supposed to submit to me. And that goes over like
a lead brick, right? That just goes over, boom, you
know, there's no warmth and no, no, no sweetness there. And probably
every one of us have probably tried that or done it to some
in some form and realized very quickly that cold, air that just
blows in and it's not, it does not produce good fruit, it's
just a dead, a dead fruit and you know we all go through that
and see that and that it's not in demanding, even if your wife
says alright fine you know I'll do it, I'll do it you know and
she goes and does it, there's no love there, it's cold, it's
just a mechanical thing, it's just like being in religion when
you're doing things according to the flesh and there's no warmth
or heart there, but I trust that we've all found
that when you hear her, and you're kind, and you're gentle, and
you're patient, as the Lord is kind, and gentle, and patient
with us, then she's willing to hear what pleases you, and what
you like, and the way you like it, and things like preparing
your food, or just doing things around the house, then it's done
in warmth and in honor and pleasing and you know the Lord is very
kind and patient to us so be that way you know husbands be
that way with your wives be gentle and patient and kind in your
words and woo them and they'll be sweet you know they will they
love the Lord trust trust you know your wives love the Lord
so be kind and be gentle and trust that the Lord is gonna
As He's instructing you and teaching you how to be men and how to
be husbands, so He's teaching the wives to be loving and kind
to you. And there's great joy in that.
Now the second thing that we see in this type is the wife
is serving the Lord in the midst of an unbelieving world. This
world does not believe Christ. It doesn't believe what we believe.
It doesn't see what we see. It doesn't rejoice in the things
that the believer rejoices in. Peter said, In the last chapter,
he said in 1 Peter 2.12, having your conversation honest among
the Gentiles that whereas they speak against you as evildoers,
they may by your good works which they shall behold glorify God
in the day of visitation. So our trust in our God is to
believe him and serve him even though everything in this world
is unbelieving and contrary to the truth. It's going against
that which God has revealed which God has shown us, saying this
world, its ways, the things that it pursues and desires, they're
all fallen. They're all out. There's nothing
lasting in them. Don't pursue those things. And
so we trust Him, even though all the world is going this way,
we're trusting Him, just bearing up, following Him, trusting Him,
even though everything is going contrary to us. And as we trust
Him, you know, not not the wicked men of this world, not those
that are in authority or in leadership, not putting our trust and confidence
in them, because they are sinners and they shall indeed fail us,
but we trust and believe that our God is ruling and reigning
and doing all things well, and it shows forth the praises of
him who's called us out of darkness into light. As Peter said in
2.9, but ye are a chosen generation of royal priesthood and holy
nation, a peculiar people that you should show forth the praises
of him who hath called you out of darkness into his marvelous
light." So that's where that light begins to shine forth,
and that's where we're bearing witness to what God has done
in us, that praise and that virtue that he's worked in us. It's
by his spirit, his fruit being born in us, we're patiently trusting
him and looking to him in all things. All right, now next we
see a contrast in 1 Peter 3, 3 and 4. He says, who's adorning,
let it not be that outward adorning of plaiting or braiding of the
hair and of wearing of gold or of putting on of apparel, but
let it be the hidden man of the heart in that which is not corruptible,
even the ornament of a meek and quiet spirit, which is in the
sight of God of great price. Now we know this world is a very
sensual place, right? It's very carnal, it's very fleshly,
it's full of lusts and desires in the heart of wicked man. So there's definitely a heavy
emphasis that we see all around us for the outward appearance
of things, right? That outward adorning of things. Now the Apostle lists hair and
gold and apparel, which is clothing, and you know proper care and
maintenance. of ourselves should not be shunned.
That's not what he's saying. He's not saying just let yourself
go. It doesn't matter. Don't shower.
Be smelly. Don't brush your hair. That's not at all what the apostle
is saying. To have a modest amount of jewelry
isn't even sinful or bad or evil. In Genesis, in 24-22, we read
of Rebecca, and the servant came to pass as the camels had done
drinking that the man took a golden earring of half a shekel weight
and two bracelets for her hands of ten shekels weight of gold.
And then later he asked her and said, Whose daughter art thou?
And she said, The daughter of Bethuel, Nahor's son, whom milk
a baron to him. And he put the earring upon her
face and the bracelets upon her hands. And then later we read
the servant brought forth jewels of silver and jewels of gold
and raiment and gave them to Rebecca, he gave also to her
brother and to her mother precious things. So we ought to dress
appropriately for our age or our occupation and things of
that nature. There's nothing wrong with looking
neat and proper and dressing nicely, of having some jewelry,
of having a hairstyle that looks pretty on your face and that
you like. There's nothing wrong at all
with that. But is that all that we are?
is are we just the outward external form of things? And that's what
he's saying is don't focus on the outward appearance of things,
right? That's what this false church
does in this world, right? All they are is focused on the
form and doing that which appears to be right and good. It's just
a form. It's an outward appearance of
things. There's, you know, it's whitewashed. It looks pretty
on the outside. And inside, it's full of dead
men's bones. There's nothing pretty or beautiful
within. Our Lord rebuked the Pharisees
for their insistence on outward things, on outward man-made religion,
and doing that form, and doing those things that appear to make
us look right and good on the outside. He said, this people,
he's quoting Isaiah, he said, this people draw nigh unto me
with their mouth, and honoreth me with their lips, but their
heart is far from me. but in vain do they worship me,
teaching for doctrines the commandments of men." So that's why, like,
we're not going to stand here and say, oh, don't wear, you
know, you should have a box-cut hairstyle and, you know, don't
wear any jewelry and just wear gray clothing and things like
that. We're not going to say that because that's just a man-made
doctrine. That's just causing you to look
at the outward appearance of things and not into that which
is spiritual and that which is important. He also said unto
them, ye are they which justify yourselves before men, but God
knoweth your hearts, for that which is highly esteemed among
men is abomination in the sight of God. So instead of the outward
appearance of things, we're to be more concerned with what our
Lord has done and how he's teaching us. and showing us and revealing
himself in us so that we're no longer that carnal dead man just
pursuing the form and the outward things, but that we're looking
to him and trusting in him and growing in the grace and knowledge
of our Lord and Savior. We want to do that. We don't
want to be stale and dead and stagnant and having no life in
us or so imperceptible of any life in us that no one knows
that we love the Lord. But, he says, Let your adorning,
our adorning, be the hidden man of the heart, and that which
is not corruptible, even the ornament of a meek and quiet
spirit, which is in the sight of God of great price. So that
hidden man is the creation of the Lord. It's what he's done.
Paul called him the inward man. And we delight in the law of
God, wherein we delight in the law of God, in that inward man
which Christ has created. It's what John wrote of in 1
John 3, 9, saying, whosoever is born of God, doth not commit
sin for his seed, that embered man, his seed remaineth in him,
and he cannot sin, because he, the hidden man, is born of God. Turn over to Ephesians 4, Ephesians
4. And go to verse 17. And we'll look at a few verses
here, so just stay here in Ephesians 4 a bit. Paul said, this I say
therefore and testify in the Lord that ye henceforth walk
not as other Gentiles walk in the vanity of their mind, having
the understanding darkened, being alienated from the life of God
through the ignorance that is in them because of the blindness
of their heart. Our carnal, hard heart is the
seat where all these foolish desires and this pursuit of this
dark fallen world, they come from. the passions rise from,
and all these ideas, whether it's of just outward-vein religion,
or it's just a wholesale pursuit of this world and all that this
world has to offer. But it all comes from our natural
dead hearts. And Paul says, who, being past
feeling, have given themselves over unto lasciviousness, to
work all uncleanness with greediness. But ye have not so learned Christ.
He's given us his spirit, washes in his blood, and he's given
us a new heart, a heart that loves Christ. Wherein we loved
carnal things, now we love Christ. If so be ye have heard him, not
heard of him, but heard him, and have been taught by him,
as the truth is in Jesus, that ye put off concerning the former
conversation the old man, which is corrupt according to the deceitful
lusts. That's what Peter had written
about in 3.3 when he said that outward adorning of plaiting
of the hair, of wearing of gold, and of putting on of apparel. Instead he says in Ephesians
4.23, be renewed in the spirit of your mind, that inward working,
and that you put on the new man which after God is created in
righteousness and true holiness. Wherefore putting away lying,
speak every man truth with his neighbor, for we are members
one of another." Now what's that line that he's speaking of? Put
away lying. Put away lying. What is he talking
about there? It's that putting away that, just that pursuit
of the things in this world, growing our kingdom, becoming,
you know, the best that we can be in the world in the pursuit
of this vain, dead, dying world. He says, you're lying. You're
lying because you know the truth. You know the truth of what God
has revealed to you in your heart, what he's shown you in your heart,
that indeed this world is passing away. I'm not saying don't be
good at your jobs. That's not what I'm saying. What
I'm saying is don't put all your focus and your attention on this
world that's passing away, that is dead and dying, where men
are going to be judged for their sins. And we say nothing about
it. And when we talk to our neighbors,
we're just having a good old time. talking about the pursuits
of this world and all the fun things that we do in this world,
and there's no regard for the reality and the soberness of
what we are by nature. You don't push that truth down
so far that nobody knows or asks or wonders what you believe and
what you hope in. You know, Paul Peter said, we're
a peculiar people. God does make us a peculiar people,
not odd and corny and goofball, that kind of peculiar. But we
do, there's nothing wrong with being temperate and being aware
that this world is fading away and that there's a coming day
of judgment. Just be mindful of that. Be patient
in serving the Lord and be kind and be gentle and don't get caught
up in the lusts and the passions and the pursuits of this world
and those that love these things, but be patient in trusting Him. To do anything different is to
deny the truth that we know that Christ has come, that He came
to put away sin. He came because we're sinners
and that we can't save ourselves he came for that purpose and
we know that and so to act any other way is just a lie and to
pretend like we don't know those things and that there is no interest
or desire that God has his people yet out there that he may use
us just being patient and kind and working through things gently
and carefully and now the Lord may use that to seek out his
people and grow them he says For the love of Christ constraineth
us, because we thus judge that if one died for all, then we
are all dead, and that he died for all, that they which live
should not henceforth live unto themselves, but unto him which
died for them and rose again. Wherefore henceforth know we
no man after the flesh, yea, though we have known Christ after
the flesh, yet now henceforth know we him no more. If any man
be in Christ, he is a new creature. Old things are passed away. Behold,
all things are become new." So in relation to our text there,
we're not focusing on those outward adorning of the things, just
getting more things like this world does and just heaping up
treasures for ourselves in this world that are all going to pass
away and rot and get stolen and fall away. We're laying up for
ourselves a more glorious inheritance, trusting the Lord and waiting
Him. Alright, so looking to Christ,
we serve Him, we serve His people, and these, in that pursuit, it
shows forth what He's worked in us. It shows forth the praises
and the virtue of Him who's called us. Just be, just looking to
Him and trusting Him in these things, seeking to know Him more
and more, because He'll teach us. I know I'm struggling to
really articulate exactly each and every thing, but He'll teach
us in the heart when you look to Him, and you trust him, and
you want to know him more and more, and you pray to him, Lord,
reveal yourself to me, help me to know what I should do or shouldn't
do out there, he'll lead you, he'll guide you. Will you fall
and do things that are not convenient and not, that don't show him, that don't
show forth that we do trust him? Will we do that still? Yeah,
there's times. We'll be ashamed of those things, but he'll teach
us and he'll still overrule and use these things all for his
glory, his praise, and his honor to bring us to himself and to
establish his glorious kingdom even in our hearts. Now Peter
speaks of having also, he speaks of having a meek and a quiet
spirit. He said in 1 Peter 3, 4, but let our adorning be the
hidden man of the heart. that which is not corruptible,
even the ornament of a meek and quiet spirit, which is in the
sight of God of great price." The first place I saw that word
meek being used was to describe Moses. Moses was bold. I mean, Moses did some mighty
things by the power and the spirit of the Lord. It says, now the
man Moses was very meek above all the men which were upon the
face of the earth. It wasn't that he was a mousy
man or a weak man. That's not what meek means. It's
not weak, but he was humble and he was gentle. It says in Psalm
149, four, for the Lord taketh pleasure in his people. He will
beautify the meek with salvation. He will beautify the meek with
salvation. So the Lord is the one who makes
us beautiful, who adorns us and places upon us ornaments that
speak and declare His praise and His glory and His beauty. And that's, you know, that's,
it speaks of the salvation which we've obtained, which we've come
into possession of in our Savior, Jesus Christ. It's that humbleness
and gentleness, which is a fruit of the Spirit of Christ in us.
And our Savior used it even to describe himself when he's calling
his sheep to himself, when he's calling his people, he said in
Matthew 11, 28 through 30, come unto me all ye that labor and
are heavy laden, and I will give you rest. Take my yoke upon you
and learn of me, for I am meek lowly in heart, and ye shall
find rest unto your souls. For my yoke is easy, and my burden
is light." And Paul also used it in describing how he spoke
to the Corinthians. He said, Paul, I, Paul, myself,
beseech you by the meekness and gentleness of Christ. Alright,
so our Lord even promises salvation, well he promises this to the
meek. He says, blessed are the meek for they shall inherit the
earth. So our beauty and our inheritance,
it's all from the Lord. He works it within, in the heart
of his bride, in the heart of his people, and that's what Peter
is saying is don't put all your focus and emphasis on the outward.
There's nothing wrong with looking pretty, but don't put all your
focus on the outward. It's what Christ is doing on
the inside, what he's working in our hearts, what he's teaching
us, and what he's forming in us in the spirit. In Revelation
21, 1 through 3, we see, And I saw a new heaven and a new
earth, for the first heaven and the first earth were passed away,
and there was no more sea. And I, John, saw the holy city,
New Jerusalem, coming down from God out of heaven, prepared as
a bride, adorned for her husband. You've been prepared and adorned
by Christ with salvation. And he's given his people a meek
and a gentle spirit who are patiently serving him, trusting him, in
spite of all the opposition that we have against ourselves in
this dark, fallen, unbelieving world. Alright, now, 1 Peter
3, 5 and 6. We see here, this is sincere
faith calls him Lord. And Peter refers to the godly
woman using an example of Sarah in 1 Peter 3, 5. For after this
manner, in the old time, the holy women also, who trusted
in God, adorned themselves, being in subjection unto their own
husbands, even as Sarah obeyed Abraham, calling him Lord, whose
daughters ye are, as long as ye do well, and are not afraid
with any amazement. So I looked that passage up.
I was like, when did Sarah call Abraham Lord? And it's in Genesis
18, verse 12. In Genesis 18, verse 12, it's
where the Lord came down and he's talking to Abraham and he
says to Abraham, you're going to have a son, Abraham. And Sarah
was in the tent, not right there in the presence of them, but
she's in the tent and she hears this and she laughs in her heart.
And it says, therefore, Sarah laughed within herself saying,
After I am waxed old, shall I have pleasure, my Lord being old also? And I thought, wow. Only the Lord heard it. And we
only know it because the Lord brought it to light. But no one
heard what she said in her heart. And she called him Lord. And
it's such a sweet picture of the believer, the bride of Christ,
who in this dark world, you know,
when no one can see them, and no one knows what's going on
in their heart, and they confess and call him Lord. Well, no one
else heard it. She said, Lord. And it just betrayed,
in a good way, what was in her heart. And that's the adoring,
that's the ornament of a meek and a quiet spirit, that God's
people aren't caught up in all the outward, and all the carnal
things and the fleshly things, but we're looking to Christ and
know what He's done in us. And we call Him Lord in our hearts. And in His time and in His way,
He'll bring out that beauty. That's the adorning and the ornament
that we desire that we are to have, that spirit. It'll come
out. If He's really your Lord, don't
put your heart on what you need to do and stop doing. Your heart
is on Him. He'll bring out that ornament,
that adorning beauty that says, this is my bride, who I love
and who loves me. So I pray the Lord will bless
that to our hearts. And I hope that you heard the
gospel even there and looking at the wife. It's just a sweet
thing. So let's pray. And then we'll
have a short break, about 10 minutes. Oh, gracious Lord, we
thank you, Father, for your mercy. Lord, you know what we are. You
know how Our eyes get wide at the things of this world. Lord,
deliver us from the lust of the flesh and the hard-heartedness
that we have by nature. Lord, fill us with your spirit.
And Lord, that you would teach us and guide us and lead us in
the way everlasting unto our Savior, Jesus Christ. And that
of a truth in our heart, Lord, he would be Lord. And Lord, we
trust that you Make all things beautiful in your time, Lord,
as it pleases you. We pray this in Jesus' name,
our Lord and Savior. Amen.