All right, let's begin our study
tonight, 1 Peter 3, verse 1. We left off here a couple of
weeks ago. Verse 1 of 1 Peter 3 begins with
the word, likewise. And the reason it begins with
the word likewise is because he's picking up something he
dealt with in the preceding verses. Back in chapter 2, you remember
in our last message, the Apostle speaks about giving honor to
whom honors do, and obedience to whom obedience is due. He
said in verse 13, for believers to submit yourselves to every
ordinance of man, the laws of your land, of your city, for
the Lord's sake. it be to the king or to governors,
as unto them that are sent by him for the punishment of evildoers.
Verse 17, honor all men to whom honors do, tribute to whom tributes
do. Love the brotherhood, fear God,
honor the king. Servants, be subject to your
master. Now that's what he was talking
about in that preceding chapter. So he begins Here in verse 1
of chapter 3, likewise, in the same way, you wives, be in subjection
to your own husbands. Now the husband is the leader
of the home. He's the authority. God gave
him that authority. He's the head of the home. And
this goes back to the beginning. This is not... Turn to Genesis
chapter 3. This goes back to the beginning
when God brought the first man and first woman together to form the first home. This
was after the fall, too. He says in verse 16, Genesis
3, unto the woman, he said, I will greatly multiply thy sorrow and
thy conception in sorrow thou shalt bring forth children."
You know, God intended, I don't know whether
I ought to use that word with God or not, but the purpose of
God was that women bear children before the fall. When he made all things, he said
everything brings forth after its kind. In every plant there
is the seed. And it brings forth even the
animals, and the birds, and the fish, and all those things. And
man, men and women, formed this home, and she was to bear children. But not in pain, and not in agony
and travail. That came as a result of sin.
See, that's what he, he talked back in verse 15, told the serpent,
I'll put enmity between thee and the woman. between thy seed
and her seed, and it shall bruise thy head, and thou shalt bruise
his even." And to the woman he said, here is the judgment upon
the woman because of her part in the fall. You see, how do
you know that God's purpose for people to have children in the
original creation, because he said to Adam and Eve, multiply
and replenish the earth. When he made Adam and Eve, brought
them together, he said multiply and replenished there. And he
told her, I'll multiply your sorrow and your conception, and
sorrow you'll bring forth children, and travail, and your desire
to be your husband, and be to your husband, and he'll rule
over you. And in the New Testament, 1 Corinthians 11, let's look
at what Paul had to say here in 1 Corinthians 11. And this
is not a ruling as a tyrant or a dictator,
this is a rule by love. Same way the Lord Jesus rules
over us. It's like the rule of love. In
1 Corinthians 11, 3, Paul says, I would have you know that the
head of every man is Christ. The head of the woman is the
man. The head of Christ is God. And that's the way God willed
it. Now a woman who desires to be
in the will of God will be in subjection to her husband. She'll
speak respectfully of him and respectfully to him. And she'll
seek to carry out his wishes in family affairs and follow
his leadership. And that's the will of God. That's the way God designed the
home. That's the way happy homes That's
the reason happy homes are happy, because everybody is in subjection
to God's will in this matter. Now suppose a man's not a believer.
We're talking to the women now, we'll get later on, talk to the
husbands, but suppose a man's not a believer. A woman who is
a believer, a child of God, is living with a man who's not a
believer. Is she in subjection to him?
Oh yes, certainly. And he says here that you wives
be in subjection unto your own husbands, that if any obey not
the word." You're married to a man who doesn't believe the
gospel, doesn't love the gospel, and does not obey the gospel. That husband, he says, they also
may without the word be won over. Now, not saved. They're not saved
without the word. Nobody's saved by example. They're saved by the gospel,
by Christ. So what he's saying here is that
he'll be impressed by your love for Christ. He'll be impressed
by your good spirit and attitude. He'll be won over to your way
of thinking. He'll be willing to listen. A
contrary, bossy, rebellious wife is not going to be of any spiritual
influence over her husband. Same thing if a man's married
to a woman who's not saved. He can force her to come to church,
but he can't force her to hear. But he can so live with her in
a kind and loving and considerate fashion, so she'll say, well,
you've got something that's worth having. Christ has certainly
made a difference in his life, and I'll go listen and see what
it is. Same thing too, that's what he's saying here. That if
a man obeyed not the gospel, he may without the preaching
of the Word be won over or impressed by the conduct and behavior of
his wife and be willing to listen. That's what he's saying in the
next verse. He said, while they behold your chaste conversation,
while they see your attitude and spirit, and subjection, coupled
with fear. And then verse 3, he's still
talking to the women here, to the ladies. He said, who's adorning? Adorning. Let it not be that
outward adorning, the plaiting of the hair, or the wearing of
gold, or the putting on of apparel. Now there's excess to anything. But the Apostle Paul, I do not
believe, is condemning the proper care of a person's hair, especially
a lady, or the proper care of the body, and the various ways
of making oneself attractive. I read over here in the book
of Genesis, chapter 24, where Abraham's daughters, the daughters of Abraham and
of Israel, And when Isaac's servant went out to get a bride for Isaac,
he took with him bracelets, necklaces, earrings to give to this prospective
bride, didn't he? Let's read Genesis 24, verse
22. When he went out to get a bride
for Isaac, And verse 21, the man wondering
at her held his peace to wit, whether the Lord had made his
journey prosperous or not. It came to pass, as the camels
were done drinking, that the man took a golden earring of
half a shekel weight, two bracelets for her hands, ten shekel weight
of gold. That's a pretty nice bracelet,
isn't it? And earrings, and then on down
here in verse 30, It says he came to pass when her daddy saw
the earring and the bracelet upon his, or when her brother
saw the earring and bracelet upon his sister's hands and heard
the words of Rebecca, his sister, saying, Thus spake the man unto
me. And he came unto the man, and behold, he stood with the
camels at the well. What I'm showing you there is
that they wore these things. Godly women. God's believing
women. The scripture doesn't condemn
beautiful, attractive clothing, or earrings, or bracelets, or
effort to keep one's hair nice and make oneself attractive.
But what he's saying here is this. Believing women, believing
women, those who love Christ, should not be overly concerned
about these things. Not overly concerned about how
they how they look, and jewelry and these things. But here's
what they're to be concerned about. Verse 4, But let it be
the hidden man of the heart. Let your concern and your care
be toward making yourself beautiful inwardly. Don't depend on the
outward attractiveness. Not just the outward, but Let
it be the hidden man of the heart. The heart, keep your heart with
all diligence. Out of it are the issues of life.
Beauty is not just outward. The greatest beauty is inward.
A meek, listen, the ornament of a meek and quiet spirit, which
in the sight of God is of great price. Let's work on our attitude
and our relationship with others more than decorating. The body. This outward decoration, the
beauty is going to fade. The trinkets and gold, as you
get older, they look gaudy. But beauty of character and conduct
and conversation never grows old. It never fades. And that's
what he's saying here. the people, the ladies who know
God, let your adorning, let it not, don't depend on the outward,
don't give a lot of care to it, consideration to it, waste your
time with it, but let it be the hidden man of the heart, the
meek and quiet spirit, which in the sight of God is of great
price. Now listen, this is the example.
The reason I went back and picked up Abraham's daughters and his
daughter-in-law, He uses her as an example here, Sarah and
Rebecca and these women. He says, for after this manner
in the old time, the holy women also who trusted in God adorned
themselves. They wore bracelets, and they
wore necklaces, and they wore earrings. We're not going to
make ourselves holy by throwing those things away. That's not
going to get the job done. But they wore those things not
depending on those things to make themselves beautiful. Listen,
they were in subjection. They adorned themselves being
in subjection to their husbands, being a loving wife, a caring
wife, an obedient wife. Even as Sabra obeyed Abraham,
she called him Lord. Whose daughters you are, as long
as you do well and not afraid with any amazement. What he's
saying, she called him Lord, not that she worshipped him.
She called him Lord out of respect. She spoke respectfully to him. And of him. Because she respected
him, she honored him. She gave him the honor that was
due unto her husband. And that was what chapter 2 was
about, and that's the reason it starts this way. Likewise,
he was. have a great deal of influence
upon your husband if he's not saved. All right, and he says
down here in verse 6, the latter line, even as Sarah obeyed Abraham,
calling him Lord, whose daughters you are, as long as you do well and are
not afraid with any amazement. Don't be afraid and swayed by
this generation. Now, this is not today's way
of doing things. This is not the way the home
is conducted in this day. The women are not in subjection
to their husbands and they don't feel like they should be. And
the husband's not the head of the wife and he's not the authority
in the home because that's all been denied. But don't you be swayed by what
people are saying and by what they're teaching. Don't be afraid.
You follow God's way. You young ladies here that are
newly married and some others who are considering marriage,
you go this route. This is the happy route. Obeying
God. Obeying your husband. Being in
subjection. Being a homemaker. A mother. And a lady. And let the adornment
not be outward. Because you got to give
all that up someday. That's all going to fade and
pass away. Nothing. But let it be the inward
personality and heart. That's meek, quiet spirit. Godly
spirit. And verse 7, likewise you husbands,
dwell with your wives according to knowledge. Dwell with her
according to knowledge. What does that mean? That means
with an intelligent recognition of who she is. She's a daughter
of God. That's who she is. She's the
daughter of the living God. Who is she? She's the child of
the King. What is she? She's the redeemed
sheep of Christ. What does she do? She makes your
home. bears your children. She's the
most important person in the home, the wife is, to the husband,
to the children, and to the sanity of that home. She's the key. That's right. Remember, dwell
with her with this kind of understanding. She's not a slave. She's your companion and partner. I read something one time, I
probably gave it to you, I don't remember, but God put Adam to
sleep and took out of him a rib and made a woman. And somebody
said he took the rib from Adam and made the woman. He didn't
take a bone from his head to rule over him or even be a part
ruler or equal ruler. He took the rib out of his chest
here next to his heart. She's to be loved. And she took
that rib from under his arm. She's to be protected. That's
what the chickens show us there, how they run into the wing, you
know. And she's to be loved. She's to be protected. And remember
who she dwells with according to knowledge. Listen, give honor
to the wife. Give honor to her. Give her the
honor that she's due. God made her and brought her to the man. He
designed her and made her in his wisdom and in his love and
in his mercy and gave her to the man. The man needed a helpmate. He was a lonely creature. It's
not good for a man to be alone. If we didn't bring him another
man, that'd be just a mess, wouldn't it? He didn't bring him an animal,
although Adam loved animals. He brought him a woman. A beautiful,
charming, lovely woman. Capable of being a wife and a
mother. And he said, now Adam, this is bone of your bone and
flesh of your flesh. Woman. And you honor her. Honor her. Recognize God made
her. And she's a mother. That's the
greatest You know women talk about, I used to hear them on
television when they're on these game shows and the emcees say,
now what do you do? Some woman say, I'm a lawyer.
Some woman say, I'm a physician. Some say, I'm a this, that and
the other. And he'd ask a dear woman, what do you do? She'd
say, I'm just a housewife. Just a housewife? The lawyers
are the ones messed up. The physicians are the ones messed
up. A housewife is one's father in God's way. A mother. The greatest single act a person
can do in this world is to bring forth a child. I'm not talking
about being saved. I'm not talking about serving
God. I'm not preaching the gospel. I'm talking about the most miraculous,
wonderful thing in this world. The women of the Old Testament
felt that they were under God's judgment when they didn't have
children. And they felt the more children God gave them, the more
blessed they were. And Hannah just was dying because
she didn't have a child. So look on her, your wife. God made her, brought her to
you, gave her to you, and she's a mother. My, my. Boy, you're
children. How can you hate her? How can
you mistreat her? And there's not a person in this
world that has more influence on a home than a mother. We got
home Sunday night in time to see the last of the Super Bowl.
Denver won the game. Some big old tackler, linebacker,
six foot six, three hundred and fifty pounds, interviewed him. He's sweating, had his helmet
off and all. He got through talking to a man,
he looked up and shouted the whole world, I love you mama!
Do you remember that? I love you mama. Well, that's
the thing to do, love your mama and love your wife. That's what
he says here. And look here, he says dwell
with her as the weaker vessel. Now ladies, you're not weaker
mentally. You're not weaker mentally. We
men know that. You're sharp as a razor. You're
not weaker spiritually. Not the least bit in this world.
But let me write it down for you. You are weaker physically.
Now that's just truth. Whether you go out and get your
job on the highway, moving guardrails if you want to, but that's not
a woman's job. She's not to compete in a man's
world. She's not to Dress like a man,
or talk like a man, or curse like a man, or walk like a man,
or look like a man, or work like a man. Not God's women. She's a weaker vessel. She's
to be treated as the weaker vessel. Tender, kind, generous. Be generous with her. I tell
you, don't be a miser. I know some women have got these
plastic cards and put their husband's nose to the grindstone, but a
believing wife won't do that. You husbands, turn them loose.
That's right. Let them do what needs to be
done. Treat her like the weaker vessel. And let me tell you,
real strength shines brightest when it can carry a heavy load.
When a man is strong and not lazy, energetic, works hard and
does his job and yet he can caress a little rose gently. That's a real man. That's a real
man. Not that he proves what a real
man he is by the power he has and the strength he has. He proves
it in both places where he has strength and energy and ability
to work and yet He's a gentle giant, kind, kind to the weaker
vessel and the weaker people. Because listen, she's an heir
together of the grace of life. I'll tell you, it thrills my
heart to see husbands and wives sitting together in the worship
of the Lord. Husband, wife, and children sitting together, worshiping
God. Heirs together of the grace of
life. What a blessing. And I'll tell you this now. Likewise,
ye wives, be in subjection to your own husbands, and husbands,
love your wives." Look at the last line of verse 7, that your
prayers be not hinted. You talk about something that
will get in the way between you and God, is the wrong behavior in a home,
because that His way is obedience. His way is submission. His way
is obedience to His commandments. And when we buck that, so these
women that just won't have it this way, they're not only bucking the
others, they're bucking God. And men that are not kind and
loving and gracious and treat their wives like she ought to
be treated. They're bucking God. And when we're going against
the commandments of our Father, don't fool around and try to
do any praying because it won't work. Your prayers will be hindered. And then verse 8 through 14 talks
about the good life. I think I brought a message on
this one time, the good life. Verse 8, finally, be ye all of
one mind, unity of heart and unity of purpose toward God,
toward his gospel. Peace reign in the home. Be of
one mind. Peace in the church. Peace in
the fellowship. Be of one mind. Work together. Be of one mind, one heart, one
purpose, one goal, one glory. Let there be no division among
you. Having compassion one of another. Sympathize, don't criticize.
Weep for those who weep. Rejoice for those who rejoice.
Love is brethren. Love like brethren ought to love
and will love. As Christ loved us, he said,
you love one another as I loved you. Be pitiful, tender, kind. That's what it is to be pitiful.
It's to be courteous. And listen to verse 9. Don't
render evil for evil. Don't get even. I thought about this when I read
that and jotted down something. Don't get even. That's what started
the whole Hatfield-McCoy thing was getting even. And you see
how far it went? I know this is a way out illustration. But that lasted for a hundred
years, hadn't it? The Hatfield-McCoy, and all in
the world it was, is something started between old devil ants,
is that his name, Hatfield, and one of the McCoys, and it just
kept getting even, getting even. One getting even, don't get even. Look at this verse here. Don't
render evil for evil, or railing for railing. but contrary-wise, blessing,
knowing that you are there unto cause. This is not our calling
to hate, it's to love. Our calling is not to curse,
it's to bless. Our calling is not to get even,
but to forgive as we have been forgiven. Our calling is not
to judge, but to show mercy. Our calling is to demonstrate
the Spirit of our God, knowing that you are there unto called,
that you should inherit a blessing." We're called to inherit a blessing
and to be a blessing. It's our calling. Work at it. See, these are, as we read this,
this is God's commandments to His Church. We're not reading
how to be saved. Christ saves us. We're reading
how saved people act. This is what we're reading here.
This is a letter to the churches, instructing me and you and all
of God's people how to act, how to live, how to behave toward
one another. For verse 10 says this, and this
is a quotation from Psalm 34, and it's written almost identical
to this in Psalm, the Old Testament and the New. For he that will
love life and see good days, let him," now here are several
things, one, refrain his tongue from evil. Let his tongue refrain
from lies, gossip, slander, criticism, boasting, harsh words. A man that would love life and
see good days, just stop it. Just stop it. Evil speaking. Secondly, his
lips speak no guile. And then verse 11 said, let him
hate evil. Turn from evil. Let him turn
from evil and do good. Let him, listen to this, someone
said this, let him turn away not only from evil but from evil
people. Let him avoid the company of
evil people. Because evil companions corrupt
good manners, the scripture says. So let him avoid the company
and conversation of people who draw him away from Christ. Remember
that. Just don't run around with that
kind of folks. If they're bad influence on you,
sever the relationship. Just sever the relationship.
Just hate evil. And listen, let him seek peace.
Let him be a peacemaker. Blessed are the peacemakers.
Not only desire peace, listen, but seek it. Pursue it. Our peace with God is made through
our Lord Jesus Christ. The peace of heart is because
of His cross and His blood. But peace between you and me, that's made with us. Isn't it? Because even believers can harbor
grudges and hold back the healing. Even believers do that. And that's
not seeking peace. So seek it. Pursue it. For it says in verse 12, the
eyes of the Lord are over the righteous. He's observing us. His eyes are open to us. His
ears are open to our prayers. But the face of the Lord is against
them that do evil. The face of the Lord is against
them that do evil. And if you follow the Lord, who
is He that will harm you? John Gill says, if you follow
the Lord, no man can do you any real harm. Somebody may inconvenience you
or agitate you, But no one can do you any real harm. Not if
you do His will. You be followers of that which
is good. But if you suffer for righteousness' sake, happy are
you! Happy are you counted worthy to suffer for Christ's sake.
Happy are you. And be not afraid of their terror,
neither be troubled. Alright, I want to get to these
next verses. I felt like maybe we could Read
the whole chapter tonight and comment. Here's a good conscience
toward God. Oh, he started out in the home,
wives and husbands. Then he talked about the good
life. These things that contribute to the good life. Peace and real
happiness. And now he's talking about a
good conscience toward God. In verse 15, "...but sanctify
the Lord God in your hearts." How do we sanctify God in our
hearts? Well, God is who He is. God is
holy. God is just. God is perfect. We don't make Him so. We don't
sanctify God in the sense that we make Him holy and make Him
righteous and make Him just and make Him perfect. When it says,
sanctify the Lord God in your heart, it means to regard Him
as holy. Look upon Him as holy. Consider
in your hearts that God is holy. And be ready always to give an
answer to those who ask you a reason for the hope that is in you.
Hope of what? Hope of forgiveness. Hope of
salvation. Hope of life. Hope of heaven. Hope that when he takes us out
of this world, he takes us to glory. Let me give you something
I used on television last week from Lamentation. Turn to the
book of Lamentation. I haven't found a better answer. When someone asks you
a reason for the hope that's in you, I haven't found a better
answer than the one that Jeremiah gave here in Lamentation 3. He
said in verse 21 of Lamentation 3, this I recall to my mind,
Therefore have I hope. I've got hope. Hope of life,
hope of heaven, hope of glory. And here's my hope. Number one,
the Lord is merciful. It's the Lord's mercy that I'm
not concerned. That's my hope. That's the first
foundation of my hope. He's merciful to sinners in Christ. He's merciful. God is plenteous
in mercy. Secondly, God is love. It says, "...because his compassions
fail not." It's not my love, it's His love for me. I love
Him because He loves me. So my hope is God is merciful,
God is love, thirdly, and the Lord is faithful. Verse 23, "...his compassions
are new every morning, and great is his faithfulness." He's faithful
to His Word. He said, "...believe on the Lord
Jesus Christ, and thou shalt be saved." I believe, I'm saved. Come unto me, all you that labor
and heavy laden, I'll give you rest. I'm laboring, heavy laden,
I need rest. I come to him, I have rest."
He'll do what he says. He's merciful. He loves me in
Christ. He's faithful to his word. He
won't go back on his word. Fourthly, the Lord is my portion. What is that? The Lord is my
part. He's my inheritance. He's all and in all. He's my
wisdom, righteousness, sanctification and redemption. He's all I need. He has made me meet sufficient
to inherit the glory of the saints. He's my portion. He's everything. It's all in Him. Everything I
need. Jesus Christ is made to me all I need. He's my portion. Therefore will I hope in him.
All right? Here's the fifth one. Verse 25. And the Lord's good.
The Lord is good. He's merciful. He's love. He's faithful. He's all we need. And He's good. He's good to them
that wait for Him, to the soul that seeks Him. It's good that
a man should both hope and quietly wait for the salvation of the
Lord. So somebody asks you sometimes, a reason for your assurance and
confidence and hope of glory." He said, well, it's not in me,
it's in Him. He's merciful. He's love. He's faithful to His Word. To
His Son who died on the cross, to His Word, to His covenant,
He's my portion. He's all I need. I don't need
anything else. He's my whole inheritance. All I need is in
Christ. And He's good. He delights to
show mercy. All right, let's move on. And
do it with meekness and fear. Sanctify God. Give Him all the
glory. Be ready to give an answer to
every man that asks you a reason of the hope that's in you, and
do it with meekness and fear. There's nothing more obnoxious
than a smart-aleck religionist, you know, who, you know what
they're like. God's people are humble people.
And they're braggadocious, proud, arrogant people who make nuisances
of themselves. Verse 16, "...having a good conscience,
that where they speak evil of you as evildoers, they may be
ashamed that falsely accuse your good conversation in Christ."
If you follow this way, you love and revere the Lord with a true
heart, one day He'll vindicate you. One day. vindicate his church. I've read
that recently in a psalm. He will vindicate his church. Verse 17, for it's better if
the will of God be so that you suffer for well-doing than for
evil-doing. Most people are suffering for
evil-doing. How much better it is to suffer for evil-doing.
Here's our example. Let me give you this. For Christ
also hath once suffered for sin, the just for the unjust. that
he might bring us to God, being put to death in the flesh, but
quickened by the Spirit. And he did so willingly. He opened not his mouth. He submitted to the will of God,
surrendered. I found this hymn, and I'll give
you this and close. We'll pick up there next Wednesday
night. Someone wrote this, I don't know who the author is, but listen
to it. The soul that would to Jesus press must learn this lesson
sure, that tribulation more or less we all must and shall endure. From trouble there are none exempt,
tis our Father's wise decree. For he, the weakest saint, will
try, nor is the strongest free. The world opposes us without
our unbelief within. We fear, we faint, we grieve,
we doubt, we feel the guilt of sin. But though we be feeble,
he's strong, and his promises are true. And we shall have the
victory before long, and be more than conquerors too. Thanks be
unto God who giveth us the victory through our Lord Jesus Christ.
Oh, and I hope that's a blessing to you.