1 Peter 3:1-7

Intro

As Peter writes to his audience, we see that there were women who were married to unbelieving men. Obviously this is not a new problem.

God’s design for marriage was established in the very begning.

God’s design for marriage is 1 biological man and 1 biological woman.

God’s design was for the man to lead, strengthen, and protect his wife and children

Adam failed his responsibility in the Garden of Eden.

As Peter is writing to believers, he continues to address the importance of submission, or self surrender. In 1 Peter 2:13-17 he talks about the surrender to human government. In 1 Peter 2:18-25, he covers the surrender to authority in the work place, and her ein 1 Peter 3:1-7 he talke about surrender in the home.

1 Peter 3:1–7 ESV

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. Likewise, husbands, live with your wives in an understanding way, showing honor to the woman as the weaker vessel, since they are heirs with you of the grace of life, so that your prayers may not be hindered.

A couple quick observations…

There were women who Peter was reaching that were married, but not to men who were believers. Some of these women may have been taken as wives by men in the cities they were taken to. Some might have become believers after their marriage through evangelism efforts. Regardless, Peter tells women who are married to unbelievers to remain in the marriage with a desire to “win” their husband to the Lord.

Men have a major responsibility to honor their wife as a joint heir, knowing that how you care for your wife will affect your personal relationship with God!

Message

How can you have a marriage that honors God and reveals His love?

To answer this question, we need to go to Paul’s letter to the Ephesians. Ephesians 5:22-33

In Ephesians 5:22-33 the Apostle Paul writes about this same thing as Peter, but in a little more detail.

Ephesians 5:22–33 ESV

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. Now as the church submits to Christ, so also wives should submit in everything to their husbands. Husbands, love your wives, as Christ loved the church and gave himself up for her, that he might sanctify her, having cleansed her by the washing of water with the word, so that he might present the church to himself in splendor, without spot or wrinkle or any such thing, that she might be holy and without blemish. In the same way husbands should love their wives as their own bodies. He who loves his wife loves himself. For no one ever hated his own flesh, but nourishes and cherishes it, just as Christ does the church, because we are members of his body. “Therefore a man shall leave his father and mother and hold fast to his wife, and the two shall become one flesh.” This mystery is profound, and I am saying that it refers to Christ and the church. However, let each one of you love his wife as himself, and let the wife see that she respects her husband.

There are countless things in this world the God created to reflect His power, but there is only one thing that He established with a desire for it to reflect His relationship with man.

Every great marriage has 4 atributes

Sacrifice and humility from one spouse leads to respect and honor from the other.

Surrender comes from knowledge

In battle, a soldier will surrender once he comes under the full knowledge that his fight is lost and his only way to avoid death is surrender

When a person finds his or herself lost, realizing that self effort is not able to make him or her a good person, and far from the righteousness of God, surrendering to Jesus is the only solution.

In God’s design for marriage, the wife surrenders to the husband, not out of duty, but out of knowledge. So why do so many marriages struggle and end in divorce?

The husband does not love and care for the wife the way God has loved and cared for man.

The wife has not surrendered out of true knowledge to the leading of the husband.

In Peter’s words, a believing wife can be the influence that leads the husband to surrender to God as he sees his wife surrendered to his role as husband.