1 Peter 3:6, 7
The gift of life is a tremendous example of God’s grace. “For in him we live, and move, and have our being” (Acts 17:28). God has graced us with life and all good things. Our health, our sanity, our physical bodies, etc., are all because of the wonderful gift that God has given to us.
How to improve the life we have is a repeated concern of the Word of God. Jesus told us that He came so that we might have life and have it more abundant (John 10:10). This abundant life has nothing to do with heaven, but is to be had now by every believer. Peter gives advice to men and women as to how to live in the grace of this life to its fullest, specifically within the context of husband and wife.
He starts with the wife, calling her a daughter of Sara (1 Peter 3:6). Sara is the only person in the Bible to whom the Lord restored their youth while they were in their old age. If you are a daughter of Sara then you have grace upon your physical frame. Every woman should “Amen” that! There is a condition that says, “As long as ye do well, and are not afraid with any amazement”. The doing well that the Apostle speaks of is qualified at the end, “not afraid with any amazement”. Doing well is not fearing the husband or the Lord. Living in trembling fear of your husband robs you of the joy of having your youth in your old age. The same principle applies towards your heavenly Father.
Husbands, we are next, being told to dwell with our wives, “according to knowledge” (1 Peter 3:7). “Knowledge” here is the Greek word “nossos” which means, “common sense”. We are to apply common sense to our dealings with our wives, which will cause us to honor her. Common sense should direct us to love and protect her as one who is “the weaker vessel” (verse 7). This is no insult ladies; for you were taken from man’s side, thus it is in his God-given instinct to shelter you under his arm. If he applies the common sense that God gave him, he will do this naturally.
The husband and wife are “heirs together of the grace of life”. Life is lived to its fullest when a man and woman share their hearts, minds and bodies. This is God’s design and it is fought against by the enemy with great force. Marriages between both saints and sinners are fought with equal fervor by Satan for marriage is instituted by God, and he wants to do all that he can to ruin couples from experiencing the grace of life.
Finally, all men should pay particularly close attention to the last phrase of verse 7: “that your prayers be not hindered”. When we pay honor to our wife and protect her as the weaker vessel, we ensure that our prayers get through to the Father. If you are giving no honor to your wife; abusing her verbally, ignoring her needs or treating her disrespectfully, then you are placing a hindrance between your prayers and heaven. I want nothing to stop my cries from going to my Father, so I want to honor my wife to the fullest, and I know that you do too.
Perfect marriages are not possible, because we act imperfectly, but we serve a perfect God who has designed a perfect union. Dwell according to this knowledge and enjoy the grace of life together.
The gift of life is a tremendous example of God’s grace. “For in him we live, and move, and have our being” (Acts 17:28). God has graced us with life and all good things. Our health, our sanity, our physical bodies, etc., are all because of the wonderful gift that God has given to us.
How to improve the life we have is a repeated concern of the Word of God. Jesus told us that He came so that we might have life and have it more abundant (John 10:10). This abundant life has nothing to do with heaven, but is to be had now by every believer. Peter gives advice to men and women as to how to live in the grace of this life to its fullest, specifically within the context of husband and wife.
He starts with the wife, calling her a daughter of Sara (1 Peter 3:6). Sara is the only person in the Bible to whom the Lord restored their youth while they were in their old age. If you are a daughter of Sara then you have grace upon your physical frame. Every woman should “Amen” that! There is a condition that says, “As long as ye do well, and are not afraid with any amazement”. The doing well that the Apostle speaks of is qualified at the end, “not afraid with any amazement”. Doing well is not fearing the husband or the Lord. Living in trembling fear of your husband robs you of the joy of having your youth in your old age. The same principle applies towards your heavenly Father.
Husbands, we are next, being told to dwell with our wives, “according to knowledge” (1 Peter 3:7). “Knowledge” here is the Greek word “nossos” which means, “common sense”. We are to apply common sense to our dealings with our wives, which will cause us to honor her. Common sense should direct us to love and protect her as one who is “the weaker vessel” (verse 7). This is no insult ladies; for you were taken from man’s side, thus it is in his God-given instinct to shelter you under his arm. If he applies the common sense that God gave him, he will do this naturally.
The husband and wife are “heirs together of the grace of life”. Life is lived to its fullest when a man and woman share their hearts, minds and bodies. This is God’s design and it is fought against by the enemy with great force. Marriages between both saints and sinners are fought with equal fervor by Satan for marriage is instituted by God, and he wants to do all that he can to ruin couples from experiencing the grace of life.
Finally, all men should pay particularly close attention to the last phrase of verse 7: “that your prayers be not hindered”. When we pay honor to our wife and protect her as the weaker vessel, we ensure that our prayers get through to the Father. If you are giving no honor to your wife; abusing her verbally, ignoring her needs or treating her disrespectfully, then you are placing a hindrance between your prayers and heaven. I want nothing to stop my cries from going to my Father, so I want to honor my wife to the fullest, and I know that you do too.
Perfect marriages are not possible, because we act imperfectly, but we serve a perfect God who has designed a perfect union. Dwell according to this knowledge and enjoy the grace of life together.
No comments:
Post a Comment