The Gospel of God s2

1404-06A 1 IMPERISHABLE BEAUTY love.” “We don’t need some formal arrangement to (1 Peter 3:1-7) demonstrate our commitment.” “We don’t need a piece of paper to prove we love each other.” So this INTRODUCTION: sacred institution was casually tossed aside. And the A. “ Be subject for the Lord’s sake to every result, of course, was moral anarchy, countless ruined human institution….” Submission to and service to and wasted lives, and the tragic neglect of and every human institution: this is God’s great and confusion of children, the great part of a whole powerful means for our healing, the restoration of our generation. true humanity, saving our soul: our mind, affections, Well, now you know the world wants and will, taking these back from old Lord Self, and something else. Now the world wants universal renewing us according to his original design. Perhaps acceptance of homosexual practice. And guess what? the primary “human institution” is that of marriage, Marriage is back in style all of a sudden. Now and Peter likewise issues the call to submit in marriage is the loftiest virtue, the most precious, most marriage. fundamental of human rights. Why, without marriage And you can see the dreadful potential for (which we were told a moment ago was irrelevant) conflict and open war in marriage, can’t you? For in people cannot be complete or fulfilled! And if marriage, we have the forging of not one, but two homosexuals want to be whole, then they must have, Lord Selfs to live together under one roof and in one must have, must have this great treasure of marriage. household. And you know very well that each of So, I’m confused. Is marriage irrelevant or is it these Lord Selfs is going to demand supremacy, and indispensable to human fulfillment? The world so either it’s going to be two wildcats in a gunny sack cannot have it both ways. clawing each other to pieces or it will have to be “a This is utter hypocrisy. And that’s why we gracious thing,” that is a work of God’s grace. For can never, never trust the world when it comes to the there is another potential outcome in the Christian weighty things of life. And that’s important to grasp, home and that is of seeing the further demise of both for the world will howl and scowl at our text from 1 Lord Selfs, and the firmer establishment of the Lord Peter. Christ as Ruler not just of one or the other but of both together. “Likewise, wives, be subject to your own B. I must warn you that what Peter writes husbands, so that even if some do not obey the word, here is going to sound positively prehistoric to our they may be won without a word by the conduct of 21 st century sensibilities. We must be careful not be their wives—when they see your respectful and pure conformed to the world’s wisdom and counsel on conduct. Do not let your adorning be external—the marriage, for the world honestly does not care a whit braiding of hair, the wearing of gold, or the putting about this honorable estate nor the majesty and on of clothing—but let your adorning be the hidden sanctity of marriage. The world cares about Lord Self person of the heart with the imperishable beauty of a and his gratification, and if marriage can be of some gentle and quiet spirit, which in God’s sight is very use to Lord Self, then so be it. And if not, then, the precious. For this is how the holy women who hoped world says, “to hell with marriage!” And if you have in God used to adorn themselves, by submitting to lived long enough you have been able to witness the their husbands, as Sarah obeyed Abraham, calling world’s utter unreliability and sheer hypocrisy when him lord. And you are her children, if you do good it comes to marriage. and do not fear anything that is frightening. Several decades ago, in the throes of the Likewise, husbands, live with your wives in an sexual revolution of the 1960s (sexual rebellion was understanding way, showing honor to the woman as more like it), we were told that marriage was just the weaker vessel, since they are heirs with you of the about finished. It was passé, quaint, obsolete, and grace of life, so that your prayers may not be utterly irrelevant. People wanted to have sex hindered.” whenever they wanted with whomever they wanted, (3:1-7) and marriage was the great roadblock to freedom and happiness. So we were told things like this: “We C. You can surely feel how ridiculous all this don’t need the state or the church to legitimize our would sound to the world. What we must understand ______1404-06A 2 is that it would have sounded ridiculous to the world prize? What is precious in his sight? “Do not let your of those who first read Peter’s letter. That’s an adorning be external—the braiding of hair, the indication that what Peter writes here is not simply a wearing of gold, or the putting on of clothing—but let culture-bound reinforcing of the prejudices and your adorning be the hidden person of the heart with traditions of his own day. These commands were the imperishable beauty of a gentle and quiet spirit, counter-cultural at the outset. They have always been which in God’s sight is very precious.” (3:3-4) counter-cultural because they originate from a higher I probably don’t need to say it, but what Peter Culture. This is not simply the best human wisdom of describes here is the precise opposite of the ideal of the day, but the very Words of almighty God. Lord Self. Lord Self focuses on self-promotion and Almighty God our Maker does not simply call self-gratification. So the loud, loose, and lusty us to get along in marriage, nor even to stay together woman is what Lord Self is after. But God is pleased any way we can. Rather, God calls us to honor him in with a woman who has forgotten herself, and is more marriage, “to glorify God and to enjoy him forever” interested in others. She is truly feminine: gentle and in our marriages. Whatever the world wants marriage quiet, and this is an imperishable beauty that flows to be, whatever we hope and dream it to be, God has from within. That’s what God names as attractive. In a perfect design and a prior claim, and his way is best fact, Peter says that this person “in God’s sight is of all. very precious.” He has said something like this God has a role for each one to play, a role this before. In chapter two, Peter said that Jesus is “in the world cannot understand. The world will largely sight of God chosen and precious….” This is the mock and ridicule. But some, apparently, will step highest compliment; there is something truly Christ- back in breathless wonder and be drawn in by the like about this woman rare and imperishable beauty they behold, if we will C. She will also be attractive to her husband, only play our roles well. God says, even to an unbelieving husband, and to the watching world, so refreshing and unique amidst all I. GOD CALLS WIVES TO SUBMIT TO THEIR the brokenness as to be compelling, even convincing HUSBANDS FOR JESUS’ SAKE. evidence of the reality of the gospel. This is something Lord Self cannot conceive of and certainly A. Get ready for the jeers and mocking scorn: cannot produce, rare, of highest value. “Likewise, wives, be subject to your own Read this carefully. A wife is not required to husbands….” (3:1) What’s interesting is that that this be subject to ALL men. “Likewise, wives, be subject is not what the culture of Peter’s day said women or to your own husbands….” Only this one. This man is wives should be. Rather, the people of that day said a unique among all men to her. There is exclusivity in woman should present herself as a thoroughly self- this relationship. centered object of external beauty through outward In fact, the wife must not bend or bow for any “adorning …the braiding of hair, the wearing of other man. She must not be bullied or intimidated by gold, or the putting on of clothing….” any other man, or woman for that matter. “For this is Wait a minute? The world says the same thing how the holy women who hoped in God used to today! Nothing’s changed in 2,000 years. Today, a adorn themselves, by submitting to their husbands, as woman can never be too thin or too sexy. One of the Sarah obeyed Abraham, calling him lord. And you most common Halloween costumes today is that of are her children, if you do good and do not fear the sexual temptress, even among elementary anything that is frightening.” (3:5-6) Meekness is students. Expenditures for pornography today are not weakness. Gentleness is not frailty. Rather, a greater than on all charitable giving combined. gentle spirit is an unbreachable stronghold! That kind Women are expected to be objectified as self- of confidence in Christ is likewise “imperishable absorbed objects of external beauty. That’s obvious, beauty” and “precious in God’s sight.” for that’s what pleases Lord Self. The queen bows only to the king; but she does B. But you, Christian wife, belong to Christ, bow to the king. and not to the culture, nor even to your husband. And Note also… so you must follow God’s lead, and this was, is, and always will be counter-cultural. What does God ______1404-06A 3 year of marriage. One wakes up in the morning and II. GOD CALLS HUSBANDS TO SACRIFICE finds a pair of pigtails on the pillow that were not THEMSELVES FOR THEIR WIVES FOR there before.” Luther’s biographer notes that “If JESUS’ SAKE. Martin referred jocularly to his wife as ‘my rib,’ he called her quite as often ‘my lord.’ Sometimes he A. Peter, who we know was married by the even punned upon the name Katie and turned it in way, calls husbands not to submit but, a step further, German into Kette, meaning “chain.” to sacrifice. “Likewise, husbands, live with your Christ calls husbands to sacrifice, to give wives in an understanding way, showing honor to the themselves up for their wives. “Likewise, husbands, woman as the weaker vessel, since they are heirs live with your wives in an understanding way, with you of the grace of life, so that your prayers may showing honor to the woman as the weaker vessel, not be hindered.” (3:7) And let me remind you that since they are heirs with you of the grace of life, so this also was (and still is) counter-cultural, decidedly, that your prayers may not be hindered.” shockingly against the norm. In Peter’s day, the husband was the CONCLUSION paterfamilias—the lord and master of his realm. There’s an old joke about a family who had a pet The queen bows only to the king; but she does tiger. Someone asked them, “So where does a pet bow to the king. The king commands all, even to die tiger sleep?” And the answer: “Anywhere he wants for him; but he lays down his own life for his queen. to!” The ideal today is the manly man who does In a land long ago there was a plot to kill the whatever he pleases. emperor. The wife of one of his generals was B. Peter commands, “ Likewise, husbands, live implicated. As she stood before the emperor she was with your wives….” Live with your wife? Where else sentenced to die. But before they could lead her away would he live? (Anywhere he wants to!) He was the to the executioner, the general stepped forward and paterfamilias. He could not be tied down to home begged the ruler to take him instead and to spare his and kin. Wives were for gratification and for dear wife. The emperor was so moved by his love children, period. and willing sacrifice that he pardoned the general’s Peter reminds Christian husbands that we too wife and sent them both away free. have a Lord and Master. And our Lord and Master After they left the judgment hall, the general commands us to live with this woman in an remarked to his wife, “Did you see the royal splendor understanding way. This woman is precious to Christ, of the emperor’s throne?!” She replied, “No, I could and she must receive all due honor. And even though only see the man who said he would die for me.” he could likely overpower her, he must rather esteem The world will scoff at this quaint and her highly as his equal in Christ and so give himself backward, prehistoric perspective on marriage. Yet up for her. “Likewise, husbands, live with your wives there will be some, weary of this broken world, who in an understanding way, showing honor to the will look on in breathless wonder, who will be drawn woman as the weaker vessel, since they are heirs to such a portrait of love. For it will be the love of with you of the grace of life…. And God is serious Christ they are seeing; and there is no more about this: “so that your prayers may not be compelling beauty, no greater glory than the love of hindered.” If you don’t pay attention to her, God Christ. won’t pay attention to you. The monk, Martin Luther, a bachelor, of  course, was accustomed to a certain way of life. But then in the freedom of the Gospel, he was wed. And he found a new and delightful obligation. “Before I was married the bed was not made for a whole year and became foul with sweat. But I worked so hard and was so weary I tumbled in without noticing.” Katie, his wife, brought changes. Luther said, “This is a lot to get used to in the first ______