Message begins at approximately the 31 minute mark.
Good morning. Please take your Bibles and turn with me to 1 Peter 3. This morning’s passage is contained in 1 Peter 3:3-6.
Last time we were together we began talking about the submission of wives. We’ve talked about submission in the civil realm. We’ve talked about submission in the business realm. And now we are talking about submission in the home; that is in the realm of marriage.
Last week we said that a woman’s role in marriage is to submit to her husband. And we saw that it didn’t matter what kind of husband he may be. We said that even if he fails in many ways, if he is disobedient to the Word, that does not give you the liberty to go against him. You are still called to conform your will to his.
We concluded by saying that your obedience could possibly be the very thing God uses to save him. If you had been married to an unbeliever, your godly character could be what God uses to awaken him to the faith and draw him into the church.
We did not conclude that study though. We have yet to look at verses 3-6. So let's do that now and learn more of what God says to those of you who are wives.
1 Peter 3:3-6
Do not let your adorning be external—the braiding of hair and the putting on of gold jewelry, or the clothing you wear— 4 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. 5 For this is how the holy women who hoped in God used to adorn themselves, by submitting to their own husbands, 6 as Sarah obeyed Abraham, calling him lord. And you are her children, if you do good and do not fear anything that is frightening.
Well, I want to begin by saying thank you for your prayers. I appreciate everyone who has prayed for me these last couple of weeks as I’ve dealt with this concussion. I just wanted to let you know that I have improved significantly. I’m not fully recovered yet, but I am in a much better place than I was. I really do think your prayers availed much.
And I know that some of you were quite concerned. Some of you were probably thinking that when I got up here and preached last week I was obviously still delirious. You probably thought, “That poor man. He was hit so hard and he’s so far out of it he doesn’t even realize that it is the 21st century.” You probably were thinking that I was still off in la la land because I was actually saying that a woman needed to submit to her husband.
What I’m talking about will probably be seen by many as an outdated mode of existence. In our day and age, even mentioning things like this can be a dangerous things. To believe what the Bible says about marriage and marriage roles, especially in regards to a woman and her having to submit to her man, is something that could get a rock chucked through your window.
But we believe that the Bible is the Word of God and we believe that that word is an abiding word. God’s Word is eternally true and what it says is to be the standard for our relationships even today.
Actually, in all seriousness, I’m thankful for the ladies of Hopewell Church. I’m thankful that you take your roles seriously. There are some churches that would never tolerate a guy getting up here and saying the kinds of things I did. I’d be out of a job if I mentioned it in one sermon, let alone having two sermons in a row about a woman’s having to submit to her husband.
As a matter of fact, I’d probably have a lot of men calling for my head. If those men weren’t already egalitarians and offended by what I said, they probably would be the kind of men who would have been telling me I need to say I’m sorry because that’s what pressured their husbands to say to me.
I’m thankful that I don’t live in that kind of context. I’m thankful that what I’ve been saying isn’t too controversial with this group. I’m glad that you receive the word of God with meekness and faith.
And I’m glad that I can continue to develop what Peter says in this passage. Peter is very concerned about marriage and for Christian women in these marriages. He wants the ladies in these congregations to know how to have the very best marriages that they can possibly have. So he devotes a fair amount of time to dealing with this subject. He aims to be very thorough in his explanation of this notion of submission to your husband.
In our passage today Peter describes for us what a submissive woman is like. As Peter develops this idea of a submissive woman, he says that there are 4 things that guide her. There are four things that you can say about her. You can talk about her priorities, her poise, her paradigm, and her praise.
I. Her priorities [3-4a]
You will notice that in verses 3-4 Peter mentions the fact that the submissive wife has a well ordered life. She is focused on the things that matter most, and not the things that most other woman are typically infatuated with.
Peter says, “Do not let your adorning be external—the braiding of hair and the putting on of gold jewelry, or the clothing you wear— 4 but let your adorning be the hidden person of the heart.”
Peter says that a submissive woman is one who is supposed to have higher goals. Her priority in life ought to be the cultivation of her character. She’s aiming for that imperishable beauty that is found in godliness.
She’s not neglecting her appearance, by any means. But that’s not the thing that dominates her time and energy. Her primary objective is fulfilling her role and developing the kind of personal attributes that will be much more pleasing to God and to her husband.
There are a lot of women who spend incredible amounts of time and money on how they look. What it boils down to is a life of vanity. There’s no end of hair products and skin treatments and pedicures. They pour a lot of their attention into their clothes and trying to make themselves as attractive as possible. But, what happens is that they fail to give any kind of consideration to their inward person. They prioritize their outward appearance and they neglect of the thing that is the more important of the two.
Now you notice that I said the more important. One is more important than the other. It’s not that one is not important at all. No one is saying that you shouldn’t put any thought into how you look.
I personally like what Paul Washer had to say about this. Washer said that a man came up to him and asked him if it was sinful for a woman to wear make-up. Washer replied by saying, “My friend, it is sinful for some women not to wear make up.” He went on to say that there’s nothing wrong with giving an old barn a fresh coat of paint.
We all know that there’s nothing wrong with having some nice outfits and taking some time to make your hair look good. There’s nothing wrong with some earrings and an elegant necklace. Those things are fine. Those things are commendable. If you are going to be in submission to your man, its good to look good for your man.
What’s important to remember is that these things should not be the things that become our primary concern. A submissive woman will be determined to look good, yes. But she’s also going to be determined to put the most important things first. She’s going to adorn her soul with the kind of attributes that are pleasing to God and to her home.
She’s going to commit herself to the study of God’s Word. She’s going to be diligent to find ways she can apply that word. She’s going to do everything she can to be as attractive as she can spiritually because she knows that’s going to be the best things she can do for her husband.
Having that priority is going to make her more beautiful because it boils down to one thing: She’s not focused on herself and all the attention she can attract for herself. The inward beauty is beautiful because it is focused on her husband and on the Lord. Her priority is not herself.
So the submissive woman has the right goals. She’s putting godliness above her own glory.
But there’s another thing we can say about a submissive woman. We not only talk about her priorities, we can talk about her poise too.
II. Her poise [4b]
Look at the later have of verse 4. Peter says that a submissive woman is going to be one who has a “gentle and quiet spirit, which in God's sight is very precious.”
Here Peter lists the two most prominent qualities that are to characterize a woman: They are not the only qualities she has. But they are the most prominent qualities that a wife seeks to cultivate. She makes it her goal to adorn her inward person, she’s seeking to cultivate the poise that comes in the form of a gentle and quiet spirit.
What is a gentle and quiet spirit? Well it is the exact opposite of an abrasive and argumentative spirit.
A godly wife is not going to be one who is trying to man handle her husband. That’s what a lot of women do. They are combative, contentious, and overly opinionated. And the reason is because she’s always trying to control her husband and control her own destiny. That’s what a lot of women do. They are not gentle and they are far from quiet because they have to use the force of their words to get their way.
A gentle and quiet woman isn’t going to feel the need to do that. Neither is she going to mock him or say, “I told you so” when things don’t go the way he intended.
This is why I say there’s a lot of poise. The way she carries herself is one of great dignity. She is poised because conducts herself with complete control over her emotions and her desires. There is a strength of heart that characterizes her because she doesn’t give way to her passions.
As a matter of fact, that’s what the word gentle gets at in the original language. The word gentle is a word that was used in regard to wild horses that had been tamed.
Now, you do not question the strength of a horse. That horse is still as strong as it was prior to being tamed. Its just that its strength is now of more use. Now that this horse isn’t given into its whims and passions, it is useful. It is a servant to the rider.
This woman isn’t a weakling. Just because she’s gentle doesn’t mean she’s a floor mat that gets walked on. No. She’s strong. Her strength is manifested in that she knows how to voice her opinions. She knows when to voice her opinions. Her strength is manifested in how quiet she is. She knows that sometimes it is better not to speak. The most supportive thing she can do sometimes is keep her thoughts to her self and do what she can to serve her husband’s interests.
Now, do not think that a woman who has these qualities will be someone who always stays in the shadows never to be heard from. Not at all. As I’ve mentioned before, a woman’s submission flows out of her being a man’s helper. There’s strength that exudes her work. She’s there to give her counsel. She provides options for his decisions. She offers corrections and sometimes needs to put her foot down to counter her husband’s foolishness.
While sometimes she may have to pipe up, her overall demeanor is one of Christ himself. Some would chaff that a woman would be called to be gentle and quiet. But you have to remember that these were two of the chief characteristics of Jesus himself. He was gentle and lowly. The Scripture says that those were his two main attributes while on earth. His lowliness is his humility, which we all know is often expressed in being quiet. Proud people vent their views and jabber on and on. Humble people are able to hold their words back and keep silence.
So the poise that women demonstrate, is not just a sign of strength. It is a demonstration of the very character of Jesus Christ. So there’s good reason to embrace this kind of behavior.
The next thing that Peter talks about is the submissive woman’s paradigm.
III. Her paradigm [5-6a]
That is to say, a godly, submissive wife aims to pattern her life after the great and godly ladies who came before her. She has a paradigm that she follows and strives to emulate.
Look at verse 5. In verse 5 Peter says that there is a long history of women who have lived this way. There were “holy women who hoped in God” who came before you. They all adorned themselves with this submissive demeanor.
And chief among them is Abraham’s wife, Sarah. What did Sarah do that was so remarkable? Why is she a model of the godly wife? It’s because she called Abraham, “lord.”
If you want to check it out, just turn back to the book of Genesis. Genesis 18:12. There Abraham was talking with an angel and the angel announced that Sarah was going to have a baby. And Sarah was just inside the tent eavesdropping on the whole conversation. And she said, “After I am worn out and my lord is old, shall I have this pleasure?”
The Hebrew word there is the word adoni. We often translate it as “God” but literally it means sovereign. Sarah called her husband her sovereign, her king, her lord.
Now, as soon as this video is released, I am going to get emails from feminists all over the planet asking, “Do you really believe that I should call my husband lord?”
I’m not saying that. But I will tell you this: I preached through 1 Peter almost 15 years ago and my wife knew that this was the passage for that week. And during the days leading up to that sermon she would half jokingly say, “Yes, my lord.” She would say, “My lord, I have a question I need to ask you.”
And you know what? I knew she was half teasing, but that had a profound effect on me. Every time she called me lord, she was telling me I had a job to do. It was probably more difficult for me to hear her say that because every time she said it I was reminded that I had a huge amount of responsibility in my household.
Now, you can call your husband a bunch of different names. You can call him sweetie, dearest, hoochie coo, or whatever. You may be able to call him a bunch of pet names that have all kinds of romantic gush to them. But maybe consider whether or not its possible for you to call him lord.
The important thing to remember is that Sarah is your example. She’s the premier illustration that the Bible gives for what a woman is to look like. She saw her husband as her sovereign and she was willing to acknowledge his headship. And she was not shy about acknowledging her role in the family.
Now, what’s going to happen if you become comfortable with this whole idea of submission? What will be the results of you having regarded him as your sovereign and dealt with him with a gentle and quiet spirit? You will receive a biblical commendation.
We’ve talked about this submissive woman. And as we’ve studied her we’ve considered her priorities, her poise, and her paradigm. We can end this morning by simply noting her praise.
IV. Her praise [6b]
In the last part of verse 6 Peter says, “And you are her children, if you do good and do not fear anything that is frightening.”
The testimony of the Apostle Peter is that, if you strive to be the kind of woman that Sarah was, you will become one of her children. That is to say, you will be inducted into the most elite hall of women there ever was. You will be numbered among the greatest ladies of history.
You’ve heard of the National Honor’s Society. You’ve heard of the Football Hall of Fame. Those who get admitted into those places are only the people who have done the very best. They’ve succeeded in being the smartest or the most athletic people in these United States.
Peter is talking about another group of select people. If you take up your role and do it with the kind of grace that God calls you to, you will be honored as one of Sarah’s children. You may not be recognized as one of the leading women in Ohio or get on the 100 top women to watch list. But that’s okay. You will gain a something much greater. You’ll be praised as a daughter of Sarah.
Now, you’ll notice that there is some qualification that Peter makes here. He talks about not fearing.
It is important to understand that fear is one of the primary reasons why many ladies are disqualified. Many women cannot attain this great honor. That’s because they are led by fear and not faith. They look at what might be and they do not like what they see. That makes them uptight. They get scared.
And that is why they cannot submit. They start to nag and hassle their husbands because they think that their way of doing things is much safer. They cannot be gentle and quiet because they feel they need to control things. It becomes a means of self preservation.
This is where we will readily admit that it might not always be easy. There may be some suffering that you will have to endure. But this is where you must remember that the Lord is the one who is in control.
Remember what we said about Jesus a while back. He continued entrusting himself to Him who judges justly. You need to remember that too. You need to put your confidence in God and let that be what guides your submission to your husband.
And that’s what really is commendable. That’ is something that is truly praiseworthy. When you do not give into your fears--when you did not let yourself be dominated by your fear, but rather trust God and seek to be obedient, that is worthy of recognition. When a person can say, “Come what may, I will do what the Lord commands. He is my rock and my shield.” That is truly a great thing.
Last time we were together we began talking about the submission of wives. We’ve talked about submission in the civil realm. We’ve talked about submission in the business realm. And now we are talking about submission in the home; that is in the realm of marriage.
Last week we said that a woman’s role in marriage is to submit to her husband. And we saw that it didn’t matter what kind of husband he may be. We said that even if he fails in many ways, if he is disobedient to the Word, that does not give you the liberty to go against him. You are still called to conform your will to his.
We concluded by saying that your obedience could possibly be the very thing God uses to save him. If you had been married to an unbeliever, your godly character could be what God uses to awaken him to the faith and draw him into the church.
We did not conclude that study though. We have yet to look at verses 3-6. So let's do that now and learn more of what God says to those of you who are wives.
1 Peter 3:3-6
Do not let your adorning be external—the braiding of hair and the putting on of gold jewelry, or the clothing you wear— 4 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. 5 For this is how the holy women who hoped in God used to adorn themselves, by submitting to their own husbands, 6 as Sarah obeyed Abraham, calling him lord. And you are her children, if you do good and do not fear anything that is frightening.
Well, I want to begin by saying thank you for your prayers. I appreciate everyone who has prayed for me these last couple of weeks as I’ve dealt with this concussion. I just wanted to let you know that I have improved significantly. I’m not fully recovered yet, but I am in a much better place than I was. I really do think your prayers availed much.
And I know that some of you were quite concerned. Some of you were probably thinking that when I got up here and preached last week I was obviously still delirious. You probably thought, “That poor man. He was hit so hard and he’s so far out of it he doesn’t even realize that it is the 21st century.” You probably were thinking that I was still off in la la land because I was actually saying that a woman needed to submit to her husband.
What I’m talking about will probably be seen by many as an outdated mode of existence. In our day and age, even mentioning things like this can be a dangerous things. To believe what the Bible says about marriage and marriage roles, especially in regards to a woman and her having to submit to her man, is something that could get a rock chucked through your window.
But we believe that the Bible is the Word of God and we believe that that word is an abiding word. God’s Word is eternally true and what it says is to be the standard for our relationships even today.
Actually, in all seriousness, I’m thankful for the ladies of Hopewell Church. I’m thankful that you take your roles seriously. There are some churches that would never tolerate a guy getting up here and saying the kinds of things I did. I’d be out of a job if I mentioned it in one sermon, let alone having two sermons in a row about a woman’s having to submit to her husband.
As a matter of fact, I’d probably have a lot of men calling for my head. If those men weren’t already egalitarians and offended by what I said, they probably would be the kind of men who would have been telling me I need to say I’m sorry because that’s what pressured their husbands to say to me.
I’m thankful that I don’t live in that kind of context. I’m thankful that what I’ve been saying isn’t too controversial with this group. I’m glad that you receive the word of God with meekness and faith.
And I’m glad that I can continue to develop what Peter says in this passage. Peter is very concerned about marriage and for Christian women in these marriages. He wants the ladies in these congregations to know how to have the very best marriages that they can possibly have. So he devotes a fair amount of time to dealing with this subject. He aims to be very thorough in his explanation of this notion of submission to your husband.
In our passage today Peter describes for us what a submissive woman is like. As Peter develops this idea of a submissive woman, he says that there are 4 things that guide her. There are four things that you can say about her. You can talk about her priorities, her poise, her paradigm, and her praise.
I. Her priorities [3-4a]
You will notice that in verses 3-4 Peter mentions the fact that the submissive wife has a well ordered life. She is focused on the things that matter most, and not the things that most other woman are typically infatuated with.
Peter says, “Do not let your adorning be external—the braiding of hair and the putting on of gold jewelry, or the clothing you wear— 4 but let your adorning be the hidden person of the heart.”
Peter says that a submissive woman is one who is supposed to have higher goals. Her priority in life ought to be the cultivation of her character. She’s aiming for that imperishable beauty that is found in godliness.
She’s not neglecting her appearance, by any means. But that’s not the thing that dominates her time and energy. Her primary objective is fulfilling her role and developing the kind of personal attributes that will be much more pleasing to God and to her husband.
There are a lot of women who spend incredible amounts of time and money on how they look. What it boils down to is a life of vanity. There’s no end of hair products and skin treatments and pedicures. They pour a lot of their attention into their clothes and trying to make themselves as attractive as possible. But, what happens is that they fail to give any kind of consideration to their inward person. They prioritize their outward appearance and they neglect of the thing that is the more important of the two.
Now you notice that I said the more important. One is more important than the other. It’s not that one is not important at all. No one is saying that you shouldn’t put any thought into how you look.
I personally like what Paul Washer had to say about this. Washer said that a man came up to him and asked him if it was sinful for a woman to wear make-up. Washer replied by saying, “My friend, it is sinful for some women not to wear make up.” He went on to say that there’s nothing wrong with giving an old barn a fresh coat of paint.
We all know that there’s nothing wrong with having some nice outfits and taking some time to make your hair look good. There’s nothing wrong with some earrings and an elegant necklace. Those things are fine. Those things are commendable. If you are going to be in submission to your man, its good to look good for your man.
What’s important to remember is that these things should not be the things that become our primary concern. A submissive woman will be determined to look good, yes. But she’s also going to be determined to put the most important things first. She’s going to adorn her soul with the kind of attributes that are pleasing to God and to her home.
She’s going to commit herself to the study of God’s Word. She’s going to be diligent to find ways she can apply that word. She’s going to do everything she can to be as attractive as she can spiritually because she knows that’s going to be the best things she can do for her husband.
Having that priority is going to make her more beautiful because it boils down to one thing: She’s not focused on herself and all the attention she can attract for herself. The inward beauty is beautiful because it is focused on her husband and on the Lord. Her priority is not herself.
So the submissive woman has the right goals. She’s putting godliness above her own glory.
But there’s another thing we can say about a submissive woman. We not only talk about her priorities, we can talk about her poise too.
II. Her poise [4b]
Look at the later have of verse 4. Peter says that a submissive woman is going to be one who has a “gentle and quiet spirit, which in God's sight is very precious.”
Here Peter lists the two most prominent qualities that are to characterize a woman: They are not the only qualities she has. But they are the most prominent qualities that a wife seeks to cultivate. She makes it her goal to adorn her inward person, she’s seeking to cultivate the poise that comes in the form of a gentle and quiet spirit.
What is a gentle and quiet spirit? Well it is the exact opposite of an abrasive and argumentative spirit.
A godly wife is not going to be one who is trying to man handle her husband. That’s what a lot of women do. They are combative, contentious, and overly opinionated. And the reason is because she’s always trying to control her husband and control her own destiny. That’s what a lot of women do. They are not gentle and they are far from quiet because they have to use the force of their words to get their way.
A gentle and quiet woman isn’t going to feel the need to do that. Neither is she going to mock him or say, “I told you so” when things don’t go the way he intended.
This is why I say there’s a lot of poise. The way she carries herself is one of great dignity. She is poised because conducts herself with complete control over her emotions and her desires. There is a strength of heart that characterizes her because she doesn’t give way to her passions.
As a matter of fact, that’s what the word gentle gets at in the original language. The word gentle is a word that was used in regard to wild horses that had been tamed.
Now, you do not question the strength of a horse. That horse is still as strong as it was prior to being tamed. Its just that its strength is now of more use. Now that this horse isn’t given into its whims and passions, it is useful. It is a servant to the rider.
This woman isn’t a weakling. Just because she’s gentle doesn’t mean she’s a floor mat that gets walked on. No. She’s strong. Her strength is manifested in that she knows how to voice her opinions. She knows when to voice her opinions. Her strength is manifested in how quiet she is. She knows that sometimes it is better not to speak. The most supportive thing she can do sometimes is keep her thoughts to her self and do what she can to serve her husband’s interests.
Now, do not think that a woman who has these qualities will be someone who always stays in the shadows never to be heard from. Not at all. As I’ve mentioned before, a woman’s submission flows out of her being a man’s helper. There’s strength that exudes her work. She’s there to give her counsel. She provides options for his decisions. She offers corrections and sometimes needs to put her foot down to counter her husband’s foolishness.
While sometimes she may have to pipe up, her overall demeanor is one of Christ himself. Some would chaff that a woman would be called to be gentle and quiet. But you have to remember that these were two of the chief characteristics of Jesus himself. He was gentle and lowly. The Scripture says that those were his two main attributes while on earth. His lowliness is his humility, which we all know is often expressed in being quiet. Proud people vent their views and jabber on and on. Humble people are able to hold their words back and keep silence.
So the poise that women demonstrate, is not just a sign of strength. It is a demonstration of the very character of Jesus Christ. So there’s good reason to embrace this kind of behavior.
The next thing that Peter talks about is the submissive woman’s paradigm.
III. Her paradigm [5-6a]
That is to say, a godly, submissive wife aims to pattern her life after the great and godly ladies who came before her. She has a paradigm that she follows and strives to emulate.
Look at verse 5. In verse 5 Peter says that there is a long history of women who have lived this way. There were “holy women who hoped in God” who came before you. They all adorned themselves with this submissive demeanor.
And chief among them is Abraham’s wife, Sarah. What did Sarah do that was so remarkable? Why is she a model of the godly wife? It’s because she called Abraham, “lord.”
If you want to check it out, just turn back to the book of Genesis. Genesis 18:12. There Abraham was talking with an angel and the angel announced that Sarah was going to have a baby. And Sarah was just inside the tent eavesdropping on the whole conversation. And she said, “After I am worn out and my lord is old, shall I have this pleasure?”
The Hebrew word there is the word adoni. We often translate it as “God” but literally it means sovereign. Sarah called her husband her sovereign, her king, her lord.
Now, as soon as this video is released, I am going to get emails from feminists all over the planet asking, “Do you really believe that I should call my husband lord?”
I’m not saying that. But I will tell you this: I preached through 1 Peter almost 15 years ago and my wife knew that this was the passage for that week. And during the days leading up to that sermon she would half jokingly say, “Yes, my lord.” She would say, “My lord, I have a question I need to ask you.”
And you know what? I knew she was half teasing, but that had a profound effect on me. Every time she called me lord, she was telling me I had a job to do. It was probably more difficult for me to hear her say that because every time she said it I was reminded that I had a huge amount of responsibility in my household.
Now, you can call your husband a bunch of different names. You can call him sweetie, dearest, hoochie coo, or whatever. You may be able to call him a bunch of pet names that have all kinds of romantic gush to them. But maybe consider whether or not its possible for you to call him lord.
The important thing to remember is that Sarah is your example. She’s the premier illustration that the Bible gives for what a woman is to look like. She saw her husband as her sovereign and she was willing to acknowledge his headship. And she was not shy about acknowledging her role in the family.
Now, what’s going to happen if you become comfortable with this whole idea of submission? What will be the results of you having regarded him as your sovereign and dealt with him with a gentle and quiet spirit? You will receive a biblical commendation.
We’ve talked about this submissive woman. And as we’ve studied her we’ve considered her priorities, her poise, and her paradigm. We can end this morning by simply noting her praise.
IV. Her praise [6b]
In the last part of verse 6 Peter says, “And you are her children, if you do good and do not fear anything that is frightening.”
The testimony of the Apostle Peter is that, if you strive to be the kind of woman that Sarah was, you will become one of her children. That is to say, you will be inducted into the most elite hall of women there ever was. You will be numbered among the greatest ladies of history.
You’ve heard of the National Honor’s Society. You’ve heard of the Football Hall of Fame. Those who get admitted into those places are only the people who have done the very best. They’ve succeeded in being the smartest or the most athletic people in these United States.
Peter is talking about another group of select people. If you take up your role and do it with the kind of grace that God calls you to, you will be honored as one of Sarah’s children. You may not be recognized as one of the leading women in Ohio or get on the 100 top women to watch list. But that’s okay. You will gain a something much greater. You’ll be praised as a daughter of Sarah.
Now, you’ll notice that there is some qualification that Peter makes here. He talks about not fearing.
It is important to understand that fear is one of the primary reasons why many ladies are disqualified. Many women cannot attain this great honor. That’s because they are led by fear and not faith. They look at what might be and they do not like what they see. That makes them uptight. They get scared.
And that is why they cannot submit. They start to nag and hassle their husbands because they think that their way of doing things is much safer. They cannot be gentle and quiet because they feel they need to control things. It becomes a means of self preservation.
This is where we will readily admit that it might not always be easy. There may be some suffering that you will have to endure. But this is where you must remember that the Lord is the one who is in control.
Remember what we said about Jesus a while back. He continued entrusting himself to Him who judges justly. You need to remember that too. You need to put your confidence in God and let that be what guides your submission to your husband.
And that’s what really is commendable. That’ is something that is truly praiseworthy. When you do not give into your fears--when you did not let yourself be dominated by your fear, but rather trust God and seek to be obedient, that is worthy of recognition. When a person can say, “Come what may, I will do what the Lord commands. He is my rock and my shield.” That is truly a great thing.