Being good servants and citizens

Genesis 18:9-15, 21:1-7, 1 Peter 3:1-6

Christians should be good, obedient citizens and good workers. Wives should be compliant and submissive. It is hard to be a Christian when the government target you or a wife when you have an unbelieving husband. In the 1st century you were not following a husband’s spiritual lead. Peter is instructing them to live in a way so as to not compromise their faith or unnecessarily antagonise unbelieving husbands. He talks to those who were converted after marriage.
1. WHO ARE THE WIVES PETER IS WRITING TO?
a) These were women who lived hoping in God – Hebrews 11:11. Sarah received power to conceive because she hoped in God. She laughed at God because she was incredulous. God’s rebuke reminded Sarah that nothing was too hard for the Lord and caused her to trust and hope in God. She had no record of anyone else experiencing this. She realised God had blessed her. She said God had brought her laughter. A Christian puts their hope in God and looks away from this world. They have a living hope – Psalm 42:5, the psalmist rebukes his soul and says ‘hope in God’. Sarah did this. The hope drove out fear and we aim to please the Lord. If their husband’s spiritual leadership fails they get strength from the Lord. Have you put your hope in God for the future?
b) These were women whose hope drove out fear. People like Sarah fight anxiety in their hearts by holding the promises of God.
2. WHAT ARE THESE WIVES TO DO?
Peter assumed they would be faithful to their vows. Peter holds up Sarah’s obedience as an example of Biblical submission. Christians are called to live with an unbeliever regardless of whether they were easy or difficult. Sarah viewed Abraham as her master, she respected Abraham as the head of the home. This couple are a good example for Peter to use. Both made mistakes and Sarah was a very beautiful woman.
a) Both made mistakes – Sarah put Abraham up to having a child by Hagar.
b) She had inner and outer beauty.
c) She is not recorded as calling Abraham Lord, but she was respectful in the way she spoke, the respect should be inner and outer. It does not mean she has to agree or believe all he says. She can have her own mind.
3. WHAT DO WIVES DO IN DIFFICULT SITUATIONS?
He speaks in particular about disbelieving husbands. What about alcoholics etc?
a) What about submission to an abusive husband? You can call in the law or the elders to protect her life. She should not fear her husband more than she fears God.
b) What about submission when he asks her to do wrong? Abraham tried to pass Sarah off as his sister, he was lying. A wife has to do what is right, obey God. If she has to disobey her husband she should tell him that the love of God is more important.
c) What about being submissive and a husband’s persistent sin? She should confront persistent sin but with discretion so he knows she really cares. Persistent sin is not usually an excuse to leave a spouse. We should pray and stay faithful to our marriage vows.
4. WHAT IS THE ATTRACTIVENESS WIVES ARE TO SHOW SO AS TO WIN OVER THEIR HUSBANDS?
Our conduct is often more powerful a message than our words. The power of a Christ like life is better than pressure tactics, this is a principle rather than a promise. Peter’s hope is that husbands will notice attractive behaviour and through it see the source of it – a relationship with Christ.
a) Attractiveness involves purity – 1 Timothy 5:22, that is moral goodness.
b) Attractiveness involves reverence. That is, the fear of God.
c) Attractiveness involves not nagging – Proverbs 21:9. Solomon said a quarrelsome wife is awful. If he is not won by ‘words of truth’ he may be won by a ‘life of truth’. A husband once nicknamed his wife Peg after Pegasus who was an everlasting nag. He may become resistant to the truth or sullen and withdrawn to prevent nagging. He may be amazed at the change in his wife’s life and what has happened to her after conversion. Wives should pray for their husbands and look for opportunities to witness, but God will convert him. Augustine wrote of his mother Monica and how she witnessed to her husband by her behaviour. At the end of his life he was converted and they walked together in the Lord.
d) Attractiveness involves a gentle and quiet spirit. Gentleness is meekness, quiet means calm, not combative – see Proverbs 15:1. It is a heart that is not easily ruffled. She doesn’t yell back at her husband and keeps calm.
e) Attractiveness is the inner person over outward appearance – verses 3 to 5. Women should not neglect their outward appearance but should aim to win her husband over by the new person within. Peter emphasises inner beauty is attractive to everyone even with the wrinkles of old age. Let the beauty of Jesus be seen in me, All his wonderful passion and purity; O Thou Spirit divine, all my nature refine. Till the beauty of Jesus be seen in me. Beauty is meaningless unless it is inner beauty it is transitory unless it comes from God. Jesus was never more beautiful than when he suffered.