1 Peter 3:19-20

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19 After being made alive, he went and made proclamation to the imprisoned spirits—20 to those who were disobedient long ago when God waited patiently in the days of Noah while the ark was being built. In it only a few people, eight in all, were saved through water. ~ 1 Peter 3:19-20

Today, we continue our study of 1 Peter 3. This passage is one of the most difficult passages in all of the Bible to interpret and to understand. However, the difficulty understanding it is quite instructive, much like our pain and suffering. Most often, it is in hindsight that we make the most sense of our suffering and pain. If it weren’t for the experience of separation, we would not appreciate the joy of love. Such is it's nature.

In v.19 of today's passage we read, "After being made alive, he went and made proclamation to the imprisoned spirits."

When the Lord Jesus died on the cross, He experienced spiritual death which is separation from God. Then He was made alive through His resurrection. The resurrection of Jesus Christ is the cornerstone of the Christian faith. In Psalm 91:16 we read, "With a long life I will satisfy him and let him see My salvation." This verse is one of many in the Old Testament which told us beforehand that the Messiah would overcome sin and death by dying and rising from the dead. In Psalm 16:10 we read, "For You will not abandon my soul to Sheol; Nor will You allow Your Holy One to undergo decay." This is yet another verse from the Old Testament attesting to the fact that the Messiah would overcome death by raising from the dead. This is the reason that David pictured the Messiah alive in Psalm 22:29 which reads, "That all of God’s people will also undergo a resurrection, all those who go down to the dust will bow before Him, even he who cannot keep his soul alive."

This event, which occurred almost two thousand years ago, is the best attested fact in human history and experience. During the forty days following His resurrection, the Lord Jesus showed Himself to be alive from the dead by "many infallible proofs." He appeared at various times and places to many people who told others what they had seen. According to 1 Corinthians 15:6 the Lord Jesus was seen at one time by more than 500 people. It would have been easy to dispel the resurrection as a hoax but with so many seeing Him alive after His resurrection, at the same time, it was impossible to do so. 

The next phrase in v.19 is one of the most difficult verses to figure out. It reads, "...he went and made proclamation to the imprisoned spirits."

This means that after His resurrection, the Lord Jesus' living spirit, apart from His body, which lay in the tomb, went to Hell to announce His victory over sin and death to the "imprisoned spirits." When the Lord Jesus died on the cross, for sure there was a victory party in the realm of evil. The Apostle Paul tells us in 1 Corinthians 2, "None of the rulers of this age understood it; for if they had, they would not have crucified the Lord of glory." The forces of evil thought they were overcoming God that day but they were deathly wrong.

In v.20 of today's passage we read, "...to those who were disobedient long ago when God waited patiently in the days of Noah while the ark was being built. In it only a few people, eight in all, were saved through water."

Since the beginning of time, when Lucifer fell, he has been at war with the purposes of God. And, throughout time he has tried to destroy the redemption of man. He tried to destroy the Lord Jesus through the religious leaders of Israel.  And, as is indicated in this verse, the Lord Jesus' proclamation was to those who chose not the free gift of God, but the lies of the enemy during the days of Noah. Why He did that, we are not sure. But, one thing that we are for sure about is that He overcame sin and death by raising from the dead.

Peter, in these two verses, has pulled back the curtain to enable us to see that when we resist the lies of Satan and receive God's will, we are choosing a spot, at that moment, on the winning team. Most often we miss the beauty of suffering because we don’t know that we actually are loved by God. We miss the absolute beauty of suffering because we don’t feel safe. It is in our ignorance that we suffer more than we ought. There were only eight who chose to get on Noah's ark. Only eight who chose rightly, only eight out of so many. It is our ignorance that cripples us. Oh, but when we choose wisely, the lid will be popped off for us for eternity and we will enjoy the fruits of Christ's suffering exponentially.

1 Peter 3:17-18

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17 For it is better, if it is God’s will, to suffer for doing good than for doing evil. 18 For Christ also suffered once for sins, the righteous for the unrighteous, to bring you to God. He was put to death in the body but made alive in the Spirit. 
~ 1 Peter 3:17-18

Today, we continue our study of 1 Peter 3 wherein the Apostle Peter has reminded us that sometimes it is God's will that we suffer for doing what is right. In writing this the Apostle draws our attention to the distinction between good and evil. That which is good or evil is what God has deemed them. And, as long as we consistently choose God's definitions of things, we should be safe from being defined by evil and we should be defined by God.

In v.17 of today's passage we read, "For it is better, if it is God’s will, to suffer for doing good than for doing evil."

God has a plan, and sometimes suffering is a part of that plan, even when we suffer for doing good or the right thing. There are examples of this throughout Scripture. Abel suffered after doing good. Joseph suffered without having done any wrong. He followed his father’s words, did what was proper, and suffered for it. It is axiomatic that we suffer in God’s plan. The only variable is whether we will accept the suffering as the will of God for us. Peter reminds us that it is better to suffer for "doing good" than for "doing evil." Undeserved suffering makes believers in Christ partners in the perpetuation of that which is good or righteous or true. And, when we do this we enter into Christ’s suffering. 

The "If" in this verse is a wish. It was Peter’s wish that the Asia Minor Christians to whom he wrote this book would suffer for doing good. When we suffer for doing the right things, we uphold the right things in our lives and in our culture. When we do this and experience suffering, it is consistent with the "the will of God" for our lives.   

Suffering plays a role in helping us to see the difference between good and evil. When we are able to make the distinction between good and evil, the battle to go in the way of God's culture becomes much easier. Our understanding of what is good or evil is crucial with regard to what we decide to invest in because no one wants to invest in the diabolical plans of evil. And, yet, when we feed the flesh by giving in to the lusts of the flesh, that is exactly what we do.

In v.18 of today's passage we read, "For Christ also suffered once for sins, the righteous for the unrighteous, to bring you to God. He was put to death in the body but made alive in the Spirit."

The Apostle Peter begins this verse with the word "for" in order to explain why it is sometimes God's will for us to suffer for doing what is right. Then Peter makes the connection between the believer's suffering and that of Christ. Christ’s suffering was a vicarious act. He did not sin, and yet He was made sin for us. His point is: When we do the right thing and suffer, we reveal part of the reason the Lord Jesus Christ died for us who are unrighteous. He didn't deserve to die, but even in being treated unjustly, He triumphed over sin and death through His resurrection. He paid the debt that our sin created. The Lord Jesus suffered unjustly so that the truth would triumph in the end. 

By trusting in the Lord Jesus' underserved death on the cross, God has "imputed" His righteousness to us, and our sin was transferred to Him at the cross. This began our personal relationship with God, enabling us to know and to live in His culture. Daily, when we choose good over evil, we factor in on the age long battle over evil and the one who brought evil into existence. The Lord Jesus ultimately died that horrific death, in order to purchase for all who would receive His free offer of forgiveness of sin. Of course, this is what unites us to God. When the Lord Jesus paid the penalty of our sin, we got back into the game. And now, we are learning that even our suffering factors in as a sentry in our souls in the process, always pointing us to our Savior and His ways if we let them. 

1 Peter 3:15-16

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15 But in your hearts revere Christ as Lord. Always be prepared to give an answer to everyone who asks you to give the reason for the hope that you have. But do this with gentleness and respect, 16 keeping a clear conscience, so that those who speak maliciously against your good behavior in Christ may be ashamed of their slander.  ~ 1 Peter 3:15-16

Today, we continue our study in 1 Peter 3 where the Apostle is revealing to us how to battle against being defined by this fallen world. In context, Peter has taken us to the importance of good solid relationship skills including good communication with the Lord and with one another.

In v.15 of today's passage we read, "But in your hearts revere Christ as Lord. Always be prepared to give an answer to everyone who asks you to give the reason for the hope that you have. But do this with gentleness and respect."

Literally, the first sentence of this verse is written, "But, set apart Christ in your hearts." This is the heart of the whole book of 1 Peter. You see, before we go out and face the world every day, we must first give Him His rightful place in our hearts, otherwise we will be inauthentic before a lost and dying world. In reality, He sets Himself apart in the first spot of our hearts as we allow Him to reveal Himself to us. Having experienced His goodness and faithfulness for ourselves, we naturally will develop a love for Him which will, in the end, be unparalleled. It takes a long time to get to this place and many never get there. I am in process myself.

 As a result, we will be loyal to Him, although imperfect in our attempt to be so. We will have His heart because He will have revealed it to and for us through the various trials of life. What is required of us is that we go through the trails with Him. We must not only embrace Him through the trials, we must allow Him to embrace us through the trials. This scenario creates in us a love for Him, and this kind of love can not be faked.

The more we trust Him, the more we will give Him safe passage into our souls. The interesting part of growing in our trust of God is we do not learn of His faithfulness without dealing with our need. And, the greater the need, the more magnanimous will be our discovery of His faithfulness. And even then, we have to go through stuff with Him in order to see that He is truly committed to us.

With the next sentence of this verse we discover that the plot thickens. It reads, "Always be prepared to give an answer to everyone who asks you to give the reason for the hope that you have."

The word "answer" here means defense. We get our English word apologetics from it. Apologetics means to have a defense or offer explanations or give good reasons for that which we believe. The Greek word used here is used to describe lawyers who stand in a courtroom and give good and compelling reasons on behalf of their client. We live in a world where we are always in the courtroom. We are never out of the courtroom. This world is a living courtroom, and the best defense for the Gospel of Jesus Christ is the relationship that we have garnered with Him and from Him as we go through the stuff of life with Him. 

This grand concept of hope is always magnified by our suffering. And, as others see us dealing with the suffering that they also go through, they see our hope. This type of hope creates inquisitiveness in others. And, without even knowing it, they are asking of us a revelation of God.

At the end of this verse and on into the next, the Apostle Peter directs us to add three ingredients to this presentation of God before the lost onlookers. The last sentence in this verse reads, "But do this with gentleness and respect."

The word Peter used here for gentleness means mild, calm, kind, quiet, and tender. The word used for respect is the word from which we get our English word phobia or fear. The picture Peter is giving us here is that of a person who treats people who perhaps humanly deserve unkindness, yet who get kindness because of the givers authentic relationship with the Lord. 

In v.16 of today's passage we read, "Keeping a clear conscience, so that those who speak maliciously against your good behavior in Christ may be ashamed of their slander."

This is not about winning arguments with people, it is about God loving them into heaven through our broken and yielded lives. You see, when we are defined by God, our actions will reflect Him and not our natural selves. This, of course, will always leave us with a clear conscience which enables us to continue to pursue God unimpeded. This is the key to living this life which garners the curiosity of those observing our relationship with God.

The Apostle Paul stood up in Acts 23, and said, "I have lived in all good conscience before God until this day." And the point is this: A clear conscience will help us face anything, even a hostile world. As we are criticized by others, our conscience will be clear because we set the Lord Jesus apart in our hearts. They might accuse us of all sorts of things, but we will have a clear conscience. This will result in a loving boldness that will enable us to endure even with the worst of the hurting that are out there.

1 Peter 3:13-14

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13 Who is going to harm you if you are eager to do good? 14 But even if you should suffer for what is right, you are blessed. Do not fear their threats; do not be frightened. ~ 1 Peter 3:13-14

Today, we return to our study of 1 Peter 3 where the Apostle Peter is sharing with us those most important principles regarding suffering that he had learned through his walk with the Lord for some sixty years. Suffering is easier to endure when we know that there is a purpose to it. This is the theme for today's text.

In v.13 of today's passage we read, "Who is going to harm you if you are eager to do good?"

Here, the Apostle addresses those who live consistent with God's definitions of things. No, they are not going to be perfect but they are those who are pursuing God and His definitions. This question is written in such a way that normally we would never expect to suffer if we are operating in this life as a people who do good to other people. This is increasingly not the case in our world today because many have so rejected God's definitions of things or the truth that they are threatened by the truth. 

Many today ignore the fact that the history of Christianity has, for the most part, benefited societies. The concept of human rights is a biblical concept. These values have long been given to us by the God of the Bible through His word. For example, women's rights came from the Bible. When the Lord Jesus spoke 2,000 years ago, the culture around Him did not respect women at all. And, even though in early America the same was true here, eventually the rights of women were granted because God is for the rights of women. He is the One from whom we got the idea. There has always been those who called themselves Christians but they did not live consistent with God's definitions. Their inconsistency does not negate the consistency of God's word. This is why we must be defined by God.  

I find it quite instructive here that Peter begins today's passage with a question. Questions are often the product of our doubt. Most think of doubt as something which is bad but often it is necessary for the growth of our faith. There will always be an element of uncertainty when we live by faith. It is the uncertainties that make us worry and to get anxious. This is why God is constantly calling us to trust Him and to be subsequently defined by Him. This is the answer to all of life here on earth.

In addition, it is only those who enjoy the adventure that questions take us on who really live life. Only those who pursue God really live. In this pursuit there will be times that we will think we will not survive, times we may regret that we ever embarked on this journey, times we wish the idea had never come up. But if we step out and risk and go, when the journey is complete, we will have a wealth that is desired by all of those who have know all the treasures this world. We will have a grand story with God. We will have much to tell, and, as a result of this grand pursuit, we will not be the same. And it will all be more than worth it.

In v.14 of today's passage we read, "But even if you should suffer for what is right, you are blessed. Do not fear their threats; do not be frightened."

In this verse Peter quotes a portion from Isaiah 8:12-13. This quotation is quite significant because Ahaz, king of Judah, faced the impending invasion of the Assyrian army. The kings of Israel and Syria wanted Ahaz to join them in an alliance against the Assyrians, but Ahaz refused. As a result, Israel and Syria threatened to invade Judah.  

Behind the scenes, Ahaz subsequently made an alliance with Assyria. And the prophet Isaiah warned Ahaz against ungodly alliances, and urged him to trust God alone for deliverance. That was the background of the passage Peter quotes here. In other words, this is not a new problem. Essentially, Peter with Isaiah, was saying, "Do not fear the intimidation of man." You see, as Peter goes on to say, "we are blessed" when we suffer for doing the right thing because we have been convinced by the truth Himself to go the way of the truth. The Lord Jesus Christ is the truth, and, when we are being defined by the truth, we will have a greater depth to our daily walk with Him. This will be so because the truth makes us who are being defined by it the most secure people in the world.

In the Bible, there are two types of fear: the fear of man and the fear of God. In order to accomplish our ultimate calling, we must be ardent on the idea that God defines us. Being defined by God begins with the development of a reverential fear of Him. This is a fear that hones our view of Him as a good God who has our best interest at heart. Fear must be our servant, not we it, because fear always looks to corrode our confidence in God’s goodness. 

"Fear not" is the most repeated command in the Bible, one for every day. In fact, the gospels list some 125 Christ-issued imperatives for us to not fear. But, there is a fear, according to our text, which plays a role in the ultimate purpose of our suffering. Fear itself is not a sin. But it can lead to sin. It reminds us that we are mere humans. It drives us to our knees before the One who reminds us that in our weakness He is strong. It drives us to depend upon Him, and, there is no better place for you and me to be.

1 Peter 3:11-12

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11 Turn away from evil and do good. Search for peace, and work to maintain it. 12 The eyes of the Lord watch over those who do right, and his ears are open to their prayers. But the Lord turns his face against those who do evil. ~ 1 Peter 3:11-12

Today, we continue in our study of 1 Peter 3 where the Apostle Peter is giving us strategies from God which will enable us to know intimacy with Him even though we might be going through the worst of times. These two verses come from Psalm 34 where David is so grateful for God's goodness that he invokes others to join him in witnessing and tasting God's abundant love.

In v.11 of today's passage we read, "Turn away from evil and do good. Search for peace, and work to maintain it."

In our last study the Apostle Peter urged us to resist retaliation upon those who inflict their evil on us. And, if we do this, we will increasingly experience the very life of God in and through our lives. We can only do this if we turn away from evil. Now, the verb here, "turn away," means to reject. It's a compound verb which has an intensity about it. It is a positive rejection of what is sinful in the treatment of others. We are to turn away from that, even our persecutors. 

Then the Apostle admonishes us to "search for peace." The word "search" here is the strongest form of seeking in the Greek language. This word is better translated "hunt." And, the word "peace" is another intense word that means "tranquility." It means a constant condition of tranquility which produces permanent joy. This is to be the nature of our living. This admonition literally reads, "Let him hunt with all his might tranquil unity that results in permanent joy." 

In v.12 of today's passage we read, "The eyes of the Lord watch over those who do right, and his ears are open to their prayers. But the Lord turns his face against those who do evil."

That phrase, "The eyes of the Lord" is a very common Old Testament phrase and it always relates to God's watchfulness over His people for whom He has special concern. The idea is that of God's omniscience and the fact that He is aware of every detail of our lives. God watches us so that He might answer our prayers. The word for prayer here means petition for our needs. Peter is saying choose the way of God's life and our prayer life will soar and we will grow in deep intimacy with Him as we walk with Him daily. This will also result in not being hindered in our walk with the Lord because it is obvious that it is the flesh that stunts us the most in our walk with Him.

When we embrace any form of evil, it is then that "the face of the Lord" is "against" us. When God becomes angry, the Bible always focuses on His face. In Genesis 19:13 we learn regarding Lot and Sodom, "We are about to destroy this place because their outcry has become so great before the face of the Lord." We see this also in Lamentations 4:16 which reads, "The face of the Lord scattered them." This means God sees the wicked with an angry face. 

Disobedience to God's commands brings the anger of God against those who refuse to be defined by Him. In Leviticus 20:3 we read, "I will also set My face against that man and will cut him off from among his people because he has given some of his offspring to Molech, the false god, so as to defile My sanctuary and profane My holy name." 

God sets His face in condemning fashion against those who reject His truth. In Revelation 6:16 we read, "Fall on us and hide us from the face of Him who sits on the throne and from the wrath of the Lamb." During the days of the Tribulation, after the sixth seal is opened there will be a great earthquake, the sun will turn black, the moon will turn blood red, the stars will fall out of the sky, the heavens will recede like a scroll, and every mountain and island will be removed from its place. In that moment fear will grip all the unsaved upon the earth, and they will cry out for the mountains to fall on their face.

This proves that the mind does something interesting when we experience fear. The brain tries to find the quickest way out of the discomfort. But, the problem is the unsaved on the earth at the end will not be able to escape their court date with the truth. The truth is we were all conceived sinful. And, as a result the penalty for that which separated us from all that is true and good must be paid or we will pay the penalty for our sinfulness for eternity.

In the end, no one will be able to hide from God. No one will escape the horror of the inequity of their sinfulness. No one will be able to capitalize on race or status. And, all who had not received the free payment for their sinful condition will experience such terror as described in today's text. This will happen because they refused to believe in the Lord Jesus and receive His free gift of forgiveness. 

Deceived totally by the devil, the unsaved will reach a point where they will not be able to believe. They will be defined by unbiblical fear to the point that they will be driven away from all that is true and good. They will sadly feel at home with isolated darkness, but, darkness is not a place anyone would consider home. Isolated, and all alone, there will be no one present with the unsaved in eternity. This aloneness will not warrant relationship with anyone, and they will experience an eternity of the closing in of the madness. This is where unbiblical fear leads.

When we resist the flesh, we resist the way that leads to destruction. And, when we love on those who treat us badly, we are possibly going to be those who will be a part of God's rescue of their lives. Who knows, when we get to heaven we may even meet those who treated us badly here on earth and they will say that our response to them made a difference in them coming to the Lord. 

1 Peter 3:9-10

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9 Don’t repay evil for evil. Don’t retaliate with insults when people insult you. Instead, pay them back with a blessing. That is what God has called you to do, and he will grant you his blessing. 10 For the Scriptures say, "If you want to enjoy life and see many happy days, keep your tongue from speaking evil and your lips from telling lies." ~ 1 Peter 3:9-10

Today, we return to our study of 1 Peter 3. This first letter of Peter is an epistle with teaching about getting the culture of God into our souls right now. This teaching is about our sanctification, it shows us how we acquire the wisdom of God. Our sanctification is a process whereby God is changing our souls which is made up of our mind, will, and emotions. In this process, God is actively delivering His wisdom into our daily lives. But, we must choose what He has to offer and turn away from what is natural to our fallen natures.

In today's text, Peter continues to identify the tools which will aid us in winning the battle in our souls amid our sufferings. Peter instructs us what we should do when our community is threatened. One of the greatest truths discovered in the Scriptures is: "selflessness leads to joy in life." Of course, the opposite truth is: "selfishness leads to misery in life." We are told in Galatians 6:8 when we feed our flesh which houses the evil desires within us, we entertain destruction. On the other hand, when we feed the Spirit of God who has made our spirits alive to Him, we experience His life or eternal life.

In v.9 of today's passage we read, "Don’t repay evil for evil. Don’t retaliate with insults when people insult you. Instead, pay them back with a blessing. That is what God has called you to do, and he will grant you his blessing."  

Two wrongs do not make a right. When someone says something terrible about or to us, we do well to not retaliate. The word evil here means vile treatment. When we are treated this way by someone, we can rationalize responding to them in like manner. This is a mistake. This is why God implores us to be defined by Him rather than our sinful default mode because our sinful default mode always renders to us some form of death.

The next sentence in this verse reads, "Don’t retaliate with insults when people insult you."

Here, the Apostle takes it a step further. We are not only to reject the expression of the flesh upon those who treat us badly, we are not to insult them. The word "insult" here means verbal abuse.  When we do not retaliate either in attitude or in the words we speak, our hearts will be at peace and no root of bitterness will grow up in us.  

The next phrase in this verse is: "Instead, pay them back with a blessing." The word "blessing" here is the word from which we get our English word "eulogy." We are to respond to such ill treatment with a eulogy. We are to bless them by speaking well of them. As believers in the Lord Jesus, we want as many people as possible to come to know the Lord Jesus before it is too late. One obvious sign that a person needs the Lord Jesus is when they are hostile toward those who follow Him. So, when we are marginalized by someone because of our faith in the Lord Jesus, it should be their desperate need for the gospel that stands out to us. When this happens, we should quietly ask God to bless them, primarily by opening their hearts to Him.

In v.10 of today's passage we read, "For the Scriptures say, 'If you want to enjoy life and see many happy days, keep your tongue from speaking evil and your lips from telling lies.'"

Here the Apostle Peter directs us back to God's definitions of things as he begins this verse with: "For the Scriptures say." The blessings of God are not all automatic, some are only accessed through our choice of being defined by God. We will be defined by God when we obey God. Even though we can not obey our way into heaven, we do access certain aspects of eternal life right now through our obedience. This happens in the arena of our sanctification which is the changing of our souls by God.

That is why the Apostle writes: "to enjoy eternal life and to see happy days." When we shirk the allurements of the flesh and we allow God to define us, we will access the very life of the Lord Jesus. When He died on the cross, He made it possible for us to access His life in us. And that is what the Scriptures call "eternal life." This is seen through the fact that we choose to speak no evil and speak no lies. 

In Proverbs 4:23-24 we read these words, "Keep your heart with all vigilance, for from it flow the springs of life. Put away from you crooked speech, and put devious talk far from you." 

When we speaking evil and tell lies, we throw open the door for the enemy to create a wedge between us and those who need the Lord in their lives. We push away the deepening of our intimacy with the Lord when we do this. We push away the opportunity to have the culture of God inculcated in us further. In order to guard our tongue, we must first guard our heart. It is of utmost importance that we speak the truth out of a heart that is engaged with the Lord. We must speak wisdom from a heart that is directed by His wisdom. We can only do this as a result of walking with Him daily. This means we must be regular in prayer and the reading of His word.

1 Peter 3:8

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Finally, all of you should be in agreement, understanding each other, loving each other as family, being kind and humble. ~ 1 Peter 3:8

Today, we return to our study of 1 Peter 3 where the Apostle Peter is giving us God's instruction for the solid infrastructure that we need to deal with the difficulties of living life in this fallen world. Brennan Manning once wrote, "Suffering, failure, loneliness, sorrow, discouragement, and death will be part of your journey, but the Kingdom of God will conquer all these horrors. No evil can resist grace forever."

In today's verse we are given some skills that can get us to the place where we can benefit from the pain and suffering that comes into our lives. In this verse, Peter implores us to live life to the fullest with excitement, integrity, and confidence in the God of the Bible by learning to see the pain and the suffering as a means rather than an end. Very often, I have discovered, my pain serves me in a variety of ways from making sense out of my life and helping others navigate through their difficulties. The key is to allow God the time He needs to use it to bring about His purposes. And, I have found, that if I am patient, I will free myself from much anxiety because I will not worry about the circumstances.

Todays' verse begins with: "Finally, all of you should be in agreement."

Believers in Christ should be so real and authentic that when unbelievers look at us, even when we are suffering, they will desire what we have. Granted, when we are suffering, it's difficult to walk with God because even though we are forgiven and on our way to heaven our default mode continues to be the fallen part of us. Learning to walk with God is hard work but when we do it, it will translate into that which is real in the eyes of those who are not born again.  

To this point in this epistle, the Apostle Peter has been addressing different groups of people who were all dealing with suffering in some form. He now addresses all groups of believers whether suffering or not, encouraging us to broaden our understanding of this most unusual means by which God changes us. The first is the importance of valuing community especially when we are suffering. Community is an absolute necessity when we are hurting the worst. When we are suffering, we are especially tempted to withdraw and fortify ourselves, in order to protect ourselves. When we are in such a place, we must be careful to not let our suffering desensitize us to the hurts and needs of others. The best time to bless others is when we are struggling the most ourselves.

There are a number of things we can do in community in order to find purpose in our suffering. The first is "to be in agreement."  When we are suffering, we need people who can help us think straight. These people make sure that we are being controlled by reason rather than emotion, but most define being in agreement as everybody agreeing with me. That is not what the Apostle was writing about here. When we all think the same, that does not promote unity, it promotes uniformity. There are a litany of disagreements that we as believers in Christ have and should have. We are all fallen humans all gathered together to be in agreement, but that does not mean we have to think alike. Being in agreement is cooperating in the midst of our diversity. 

There are essential beliefs in the Christian faith we must all agree upon. And then, there are the nonessential beliefs. The essentials are the nature of God; the person and work of Jesus Christ, that He is God in human flesh, that He came to this earth to take our place by dying on the cross to pay the penalty that our sin created, that He rose physically from the dead, and that He is coming again. These are some of the essentials in Christianity. As believers in the Lord Jesus, we are in agreement with those beliefs. Secondary issues are non-essential issues and we agree to disagree on the secondary or non-essential issues include things like mode of baptism or when the Lord Jesus will return.

In addition, Peter says we are to be "understanding each other." This literally means we are to be willing to suffer together, to actively enter into one another's sufferings empathetically and compassionately. The Apostle combined two words here. The first is "pathos" which means "to suffer." The second word is "sum" which means "together with." We get our word empathetic from this compound Greek word. It means to suffer with someone.  

When we do this, we will understand the fallenness of the humanity in one another. Being marked by our Savior, who is our empathetic high priest, says the writer of Hebrews, we will share in the feelings of others, joining in their sorrow, and joining in their joy. We will be known not as indifferent to the needs of others, not as their critics, but as sensitive to the pain of the yet fallen.

In addition, we are to be "loving each other as family."  This means we need to love with brotherly love. Here Peter uses the Greek word "philadelphos" which means brotherly love. We get our word Philadelphia from this word. There really are people who are brothers and sisters we can trust, who will accept us and with whom we can feel secure.

Next Peter says, "being kind" which is to be tenderhearted. The heart in the ancient world was the seat of emotion. It was where you felt things, which for them, was in their bowels. He is saying that we need to emotionally commit ourselves to one another. We must feel emotionally, not just remain intellectually or theologically, but to feel with another.

Then, Peter says we need to be "humble." This word Peter used here literally means "humble-minded." In Philippians 2:3 we read, "Do nothing from selfishness or empty conceit but with humility of mind let each of you regard one another as more important than himself." When we are feeling weak and vulnerable, we need somebody who can identify with us in humility. That helps lower our defenses and then the purposes of God can be realized.

Finally, I have learned, the best time to help others and love on them is when I am struggling. Scientific research provides compelling data to support the anecdotal evidence that giving is a powerful pathway to personal growth and lasting happiness. Loving on others is God's way of bringing His completeness into our lives. As we encounter our own pain, we discover that if we allow God to inculcate His culture in us and we choose to become more others-minded, we will discover that His way does not only help us to cope with our own pain, it also equips us to discover why we are ultimately on this earth to be a blessing to others.

1 Peter 3:7

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In the same way, you husbands should live with your wives in an understanding way, since they are weaker than you. But show them respect, because God gives them the same blessing he gives you—the grace that gives true life. Do this so that nothing will stop your prayers. ~ 1 Peter 3:7

Today, we return to our study of 1 Peter 3 where the Apostle is giving us teaching on how to benefit from the persecution that we sometimes encounter in this world. Today's verse is addressed to husbands and how we should relate to our wives. All the teaching given in this one verse is predicated upon the husband submitting to the Lord. When God's grace changes our heart, we no longer submit to Him out of fear, we submit to Him due to the impact His grace has had upon us. We go from submission out of fear to submission out of love.

Today's verse begins with: "In the same way." Peter is saying that in the same way as the wives are to embrace the culture of God by submitting to her husband, husbands should submit to God and the role that He has given him. The husband, in part, embraces God's culture by: 1) living with our wives in an understanding way, and by 2) showing our wives respect.

To "live with our wives in an understanding way" means to seek to know our wives in a godly way. God created both man and woman so that we would have a balanced view of who He is. God demonstrates His maleness through man as man yields his will to the commands of God. God also demonstrates His femaleness through the wife as she submits to God by submitting to her husband. 

Since all humans are incompatible due to the Fall, as husbands we are to work hard at understanding the physical, emotional and spiritual nature of their wives. When I counsel a couple who are about to wed, I always begin with a study of the four love languages. Everyone has a different way that they give and receive love. Most often, we try to love others according to our love languages but this is quite shortsighted because they will only feel loved on the basis of us loving them according to their love languages. 

The next phrase in today's verse has been quite abused and misunderstood. The words "since they are weaker than you" 

must be understood in the broader context of this passage. Men and women are different because our brains are different from the other. It is not that men are better than women; it is due to the fact that we are biologically different and as a result God has called us to different roles and responsibilities within the family. A strong society is built upon a strong family. As the families go in a society, so goes the society.

It is commonly known that man has a certain hormone, testosterone, which makes his bone structure grow larger than a woman's so that more fiber and muscle grow around his bones than a woman's. In fact, up to 40% of the man's body, is muscle. A woman's body, in contrast, has 23% muscle. The man's larger bone structure results in him being, on the average, about 10% bigger than a woman. Therefore, the husband is not to take physical advantage of that weakness. Rather, man's function is to protect woman, as the more needy vessel. 

In addition, the husband is expected to listen to his wife, love her, encourage her and support her. The husband is to treat his wife as fine china, not like paper plates. As it has been said, "The wife was not taken from man's head to be above him, she was not taken from his feet to be walked upon by him, but she was taken from his side to be close to him, from under his arm to be protected by him, from near to his heart to be loved by him." 

The fact is our wives do not want more things, they want more of us; they want more of our hearts. And when we are giving our hearts to the Lord and He gives us more of His heart, we will be amazingly equipped to love our wives. As a result, they will have no problem with the idea of submitting to us. The husband is to do all of this so that nothing will stop his prayer life. The key to loving our wives is that we are regularly communicating with God. As the husband gives his heart to God, he will be equipped with the heart of God to love his wife as he ought. When we are arguing with our wives, we will be hindered in our desire to pray or to talk with God. In fact, I always find that if I can get a struggling couple to pray together, their problems will eventually go away. So, as we submit to God and are enabled to love our wives, we will fulfill our God called duty as husbands to fulfill the role and responsibilities that He has called us to. 

1 Peter 3:3-6

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3 Your beauty should not come from outward adornment, such as elaborate hairstyles and the wearing of gold jewelry or fine clothes. 4 Rather, it should be that of your inner self, the unfading beauty of a gentle and quiet spirit, which is of great worth in God’s sight. 5 For this is the way the holy women of the past who put their hope in God used to adorn themselves. They submitted themselves to their own husbands, 6 like Sarah, who obeyed Abraham and called him her lord. You are her daughters if you do what is right and do not give way to fear. ~ 1 Peter 3:3-6

Today, we return to our study of 1 Peter 3 where the Apostle Peter is addressing wives who had husbands who had yet to receive God’s forgiveness of their sin through the cross of the Lord Jesus. We live in a world which has long rejected the wisdom of God on a given subject, especially the role of a wife in a family. This explains the collapsing of the American way of life as we have known it. In fact, as we look down history this is the pattern throughout the history of mankind. The rejection of God’s truth results in the downfall of civilization.

In v.3 of today’s passage we read, "Your beauty should not come from outward adornment, such as elaborate hairstyles and the wearing of gold jewelry or fine clothes."

In the Roman world of the first century, cosmetics were big. The women dyed their hair all kinds of colors.They waved it and they braided it elaborately. But, attention to one’s outward appearance, as the source of meaning or influence, never leads to wholeness or completeness. It is almost, as if, many are trying to deny the existence of the Fall. However, the Apostle Peter was not arguing that a women should not adorn herself outwardly. He was merely arguing that the Christian wife was to not invest more in the outside at the expense of the inside. 

In v.4 of today’s passage we read, "Rather, it should be that of your inner self, the unfading beauty of a gentle and quiet spirit, which is of great worth in God’s sight."

It is wise of the wife to invest in her inner beauty that proceeds from her consistent walk with the Lord. Due to the successes of the feminism movement, women today are more enslaved to the opinions of others about their appearance than they were years ago. Today, we see teens starving themselves to get that right look, adult women undergoing painful surgeries to keep that youthful look, and aging in America appears to be considered a disease. 

The word translated "gentle" in this verse means meek. The word "quiet" means peaceful, calm, and in control. The word "spirit" means disposition. The most beautiful women are those who have a meek, gentle, peaceful, calm, and quiet disposition. This is the inner virtue that a woman is to pursue and that is what wins the heart of a man. And, notice this is "of great worth in the sight of God." 

In v.5-6 of today's passage we read, "5 For this is the way the holy women of the past who put their hope in God used to adorn themselves. They submitted themselves to their own husbands, 6 like Sarah, who obeyed Abraham and called him her lord. You are her daughters if you do what is right and do not give way to fear."

In the book of Genesis, Abraham was called to trust God’s promises on a journey of faith. And, Sarah most often, followed her husband. Sarah's life was shaped by her husband's calling. And, in the end Sarah trusted God to mold Abraham. Women who do this discover that their confidence in God is the antidote to all of their fears. And, the fact is, this is true for us all. As we come to the place that we allow God to define us and direct our ways, life turns out so much better.

The word "lord" is a term of respect. It is also a term that Sarah chose in reference to Abraham. Abraham did not demand that Sarah call him "lord." This word communicates that although they had disagreements, Sarah's disagreement was communicated with respect. Sarah and Abraham's marriage was far from perfect because Abraham was known to make some pretty bad decisions like let's go to Egypt due to the drought or hide your identity from the leader of Egypt. In light of all of this, to her credit, Sarah went along with Abraham's decisions. 

A Christian wife who has an unsaved husband might be afraid to totally submit to him for fear of where it might lead her, but God instructs her to be respectful and bend her will to the leading of her husband. This just merely underscores the old saying: "The way you catch him will be the way you keep him." The way in which a woman attracts a man will be the way she keeps his attention. She is not to be frightened because when we have bent our will to the will of God, the blessing of God always follows. This is how a wife wins her unsaved husband without a word and this is how she is guaranteed God's blessing upon her relationship with her husband.

1 Peter 3:1-2

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1 Wives, in the same way submit yourselves to your own husbands so that, if any of them do not believe the word, they may be won over without words by the behavior of their wives, 2 when they see the purity and reverence of your lives. ~ 1 Peter 3:1-2

Today, we transition into 1 Peter 3 where the Apostle Peter wrote this letter to persecuted Christians in order to encourage them on how to live in the midst of persecution. Peter encouraged them to elevate themselves and to live out of being defined by Christ alone. Peter continued to address every element of society in order to show us how the culture of God works and benefits all that are involved. Today, he encourages wives to be defined by the culture of God and to invest in the eternal.

 
The Apostle Peter wrote these words in 64 A.D., at a time when the Roman culture treated women as if they were less than human. This, of course, resulted in the crumbling of the Roman society. The Roman culture gave women virtually no rights at all. And, we know that a healthy society is based upon healthy families wherein everyone fulfills the roles that God has defined in His word.

In v.1 of today's passage we read, "Wives, in the same way submit yourselves to your own husbands so that, if any of them do not believe the word, they may be won over without words by the behavior of their wives."

The Apostle Peter wrote these words to the wives who were married to unbelieving husbands. He counseled the wives with the hope that they would be poised to introduce their husband's to faith in the Lord Jesus Christ. These women believed in the teachings of the God of the Bible, and as a result, they knew that incompatibility with a spouse did not justify divorce. These women needed wisdom to most effectively witness to their husbands.

The best way for the believing wife to win the unbelieving husband to faith in the Lord is the topic here. Therefore, Peter highlights a life of purity and reverence expressed in a submissive attitude that honors their husbands who had the role as the head of the family. Submission is the wife's response to her husband's role to love his wife and to provide leadership for his family. The real submission that is taking place here is submission to God which is revealed in the wife's submission to her husband.

We access God's wisdom as we submit to Him. Submission does not infer some kind of moral inferiority or intellectual inferiority or spiritual inferiority. Just like the previous examples, if we have a government leader and we have a citizen, and the citizen submits to the government leader, that doesn't make the government leader superior or a better person than the citizen. In fact, in many cases the citizen is far superior to the government leader. But we need to submit to keep order in that society or in the workplace. 

The phrase, “they may be won over without words” is key to understanding what God is telling us here. The apostle is warning wives of unsaved husbands to not preach at their husbands, but to live lives that are defined by God. This statement underscores the idea that we speak the loudest messages through our lives rather than through our lips.

At the core of all godly women, cemented in their souls, is an enduring and faithful hope in God. It is from the security of this hope that wives fear nothing that is frightening, even submission to husbands who do not follow the Lord. These godly women adorn their souls with a combination of humility and courage that even believers cannot explain.

In v.2 of today's passage we read, "when they see the purity and reverence of your lives."

Notice the word "see" is used here. This is of great importance because we communicate best through how we live our lives rather than what we say with our lips. They say that more is caught than taught. This makes sense in light of the fact that 55% of what we communicate comes through the non-verbal while 37% comes through the tone with which we speak. That leaves 8% which is the amount we communicate through our words.

 

The word "purity" describes an inner beauty and the fact that she does not flirt with other men. The wife with this "purity" is faithful to her husband in body and in heart because her heart was first won by the Lord. As a result, the wife who loves the Lord keeps herself pure; she is a one man woman who understands the utter importance of submitting to the Lord first which enables her to submit to her husband. 

The word "reverence" spring boards out of the believing wife's awe of and submission to God. It describes a respect toward her husband, respect that is humble, not arrogant and hard. She will be able to do this because she is careful to be defined by God. Wives are to show their husband, not by preaching at them or guilt-tripping them, but to show them that Christ is the most important person in their lives. 

There is a principle here that is not only applicable to wives, it is applicable to us all. In order to best impact another to become a believer in Christ, we must let our faith in the Lord so permeate our being that they would be positioned to be won by Him. This passage is calling for radical and uncompromising discipleship that shows a husband the true importance of the Lord Jesus Christ in the life of the believing wife.