Instruction for Wives

First Baptist Church Leominster

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certain Hebrews that were more Palestinian -Jewish traditional in their mind, and then there were more

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Grecian or Greek Hellenistic Jews who had become Christians. And they really had different views of culture and whatnot, and there was some difficulty getting along.

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And they had a problem. The Hellenist Christians, Jews, thought their widows were being neglected.

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And so here we have a case where probably the first deacons were selected. All of them apparently have

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Greek names, and so they were selected from this group that felt it was being slighted, these

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Hellenistic Jewish Christians, and they were given responsibility to oversee this distribution.

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And the Lord blessed their service, freed up the elders for the preaching of the gospel, and God greatly blessed that effort.

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Acts chapter 6. Now in those days when the number of the disciples was multiplied, there arose a complaint against the

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Hebrews by the Hellenists because their widows were neglected in the daily distribution.

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Then the Twelve summoned the multitude of the disciples and said, it is not desirable that we should leave the word of God and serve tables.

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Therefore, brethren, seek out from among you seven men of good reputation, full of the Holy Spirit and wisdom, whom we may appoint over this business.

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But we will give ourselves continually to prayer and to the ministry of the word. And the saying pleased the whole multitude, and they chose

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Stephen, a man of full faith in the Holy Spirit, and Philip, Prochorus, Nicanor, Timon, Parmenas, and Nicholas, a proselyte from Antioch, whom they set before the apostles.

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And when they had prayed, they laid hands on them. And then the word of God spread, and the number of the disciples multiplied greatly in Jerusalem, and a great many of the priests were obedient to the faith.

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And Stephen, full of faith and power, did great wonders and signs among the people. And then there arose some from what is called the synagogue of the freedmen,

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Cyrenians, Alexandrians, and those from Cilicia in Asia, disputing with Stephen.

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And they were not able to resist the wisdom and the spirit by which he spoke. And then they secretly induced men to say, we have heard him speak blasphemous words against Moses and God.

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And they stirred up the people, the elders and the scribes, and they came upon him, seized him, brought him to the council.

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And they also set up false witnesses who said, this man does not cease to speak blasphemous words against this holy place and the law.

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For we have heard him say that this Jesus of Nazareth will destroy this place and change the customs which

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Moses delivered to us. And all who sat in the council, looking steadfastly at him, saw his face as the face of an angel.

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And of course next week we'll read of his martyrdom, Acts chapter 7. Let's pray.

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Thank you, our Father, for the wonderful accounts we have in our New Testament, in which we read about your work being furthered there in the first century, and of the advancement and expansion of this church at Jerusalem.

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We thank you, our God, that they were able to settle this difficulty, this problem in the church, through wise deliberation and appointing godly men over their responsibilities.

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We pray, our God, you'd help our church also to be faithful to you. We thank you, our

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God, for our deacons and their faithfulness to this church body, and that they're able to free up the elders to give themselves over to prayer and ministry of the

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Word. And we pray, our God, that we would see a great number of disciples multiplied greatly as a result of their service.

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Now, Father, we pray that you would bless us which we hear your word proclaimed by Pastor Jason. Give us wisdom and grace, illuminate our minds to the truth, stir our hearts, our

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God, to love your truth, and may you enable our wills to be subservient to your will, that we would obey you, our

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God, as to how you instruct us in your Holy Word. And so, bless Pastor Jason now, and bless us, for we pray in Jesus' name, amen.

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Morning, everybody. This morning, we continue our study of 1st

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Peter. Today, we're going to be examining the biblical portrait of a godly wife.

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Specifically, we're going to be addressing how wives are to relate to their husbands in a manner that will please and glorify the

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Lord God. So, please turn with me to the book of 1st Peter. By way of reminder,

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Peter is writing to encourage his readers to keep their focus on their glorious future.

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Christians are to live with an eternal perspective. In this world, we are to live as exiles.

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We are to live as pilgrims. We are to live as those who do not belong to this world.

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This world is not our home. We're just a passing through. So, in every single area of our lives, we are to set our minds on the things above, where Christ is seated at the right hand of God.

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We must look not to the things that are seen, but to the things that are unseen.

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The things that are seen are transient. They are temporary. They are fleeting.

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But the things that are unseen are eternal. In addition to an eternal perspective,

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Christians are also commanded to be well -behaved. Throughout the time of our sojourn amongst the

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Gentiles, our behavior is to be honorable. It is to be excellent.

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It is to be above reproach. Specifically, we accomplish this, firstly, by walking in submission to our governing authorities.

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For this is the will of God, that by doing good, you should put to silence the ignorance of foolish people.

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Christians are to live as people who are free, as servants of the living God. We are to honor everyone.

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We are to love the brotherhood. We are to fear God. We are to honor the emperor.

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Secondly, we accomplish this by walking in submission to our earthly masters, both to those who are good and gentle, and also to those who are unjust.

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For this is a gracious thing. When mindful of God, one endures sorrows while suffering unjustly.

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For the Christian pilgrim, unjust suffering is a gracious thing in the sight of God.

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And it is to this, to unjust suffering, that we have been called. In all of these things, we must remember the example of the

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Lord Jesus Christ. As those who are navigating through a hostile and difficult world, we must strive to walk in the steps of the

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Lord Jesus Christ, and we must follow the pattern of his life. In the midst of great difficulty, in the midst of great persecution,

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Jesus Christ committed no sin, nor was any deceit found in his mouth.

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When he was reviled, he did not revile in return. When he suffered, he did not threaten, but continued entrusting himself to him who judges justly.

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If in the most difficult circumstances, the Lord Jesus Christ did not sin, then neither should we sin in far easier circumstances.

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In our unjust suffering, in our mistreatment, in our difficulties and trials, we must strive to be like Christ.

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This is the context of our passage this morning. Let's read it together. 1

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Peter 3 verses 1 through 6. Likewise, wives, be subject to your own husbands, so that even if some do not obey the word, they may be one without a word by the conduct of their wives, when they see your respectful and pure conduct.

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Do not let your adorning be external, the braiding of hair, and the putting on of gold jewelry, or the clothing you wear.

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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.

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For this is how the holy women who hoped in God used to adorn themselves, by submitting to their own husbands, as Sarah obeyed

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Abraham, calling him Lord. And you are her children, if you do good, and do not fear anything that is frightening.

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So first things first, what is the first word of verse 1? The term likewise.

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The term likewise is a strategic term of conclusion, which introduces a logical result or inference from what immediately precedes it.

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Likewise means in response to, or as a result of, or in accordance with, or in light of the truth previously mentioned.

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In other words, in the same way that citizens, verse 13, are to be subject to every human institution, in the same way servants, verse 18, are to be subject to their masters, in the same way the

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Lord Jesus Christ, verses 21 through 23, was subject to the will of His Father, and entrusted

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Himself to Him, likewise in the same way wives are to be subject to their own husbands.

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Well, what does it mean to be subject? And what does it mean for wives to be subject to their husbands?

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Well, the Greek word translated subject is hupotaso, which literally means to arrange under.

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It means to place under in an orderly fashion. This term was often used by the military to describe troops falling into rank and ordering themselves in proper battle formation, attentive and subordinate to the will of the commanding officer.

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In other words, to be subject means that you will voluntarily and willingly place yourself under the authority of another.

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This is not something that is forced. This is not something that is coerced. Rather, to be subject is a volitional act.

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It is a volitional act that recognizes that the Lord God has an ordered design which must be followed.

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Citizens are to be subject to their governing authorities. Servants are to be subject to their masters.

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The Lord Jesus Christ was subject to the will of His Father, and wives are to be subject to their husbands.

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A great passage that discusses this order of authority is found in the 1

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Corinthians 11. But I want you to understand that the head of every man is

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Christ, the head of a wife is her husband, and the head of Christ is

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God. The head refers to authority. The head rules over and gives direction to the rest of the body.

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Thus, the authority that God has placed over woman is man, and the authority that God has placed over man is

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Christ, and the authority over Christ is God. You see, just as the

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Lord Jesus Christ was submissive to His headship, God the Father, man is to be submissive to His headship,

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God the Son, and women are to be subject to their headship, man.

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Right on down the line. The concept of a woman submitting to a man is in direct opposition to the philosophy of the world, isn't it?

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I don't think there is a sitcom or a movie or a book that presents in a positive light biblical submission.

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The world sees submission as something that is outdated. It sees it as something that is barbaric, something that is chauvinistic.

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But biblical submission is not chauvinistic, it is not barbaric, and it is not outdated.

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Biblical submission is not meant to take the joy out of your life. It is not meant to afflict you or to oppress you.

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It is not meant to keep you down. Submission does not mean that wives are inferior to their husbands, not in any way.

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Peter is not speaking about a woman's worth or her abilities or her intellect or her spirituality.

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Some women are far more superior to men in all of these areas. But the

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Lord God has established the principle of male authority and female subordination for the purpose of order, for the purpose of complementation.

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This order has to do with the specific roles and the specific order that the

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Lord God has deemed appropriate. Submission is the command of an all -knowing, all -powerful, all -sovereign, ever -present, just, loving, and good

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God. A God who knows what is best for His children. A woman who seeks to please and glorify the

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Lord God will arrange herself under, or line up under, her husband.

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A man who seeks to please and glorify the Lord God will arrange himself under, or line up under, the headship of Christ.

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If a man rejects the headship of Christ, then he is rejecting the authority that the Lord God has placed over him.

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And if a woman rejects the headship of her husband, she too is rejecting the authority that the

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Lord God has placed over her. There is a line of authority. God the

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Father, God the Son, man and woman. To break with your headship is to step outside from under your headship, and this will break the entire line.

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You cannot reject one part without rejecting all the others. Now regarding this principle, some questions that I have often heard, what if my husband is not a believer?

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Do I still need to submit to him? What if my husband clearly demonstrates that he is not worthy of my submission?

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What if my husband continually abuses his headship? What if my husband's treatment of me is unloving and unjust?

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What if my husband is a selfish tyrant who only cares for himself and repeatedly hurts our family by his destructive words and behavior?

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What then? These are all very relevant and difficult questions, but the answer is the same.

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First Peter 3 .1, likewise, wives, be subject to your own husbands so that even if some do not obey the word, they may be one without a word by the conduct of their wives.

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According to the scriptures, wives are to be subject to their husbands even if their husbands are disobedient to the word.

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This includes unbelieving husbands, unworthy husbands, harsh husbands, selfish husbands, foolish husbands, lazy husbands, and every other type of sinful husband that exists.

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Now beloved, I know this is a hard command. I know because some of the most difficult conversations in my ministry have been these types of questions, questions about living with difficult and sinful spouses.

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But let me just remind you about an extremely important and relevant truth.

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The Lord God knows everything there is to know about your spouse and about your present circumstances.

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God knows all of your husband's actions. God knows all of his words.

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God knows every single one of his thoughts and every single one of his motives.

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The Lord God is not in the dark. The Lord God is all -knowing.

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The Lord God is omniscient, and the Lord God is faithful.

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So dear sister, the question becomes, do you trust the

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Lord God? Do you trust your father God? Do you trust his faithfulness?

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Do you trust his goodness? Do you trust in his providential hand? The Lord God knows more about your current situation than either you or your husband.

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And the Lord God is ordaining your present marital difficulties to happen in your life for your good and for his glory.

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None of your marital difficulties, none of your husband's sinful actions, none of his sinful words occur outside of the immediate control of the

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Lord God. Our father God is over all things. Our father

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God is sovereign. Romans 8, 28 and 29. And we know that for those who love

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God, all things work together for good. For those who are called according to his purpose.

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For those whom he foreknew, he also predestined to be conformed to the image of his son in order that he might be the firstborn among many brothers.

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According to this passage, God's overarching purpose for believers, for those who love

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God, is to conform them to the image of his beloved son, the

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Lord Jesus Christ. All things work together for good. But what is the good?

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Is the good your happiness? Is the good your financial stability?

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Is the good your health? The good of verse 28 is defined in verse 29.

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The good is your conformity to the image of Christ. The good is your sanctification.

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The Lord God is more concerned with your character than he is with your comfort.

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The Lord God wants us to die to sin. He wants us to live to righteousness. And many times the

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Lord God will use great difficulties and your great suffering, such as a disobedient spouse, husband or a wife, to accomplish this end.

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This can be a very hard truth to swallow, but it is most assuredly the truth.

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In the midst of broken relationships, in the midst of great hostility and frustration and grief, the

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Lord God has a plan for his children. And that plan is your conformity to the image of Christ.

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In difficult marriages, you must learn to trust in the Lord God. Trusting God is not a matter of what you are feeling.

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It is a matter of the will. You must choose to do so. The Lord God will carry out his plan.

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The Lord God will carry out his purpose. And they will not nor cannot be thwarted. Every situation, every event, every action that happens in your life, that happens in your marriage, is under the

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Lord God's immediate control. So even if your husband is grossly disobedient to the word of God, the command of the

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Lord stands firm. Wives, be subject to your own husbands.

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Now it's important that I clarify a couple of things. Being subject to your own husbands does not mean that you should follow your husband into sin and into disobedience.

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If your husband is misusing and violating his authority over you by commanding you to do something that the

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Lord God forbids, or by forbidding you to do something that the Lord God commands, then your responsibility, your duty is to follow and obey the

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Lord God. Actually, this is the principle that follows every line of submission.

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As believers, we are to submit to our authorities right up to the point where obedience to human authority would involve disobedience to the

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Lord God. And at that point, we refuse. In the book of Acts, Peter and the apostles were teaching the people in proclaiming in Jesus the resurrection from the dead.

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And this teaching greatly annoyed the powers that be, and they were arrested. And the high priest and the

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Sadducees charged them to no longer speak or teach at all in the name of Jesus.

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Peter and John answered them in Acts 419, whether it is right in the sight of God to listen to you rather than God, you must judge, for we cannot speak of what we have seen and heard.

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In Acts chapter 5, the apostles again were arrested and they were put in public prison.

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But during the night, an angel of the Lord appeared to them and opened the prison doors and brought them out.

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And the angel of the Lord said to them, go and stand in the temple and speak of what you have seen and heard.

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So they entered the temple and at daybreak, they began to teach. And again, the apostles were arrested, but not by force.

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They were brought to the high priest and they were questioned. Acts chapter 5, we strictly charged you not to teach in his name, yet you have filled

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Jerusalem with your teaching and you intend to bring this man's blood upon us. But Peter and the apostles answered, we must obey

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God rather than men. The God of our fathers raised Jesus whom you killed by hanging him on a tree.

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God exalted him at his right hand as leader and savior to give repentance to Israel and forgiveness of sins.

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And we are witnesses to these things. And so is the Holy Spirit whom

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God has given to those who obey him. We must obey God rather than men.

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Beloved, there will probably come a time in your marriage when you need to tell your husband, no, there may come a time when you with an attitude of humility and gentleness must proclaim,

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I must obey God rather than men. There may come a time when you need to tell your husband, it grieves me when you head down this sinful path and encourage me to go down it with you.

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I can't do that. I flourish the most when I follow your lead, but I cannot follow you into sin.

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I will not follow you into sin. I love you. I will respect you.

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I will pray for you, but I must follow the Lord Jesus Christ because he is my king.

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A second point of clarification, being subject to your own husbands does not mean that you are not allowed to open your mouth or that you will never give your opinion or that you will never give your advice.

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There will be times when even the most humble and submissive wife should hesitate at her husband's decisions.

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You may need to tell your husband, you know, I've thought a lot about this decision and when

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I love it that you take initiative and plan for our family, I don't have peace about this decision.

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I think you're making a mistake. Can we talk about it? Can we pray about it? Husbands, if you have a wife that talks to you like this, then you have a tremendous blessing from the

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Lord. It's not good for man to be alone. It's not good for a married man to make decisions without receiving any input from his wife.

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Husbands, the Lord God has given you your wife as a helper. Our wives are our extra set of eyes, our extra set of hands, our extra help as we navigate through the rough waters of this life.

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Your wife's role is to assist you, to help you, to encourage you, to sharpen you as you seek to love her and lead her.

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Your wife's role is to come alongside you and help you, especially in the areas where you may be deficient.

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I am deficient in a lot of areas and my wife is a tremendous help to me.

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She encourages me in my walk with God. She helps me see things from a completely different perspective.

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She gives me fresh insights into how I should relate and respond to my children. She often picks up on things that go straight over my head.

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In difficult situations, she gives me her counsel, which has proven to be extremely valuable to me.

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I would not be where I am today, I would not be who I am today without the help and assistance of my wife.

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Proverbs 18, 22, he who finds a wife finds a good thing and obtains favor from the

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Lord. Husbands, do not stifle your wife's voice. Do not stifle your wife's opinions or her suggestions or her counsel.

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Listen to your wife. The Lord God may be using her to give you direction. The Lord God may be using her to keep you from making an unwise decision or even a massive mistake.

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As a Christian pilgrim, your wife is your traveling partner. She is a gift from the

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Lord God to you to help you in your pilgrimage, to help you reach your final destination.

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Wives, what should you do if you share your opinions and your concerns with your husband, you respectfully talk about the decision, you pray about it, and you still disagree with one another?

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Well, what happens then? In a situation such as this, providing your husband is not pressuring you to violate the

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Word of God, you should defer to your husband's judgment, even if you disagree.

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The reason why, he is your head, he is your authority, he has been given headship over you by your

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Father God. Thus, be subject to your husband. A submissive response to your husband in a situation when there is disagreement, when the two of you are at odds, can actually accomplish a lot of good.

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Through the submission of the wife, through her attitude and her conduct, it is possible that even the most difficult and unbelieving husband may be one without a word.

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1 Peter 3, 1. Likewise, wives, be subject to your own husbands, so that even if some do not obey the

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Word, they may be one without a word by the conduct of their wives. Do you want to know the best way to win your husband, even if he is disobedient to the

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Word of God? The Scriptures say, don't leave him, don't badger him, don't nag him, don't separate for a time so that you can both work on your issues, don't preach at him, don't call the elders to drop by for a sneak attack when he's unsuspecting, don't demand your rights and draw a line in the sand and force him to submit to you.

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What did the Scripture say? If you want to win your husband to the Lord God, if you want to get the greatest impact on the life of your husband, then be a submissive wife.

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Do not demand your rights. Do not give him ultimatums.

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Do not complain and gripe and pout, but be the model of Proverbs 31.

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Be the model of Titus 2. Be the model of righteousness and godliness.

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Follow in the footsteps of the Lord Jesus Christ, who committed no sin, nor was any deceit found in his mouth.

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When he was reviled, he did not revile in return. When he suffered, he did not threaten, but continued entrusting himself to him who judges justly.

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Again, in the most difficult of circumstances, the Lord Jesus Christ did not sin, then neither should we sin in far easier circumstances.

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In our unjust suffering, in our mistreatment, in our difficulties and trials, we must strive to be like Christ.

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Now think about this for a moment. Can you imagine the transformation of our marriages if we were to follow the example and pattern of the

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Lord Jesus Christ? Can you imagine the impact that this would have on your unbelieving spouse?

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Can you imagine the impact this would have on your children? Can you imagine the impact this would have on the world?

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In the midst of disagreements and conflict, husband and wives commit no sin against one another.

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Husband and wives speak the truth. There is no deceit found in their mouths. Husband and wives who, when being reviled, do not revile in return.

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When suffering, they utter no threats, but each one keeps entrusting themselves to him who judges justly.

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Many churches have allowed a worldly and feministic philosophies to creep into the body of Christ.

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And these philosophies are destroying marriages, they're destroying families, and they are hindering our witness before a watching world.

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And this is greatly dishonoring and displeasing to the Lord God. True believing wives will take the scriptures at face value.

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The Lord God is sovereign, and the marriage in which you find yourself, while it may not be ideal, while it may not even be pleasant, it is the marriage that the

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Lord God has ordained for you. You are not free to leave. Beloved, you must persevere.

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Like the Lord Jesus Christ in 1 Peter 2 .22, entrust yourself to your heavenly

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Father. Entrust your marriage, entrust your husband, entrust your children, your needs, your wants, your everything.

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Entrust it into the hands of him who judges justly. Beloved, the

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Lord God will make it right. Trust in him and be subject to your own husbands as to the

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Lord. Peter gives further instruction to wives. Not only are wives to be subject to their own husbands, but they must also be respectful and pure.

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1 Peter 3 .1 and 2. Likewise, wives be subject to your own husbands, so that even if some do not obey the word, they may be one without a word by the conduct of their wives.

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When they see your respectful and pure conduct, wives, your conduct should be characterized by the terms respect and purity.

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If someone were to ask your husband about your conduct, what would he say? Would he say that you are respectful?

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Would he say that you are pure? The term respectful literally means to fear.

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And in this context, Peter's point was that the respectful and pure conduct of wives should stem from their relationship with the

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Lord God. Your conduct should stem from your fear of the Lord. If you are fearing the

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Lord God, then you should be respectful of your husband. Ephesians 5 .33,

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however, let each one of you love his wife as himself. That's directed to the husband.

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And let the wife see to it that she respects her husband. The Amplified Bible uses the following synonyms to describe a wife's respect for her husband.

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She should give deference to him. She should be devoted to him, revering him, honoring him, esteeming him, appreciating him, prizing him, and in a human sense, adoring him.

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That is to admire, to praise, to deeply love, and to enjoy your husband.

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Pure conduct refers to conduct that is free from any sort of defilement or any sort of impurity.

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This term often described that which is morally undefiled. Describing something that has been cleansed and brought into the presence of the

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Lord to be used in his service. The conduct of wives must be pure.

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It must be irreproachable. It must be fit to be used in the presence of the

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Lord. Well, how do we practically flush out these two terms, respect and pure?

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Well, the remaining four verses of this passage spell out the exact meaning of these words.

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1 Peter 3 verses 3 through 6. Do not let your adorning be external, the braiding of hair and the putting on of gold jewelry or the clothing you wear, 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.

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For this is how the holy women who hoped in God used to adorn themselves, by submitting to their own husbands as Sarah obeyed

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Abraham calling him Lord. And you are her children if you do good and do not fear anything that is frightening.

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Wives who are respectful and pure will primarily direct their energy and their attention to their internal adornment, not their external adornment.

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I would venture to say that there are many women and many men for that matter who have an unhealthy preoccupation with external adornment or their external appearance.

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This is a problem that certainly exists in the world but I think it is equally evident in the body of Christ.

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The culture in which we live places a very high value and importance on external beauty, on youthful perfection.

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The emphasis of the world today is placed predominantly on our looks, on our appearance, our culture is consumed with external beauty.

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Now there's nothing wrong with external beauty. Peter is not condemning external adornment but listen to what he says in verse four, let your adorning be the hidden person of the heart.

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True beauty has nothing to do with your external appearance. Beauty is not about how you look.

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Beauty is not about what is visible on the outside. It's not about what you are wearing. It's not about how you are decorated.

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True beauty, beauty that is precious in the sight of the Lord is the imperishable quality of a gentle and quiet spirit.

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The most beautiful women are not the ones who have adorned themselves with the fanciest hair, the fanciest makeup and clothes and jewelry.

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The most beautiful women are not the ones who have the fittest bodies, the brightest smiles and the shiniest hair.

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The most beautiful women are those who are gentle and meek and peaceful and calm with a quiet disposition.

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The most beautiful women are those who are preoccupied with their inner person, their character, their virtue, the hidden person of the heart, not their external adornment.

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Young women, this is especially important for you to understand. Don't let the world dictate to you what is beautiful.

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Don't let social media dictate to you what is beautiful. Don't follow the trends of this world.

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Don't be conformed to the fashion patterns of this world. This world is passing away.

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Rather, direct your attention, direct all of your energy, all of your time on the inner person of the heart.

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Place strong emphasis on the internal because this is what makes you truly attractive.

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This is what makes you truly beautiful. This is what is very precious in the sight of the

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Lord God. True beauty is internal. It is a heart that reflects the heart of God.

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Peter further illustrates this truth in verses five and six. For this is how the holy women who hoped in God used to adorn themselves by submitting to their own husbands as Sarah obeyed

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Abraham, calling him Lord. And you are her children if you do good and do not fear anything that is frightening.

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How does Peter describe holy women? Holy women put their hope in the

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Lord God and they adorn themselves with submission. Proverbs 31 describes an excellent wife as being clothed with strength and dignity and it says she smiles at the future.

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Do you know why she smiles at the future? It is because her hope is in the promises of God.

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Her hope is in the Lord God. One author made this remark. She looks away from the troubles and miseries and obstacles of life that seem to make the future bleak and she focuses her attention on the sovereign power and love of God who rules in heaven and does on earth whatever he pleases.

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She knows her Bible. She knows her theology of the sovereignty of God and she knows his promise that he will be with her and help strengthen her no matter what.

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This is the deep unshakable root of Christian womanhood.

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Beloved, these are the types of women whose lives you should be modeling. These holy women of God who in great difficulty and great persecution place their hope and their trust in the

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Lord God. These are the women that you should be emulating in your lives.

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Don't strive to be like the women you see on social media or in movies because their lives are not real.

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Don't be deceived by their appearance. Their beauty is external. Their beauty is fading and without the

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Lord God these women have no hope. Instead, go to the scriptures and find the holy women, women who hoped in the

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Lord God, women who submitted to their husbands, women who adorn themselves with the hidden person of the heart which is the imperishable beauty of a gentle and quiet spirit and follow their example.

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And you are her children if you do good and do not fear anything that is frightening.

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Women who hope in the Lord God will not be frightened by any fear. I understand that there are fears in submitting to your husband.

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I understand that there are fears if you have never fully submitted to your husband. You may be fearful of where that submission is going to take you.

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You may be fearful about your future. You may be fearful about your family's future. Beloved, do not be fearful.

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Do not be fearful of your future. Recognize and live in the reality of a good, faithful, loving, gracious, merciful, sovereign, and almighty

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God. He will drive out all of your anxieties. He will drive out all of your fearfulness.

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Trust in the Lord and walk in obedience to Him. So how did the scriptures describe a godly woman?

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How are women to relate to their husbands in a manner that will please and glorify the Lord God? Godly women are to be subject to their own husbands.

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Godly women will be respectful and pure. Godly women will be preoccupied with the hidden person of the heart, their character, their virtue, and their relationship with the

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Lord God. As aliens and strangers in this world, following the

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Lord Jesus Christ will mean suffering, and that suffering may be your marriage.

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So keep your focus on the eternal. Keep your focus on your inheritance that is waiting for you, that is being protected by God.

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Keep your behavior excellent. Submit to your governing authorities. Submit to your masters.

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Submit to your husbands. Do not hope in your circumstances. Do not hope in your husband.

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Do not hope in your appearance. Hope in the Lord God, for it is

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He who judges justly. 1 Peter 4 19, therefore those also who suffer according to the will of God shall entrust their souls to a faithful creator in doing what is right.

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Beloved, our God is a faithful creator. Our God is sovereign, and He is worthy of all praise, glory, and honor even in the midst of suffering.

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I'd like to close with a story that I ran across in one of Spurgeon's sermons. It's about a woman from his church.

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He writes, a husband was very loose, depraved man of the world, but he had a wife who for many years bore with his ridicule and unkindness, praying for him night and day.

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One night being at a drunken feast with a number of his companions, he boasted that his wife would do anything he wished.

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She was as submissive as a lamb. Now he said, she has gone to bed hours ago, but if I take you all to my house at once, she will get up and entertain you and make no complaint.

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The matter ended in a bet, and away they went. In a few minutes, she was up and remarked that she was glad that she had two chickens ready, and if they would wait, she would soon have supper spread for them.

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The table was spread, and she took her place acting the part of hostess with cheerfulness.

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One of the company exclaimed, madam, I'm at a loss to understand how it is you receive us so cheerfully.

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For being a religious person, you cannot approve of our conduct. Her reply was,

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I and my husband were both formerly unconverted, but by the grace of God, I am now a believer in the

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Lord Jesus. I have daily prayed for my husband and done all I can to bring him to a better mind, but as I see no change in him,

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I fear that he will be lost forever, and I have made up my mind to make him as happy as I can while he is here.

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They went away, and her husband said, do you really think I shall be unhappy forever? I fear so, she said.

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I would to God you would repent and seek forgiveness. That night, patience accomplished her desire.

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He was soon found with her on the road to heaven. Beloved, don't be discouraged if your spouse is unbelieving.

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Perhaps very shortly, the Lord God may give you the desire of your heart, and he may answer your prayer.

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In the meantime, strive to live an honorable life. Strive to be respectful and pure.

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Strive to be modest and submissive. Follow the Lord Jesus Christ and entrust it all to him who judges justly.

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Let's pray. Our Heavenly Father, we thank you for this text.

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We thank you for the light that it sheds upon us. Lord, we are sinful.

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We are unsubmissive. We are self -reliant. We're selfish.

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Lord, we confess these things to you. We confess that our marriages shouldn't be what they ought to be, and we pray,

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Lord, that you would help change us. We pray that you would make husbands loving husbands who sacrificially love their wives, who love them in a purifying manner, in a caring manner, who treat them honor as a fellow heir of the grace of life.

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And we pray, Lord, for wives. We pray that they would be respectful, that they would be submissive.

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We pray that through our marriages, people might see a picture of Christ in the church.

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Lord, give us wisdom in these decisions. We pray for those women who are struggling in their marriages.

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We pray for the men who are struggling in their marriages. We just pray, Lord, that they would go to the scriptures and that you would lead them, that you would guide them.

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We pray that you would protect them. We pray, Lord, that as a church, we would come alongside one another and lift them up when we're struggling.

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We thank you for the church. We thank you for the scriptures. We thank you for who you are.