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, when they see the purity and reverence of your lives. Your beauty should not come from outward adornment, such as elaborate hairstyles and the wearing of gold jewelry or fine clothes. 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. 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, 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. Husbands, in the same way be considerate as you live with your wives, and treat them with respect as the weaker partner and as heirs with you of the gracious gift of life, so that nothing will hinder your prayers.
When we read the Scripture above, we are tempted to think that Peter is placing new restrictions in the relationship between a husband and wife. Quite to the contrary, Peter is freeing them to love each other as God intended. You see, Peter was writing to a people who thought of wives as property belonging to their lawful husband. Women had no rights and wives were subjected to the desires and wishes of their husband, whatever they may be. Peter is saying in this passage that both the husband and wife have critical roles to play in a marriage and should treat each other with honor and respect as they fulfill those roles. The Apostle Paul gave even greater instructions to the husband when he said they were to love their wives as Christ loved the church (Eph. 5:25). Think of that – the husband was no longer to view his wife as mere property, but as important as the church is to Christ. This new way of thinking was truly revolutionary. And it still is today. When husbands and wives love each other with sacrificial love, God blesses not only their lives, but so many other lives as well, both in their time and generations into the future. The Apostle Paul reminds us of this great lasting power when he wrote in I Corinthians 13:13: “Three things will last forever—faith, hope, and love—and the greatest of these is love” (NLV).
On Sunday we will talk about how love is a not only powerful and meaningful, but also a decision that is tangible and real as we conclude the sermon series, “All in the Family.” I hope you to see you then as we celebrate Father’s Day!
