Todd Linn's Blog, page 21

Saving Faith

Today’s Theology Thursdays post continues our systematic theological treatment of soteriology (study of the doctrine of salvation). In this post, we’ll examine what the Bible teaches about saving faith.

Saving faith is a commitment consisting of three elements: knowledge, acceptance, and obedience (highbrow readers insisting on Latin: notitia, assensus, and fiducia).

The presentation concludes with the great hymn text by Daniel Webster Whittle: “I Know Whom I Have Believed.”

Enjoy:

Saving Faith from Todd Linn, PhD

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Being A Biblical Husband (Pt.1)

What does the Bible teach about biblical marriage? We have previously studied what 1 Peter 3:1-6 teaches about biblical wives; the blessing of a biblical wife, and the behavior & beauty of a biblical wife. Today, as we continue our verse-by-verse study of 1 Peter, we look at 1 Peter 3:7 and learn what God teaches about biblical husbands.

And, while Peter has some straightforward teaching here for husbands, this verse may also be used to teach a son, a grandson, a nephew, or a friend. A woman may use the verse in the same way; teaching her son or grandson about what it means to be a biblical husband. So this verse is ultimately for everyone’s benefit:

Husbands, likewise, dwell with them with understanding, giving honor to the wife, as to the weaker vessel, and as being heirs together of the grace of life, that your prayers may not be hindered. (1 Peter 3:7)

Let’s focus on each phrase of this verse as we learn how husbands are to relate to their wives.

Be Committed to Her 

The first thing Peter says in verse 7 is “Husbands, likewise, dwell with them with understanding.” The phrase, “dwell with them” is used as an imperative that could be translated, “keep on living in the house.” Peter assumes that husbands will continue to keep their commitment.

I’ve often said that my wife can never leave our marriage, because if she leaves, I’m going with her! I have committed to living my life with her. I have committed to “dwell with her;” to “keep on living in the house” with her.

My wife can never leave our marriage, because if she leaves, I’m going with her.
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One of the challenges many pastors and counselors face in modern day marital counseling is teaching commitment in situations where the couples’ parents & in-laws are playing interference. A husband and wife are having some such difficulty, and a mother-in-law or a father-in-law gets involved. Perhaps a husband gets angry and decides he doesn’t love his wife, so he leaves the house and goes to stay at his mother’s house.

Now I’ve got an idea if I ever tried that, my mother would probably say something like, “Well, I guess you can stay here for a day or two, but that’s it. You made a commitment. Keep it.”

If we have pledged our hearts to our spouse, if we have stood at the marriage altar and promised, “I will for better or for worse,” then we need to keep our word. Frankly, what is commitment if it doesn’t mean that we are committed?

It’s not the intention of this post to address every possible scenario that might end in divorce. I do believe the Bible permits divorce and remarriage, but in very limited circumstances. 1Too often, however, it seems that many troubled spouses prematurely jump to those “permissions,” entirely missing God’s ideal: remaining committed to each other in the marriage.

Be Considerate of Her

“Dwell with them with understanding.”

This means a husband should seek to understand his wife’s needs and regularly consider what the Bible teaches about the nature of marriage.

To “dwell with them with understanding” means, for example, that a husband will consider what his wife is instructed in the previous verses. A biblical husband understands verses 3-6 from our previous post and seeks to praise his wife for her inner beauty as well as her outward adornment.

The biblical husband seeks to be like the husband of the Proverbs 31 woman, a woman of whom the Scripture says: “Her children arise and call her blessed; her husband also, and he praises her (saying): “‘Many women do noble things, but you surpass them all (Proverbs 31:28:29).’”

Husbands, be committed to her, be considerate of her, and thirdly:

Be Crazy about Her

The next phrase in verse 7 is “giving honor to the wife.” A husband is to “honor his wife.” I’m calling that “be crazy about her!”

The word “honor” is often used generically as in “honor the rules” or “honor this policy,” and so forth. But that usage hardly captures Peter’s meaning. When Peter says husbands are to “give honor to their wives,” he’s talking about the idea of cherishing a wife as a precious treasure.

There’s a way we treat things we cherish. When something is precious to us, we take special care of it. That’s what Peter means here when he says, “dwell with them with understanding, giving honor to the wife.” To give honor to her is to cherish her; to be crazy about her, to treat her as the special person she is.

When a guy who loves fishing gets a new rod & reel, he treats that thing like it’s a priceless treasure! He takes special care of it, admiring it, happily telling others about it, (kissing it?!), and making sure it doesn’t get hurt in any way. He doesn’t let anyone else use it and he doesn’t let anyone else near it. That rod & reel is his alone and he loves it!

In a similar way, a husband’s “giving honor to his wife” is treating her as a precious treasure; taking special care of her, admiring her, happily telling others about her, and protecting her.

According to Peter, a husband shows that he cherishes his wife and that he’s crazy about her by doing two things. In the second half of verse 7, Peter essentially says:

Guard her as her Strong Protector
Grow with her as her Spiritual Partner

We’ll return to these two points in our next post on 1 Peter. Until then, enjoy biblical marriage (if you are married, of course!).

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Remembering The Word

Today’s post concludes a treatment of James 1:22-25 and is obtained from our verse-by-verse study of the Book Of James.

“But he who looks into the perfect law of liberty and continues in it, and is not a forgetful hearer but a doer of the work, this one will be blessed in what he does.” (James 1:25)

The word “looks” is in the active voice and conveys the idea of continual action, looking intently, endeavoring to get a good, thorough look.  It is “to stoop down and look into.”  It’s the same word used in John’s Gospel where John writes about his visiting the empty tomb of Jesus and stooping down and looking into the tomb (John 20:5).

So James says that if we “look into the perfect law of liberty (the Word which sets us free),” and we don’t forget what we read, but actually do what it says, then we will be blessed in what we do.

How easy it is to be a “forgetful hearer!”  You can hear the Word in worship or in Bible study and then walk out of the classroom or out of the sanctuary, immediately forgetting what you’ve heard.  Too often conversation centers upon sports, the weather, or what we’re going to eat.

Unless we are disciplined to remember what we have read—by reflecting upon it and then putting it into action—we will be a “forgetful hearer.”  

For example…

If you have recently read that Jesus says, “Love your enemies,” then don’t forget it when someone hurts you this week. 
If you have read where Paul says, “Forgive as you’ve been forgiven,” then remember that when a loved one breaks your heart. 
Perhaps you have read recently that the Bible says, “God loves a cheerful giver,” then remember that the next time you write out a check.  

Of course we are more likely to remember biblical teaching when we spend time reading the Bible.  

Here’s a practical question: Do you believe everything you see on television?  Or on the internet?  Or in the newspaper?  My guess is that you would answer in the negative.  

On the other hand, what if I asked, “Do you believe everything you read in the Bible?”  Most evangelicals would answer in the positive: “Yes!  I absolutely believe everything I read in the Bible.”

If so, here is the follow-up question: “Do you spend more time reading things you don’t believe, or reading things you do believe?”  

It’s a fair question, isn’t it?  Many of us really believe the Bible to be absolutely trustworthy in all that it teaches.  We believe the Bible to be inerrant, totally free from error and incapable of ever being disproven.  Yet, how much time do we actually spend reading from this powerful book, especially given the time we spend reading other books or sitting in front of screens?

Reading the Bible is one of the main ways we are able to grow and have a meaningful relationship with God, the ultimate author of the Bible.  Think of it: the Bible is the only book whose author is with us every time we read it!

We grow in our Christian walk by letting God speak to us.  That means we allow him to correct us as well as encourage us.  Just as a marriage thrives when each spouse has the freedom to communicate everything—the good, the bad, and the ugly—so our relationship with God thrives when we allow Him to share everything with us.  If we only read certain parts of the Bible and skip over difficult passages, we are like a controlling spouse who “shuts down” the one he loves when hearing the truth becomes too painful.  Our relationship with God matures and deepens, however, when we allow God to address us in our sin.

Allow the Bible to speak to you!  Allow the Bible to “call you out” on your behavior.  Then correct that errant behavior by doing what the Bible says.  If you do this, James promises we will be blessed in return.  

We’ve noted before that James frequently echoes the teachings of his half-brother Jesus.  Jesus talks about being a “doer” of the Word and not merely a “hearer.”  Listen to the way He concludes the famous “Sermon on the Mount.”  

“Therefore whoever hears these sayings of Mine, and does them, I will liken him to a wise man who built his house on the rock: and the rain descended, the floods came, and the winds blew and beat on that house; and it did not fall, for it was founded on the rock.  But everyone who hears these sayings of Mine, and does not do them, will be like a foolish man who built his house on the sand: and the rain descended, the floods came, and the winds blew and beat on that house; and it fell. And great was its fall.” (Matthew 7:24-27).

Don’t be a forgetful hearer of the Word.  Do what it says!

What About You?Are there places in the Bible you’d rather not read because they address behaviors you are unwilling to change?Why do you think James refers to the Bible as “the perfect law of liberty?”What can you do this week to keep from becoming a “forgetful hearer” of the Word?

**Excerpt from You’re Either Walking The Walk Or Just Running Your Mouth (Preaching Truth: 2020), pages 52-54, available on Amazon.

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Preaching Hurt

I’ve written a few posts over at chucklawless.com in recent weeks; grateful to Chuck for his inviting me to provide a few “Thursdays With Todd” on his terrific site. This post is similar in format.

When athletes sustain physical injuries, they often have to “play hurt.” While they may receive future medical treatment, the immediate demands of the game require their participation.

In a similar way, pastors experiencing emotional pain may have to “preach hurt” before recovering from their emotional injuries. These injuries take many forms: eg., criticism from others, fallout from difficult business meetings, or challenging personal or family matters.

Pastors with multiple staff may be able to call upon others to preach during difficult seasons, but many do not have that option. While they would prefer to be in better emotional health before stepping into the pulpit, Sunday will come and they must preach.

Here are four encouraging reminders when those seasons arrive:

Remember God’s Sovereignty

God is in control. He knows what He’s doing and always does what is right (Genesis 18:25). We may not understand God’s purposes for the challenges we face, but we must remember that He is there and is working through our current pain. Because His ways are always good, even this emotional hurt has meaning in the wider scope of God’s providence.

Remember God’s Grace

It is often during the greater challenges of our ministries that we experience greater provisions of God’s grace. More than once have I sensed God’s unusual presence and power, equipping me to preach when my heart was heavy and I felt I just couldn’t face the congregation.

In fact, it was on those very Sundays that God seemed to pour out His grace more abundantly than at other times. I felt a clarity and freedom in my preaching and many of my listeners seemed more engaged than usual. God’s grace truly is sufficient and His strength is made perfect in our weakness (2 Corinthians 12:9).

Remember To Ask For Help

When suffering on a personal level, it is important to ask for prayer and support. As the writer of Ecclesiastes wisely reminds: “Two are better than one, because they have a good return for their labor: If either of them falls down, one can help the other up…” (Ecclesiastes 4:9-10; NIV).

While we won’t share our hurts with everyone, we are wise to share them with someone: a caring spouse, a trusted friend, or perhaps another leader in the church. I have found that God nearly always points me to someone who will pray with me, offer counsel, and hold the matter in confidence.

Remember To Get Your Rest

We may underestimate the toll emotional pain takes upon our bodies. When Elijah fearfully fled to Horeb, he arrived in a state of total exhaustion. It was not until he had sufficient food, drink, and sleep that he was rested enough for the next ministry challenge (1 Kings 19).

Pastors: what other encouragements would you give for those times we must preach hurt?

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Efficacious Grace

Because it can be a difficult concept to grasp, we continue our systematic theological treatment of the doctrine of efficacious (or effectual) grace.

Today’s Theology Thursdays Slideshare presentation addresses some common objections to efficacious grace: eg., “What is the point of evangelizing if God has already determined who will be saved?!” Or, “If this teaching is true, then we are merely, passive robots!”

The presentation concludes with one of my favorite hymn texts from The Pilgrim Hymnal (1904), “I sought the Lord, and afterward I knew.”

Enjoy!

Effectual Grace Continued from Todd Linn, PhD

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Blessing, Behavior, And Beauty Of Biblical Wives (Pt.2)

As we continue our verse-by-verse study of 1 Peter, we look again at 1 Peter 3:1-6 in Part 2 of what God teaches about biblical wives. In our previous post on these verses, we considered the blessing of a biblical wife.

Because the blessing of a biblical wife is predicated upon the behavior of a biblical wife, we’ll now turn our attention to this matter.

Consider the Behavior of a Biblical Wife

Verse 2 says husbands will “observe [their wives’] chaste conduct accompanied by fear.”  This truth builds upon what Peter had just said to Christian wives in verse 1, namely, that they may win their unbelieving husbands to faith in Christ not so much by what they say, but by how they live.

Peter assumes that most unbelieving husbands have already heard the gospel message. This is implied in verse 1 where Peter says that these husbands “do not obey the word.”  Put another way, they’ve heard the gospel, but they’re not obeying it. And they’re not obeying it because they don’t believe it.

So, Peter says the best way to win an unbelieving spouse is by godly living. It’s not easy to resist the temptation to “be preachy.” We want to say, “You just need to get right with God! Get your act together! Take us to church!” 

But rather than preaching, Peter encourages these Christian wives to simply live out the Christian life before their unbelieving spouses. This behavior will go further in winning them to Christ than anything they say.

The word “chaste” in verse 2 means pure. Unbelieving husbands will observe the purity of their godly wives and also their “fear” or “fear of God;” their reverence for the Lord.

Then, Peter fleshes out this teaching in the next few verses. He continues speaking about the wife’s behavior in these verses, but now enfolds the wife’s behavior with her beauty.

Consider the Beauty of a Biblical Wife

Peter is teaching how a wife’s godly living may have a profound evangelistic effect upon her unbelieving husband.  At the same time, however, the teaching here is applicable to all spouses, believers and unbelievers alike.

Do not let your adornment be merely outward—arranging the hair, wearing gold, or putting on fine apparel— (verse 3)

The New King James Version is one of the better translations here: “Do not let your adornment be merely (my emphasis) outward.” That is: outward adornment is not itself wrong. Arranging the hair is not inherently wrong. Wearing gold is not wrong, if worn tastefully.  Putting on fine apparel is not inherently wrong, when arrayed in tasteful fashion.

Here is Peter’s point to ladies who are married to unbelieving husbands: “While external beauty makes you attractive to your husband, he is not likely to be won to Christ that way.” Indeed, the external beauty of a woman may win her husband to the bedroom, but it is not likely that her external beauty will win him to Christ. 

Rather, her adornment is to be on the inside, from her inner beauty:

rather let it be the hidden person of the heart, with the incorruptible beauty of a gentle and quiet spirit, which is very precious in the sight of God. (verse 4)

Peter is not saying that it is wrong for a woman to braid her hair, or wear jewelry, or dress nicely. He’s simply saying, “Don’t let that be the focus of your beauty.” Make the focus of your beauty who you are on the inside.

Remember when Samuel was looking over the sons of Jesse and wondering which of them the Lord had selected to be king? He saw Eliab and thought to himself, “Surely this fine looking man has the body of a king,” and God said to him, “Do not look at his appearance or at his physical stature…for the Lord does not see as man sees; for man looks at the outward appearance, but the Lord looks at the heart (1 Samuel 16:7).”

Similarly, Peter writes that real beauty is not who a woman is on the outside, but who she is on the inside. Popular culture stresses the outside, while the Bible stresses the inside.

Peter writes in verse 4 that a woman’s beauty should be “the hidden person of the heart, with the incorruptible beauty of a gentle and quiet spirit, which is very precious in the sight of God.”

A woman’s having a “gentle and quiet spirit” does not mean she cannot have an outgoing personality. Some women are louder than others. Again, Peter is not talking about the outside, he’s talking about the inside. He’s talking about a gentle and quiet “spirit,” who a woman is on the inside.

A gentle and quiet spirit indicates an inner trust in God, an inner tranquility or peace. She knows that God is in control and that He always does what is right, even if she has an unbelieving husband.

If a Christian woman has an unbelieving husband, she submits herself to her husband, trusting that God is in complete control. She does not fret and worry herself over worldly concerns, but puts her hope and trust in God. That this is what Peter has in mind is evidenced by what he says next in verse 5:

For in this manner, in former times, the holy women who trusted in God also adorned themselves, being submissive to their own husbands, (verse 5)

Drawing from the Old Testament, Peter says that this is how the women “in former times” lived. This is how they “adorned themselves.” He says they “trusted in God.” So they did not ultimately put their hope and trust in their husband, but in God.

If you are a young lady who is hoping for a husband, let your ultimate hope and trust be not in a husband, but in God. The best husband is not one who thinks he is “Number One” to you, but one who knows he is “Number Two” to you.

This is the hallmark of Christian womanhood: trusting in God–not trusting in a husband or the hopes of getting a husband–but hoping and trusting in God Himself.

Peter says this is how the holy women in former times adorned themselves.

Then, as an example of one such holy woman in former times, Peter writes:

as Sarah obeyed Abraham, calling him lord, whose daughters you are if you do good and are not afraid with any terror. (verse 6)

Sarah was the wife of Abraham and she is the one who gave birth to Isaac. She was not perfect! For example, in Genesis 18, she was listening to a discussion about her and Abraham’s having a son in spite of her being well beyond the age of childbearing and she laughed to herself. 

Yet, Peter provides Sarah as an example of beauty–and we don’t even know what she looked like! And yet, we do. We know of her “inner beauty,” the beauty that matters most.

When God called Sarah out on her laughing, she lied and said she didn’t laugh. But she had laughed. So when she conceived and gave birth to a son, she named him “Isaac,” which means “laughter.”

Sarah had learned to trust God.

Peter adds in verse 6 that Sarah “obeyed Abraham, calling him lord.” That doesn’t mean she was like, “O, my Lord and king of the universe, what shall your humble servant do for you today?!” 

No. It’s not “Lord” with a capital “L,” but lord with a lower case “l.” In the ancient near east, calling a husband “lord” was a term of endearment that reflected the love and respect of a woman for her husband. Today it might be like saying, “My main man!” or, “My main squeeze!” 

Sarah loved her husband. So she talked to him like she loved him. Wives, talk to your husbands like you love them. Husbands, talk to your wives like you love them.

Speak well of your spouse in public. And speak well of your spouse when they’re not around. 

Men: don’t do like other men do when gathering together in the break room, talking about their wives in disrespectful ways. You are different. Speak well of your wife in public. 

Ladies: don’t do as other women do when gathering together, trashing their husbands. You are different. Speak well of your husband in public.

So Peter says, “You are like Sarah” ladies, when you live like she did. The phrase “whose daughters you are” means you are like Sarah when you love your husband the way Sarah loved her husband. You want a “Cover Girl” example for inner beauty? Look no further than Sarah.

This matter of inner beauty has a number of implications. We should also praise our children, for example, for their inner beauty.

One of the reasons I don’t get too excited about contests where people are rewarded for their externals; physical beauty, for example, is because our secular culture so champions those things. 

The Bible champions inner beauty. Never forget that, ladies. And, never forget that, mothers and fathers of little children.

Outer beauty–external achievement in terms of success, academics, vocation, and other external adornments–means very little when there is no inner beauty, no inner love for Christ, no real dedication to God and service to Him.

Men: praise your sons and daughters for their inner spirit, their inner love for Christ. Put your arm around them and teach them Proverbs 15:20: “A wise son brings joy to his father.” Teach both your sons and daughters 3 John 4: “I have no greater joy than that my children walk in truth.” Praise them for their inner beauty.

Wives, love your husband the way Sarah loved her husband. You are her daughters “if you do good and are not afraid with any terror.”

That last phrase, “are not afraid with any terror” seems to call for brave living among a people and a culture who may not understand biblical submission. Don’t be afraid to live out what the Bible teaches. Don’t be afraid of those who make light of your seemingly “strange” notions of biblical submission. Put your trust in God like the beautiful women of former times.

So, don’t be afraid of the women at the coffee gathering who may not share your biblical values. Be like Sarah. You are her daughters if you love your husband the way she did.

But what about the husbands? To that topic we will return next time when we look at verse 7.

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Reflecting On The Word

Today’s post continues a treatment of James 1:22-25 and is obtained from our verse-by-verse study of the Book Of James.

James provides a very useful illustration.  We are to imagine a man who has heard the Word but does not do what it says. James writes: “He is like a man observing his natural face in a mirror; for he observes himself, goes away, and immediately forgets what kind of man he was.”

When James wrote this letter over two thousand years ago, there were no glass mirrors like those we enjoy today.  Mirrors in the time of the New Testament were a polished metal of some kind, polished silver, copper, or tin.  They were, however, a sufficient means by which to see one’s image.

As I grow older, I find that looking in the mirror sometimes makes me wince.  A mirror is honest.  It’s not like taking a picture of yourself where you can edit the picture and choose from a number of filters that soften the edges, add hair, or smooth out the lines.  A mirror is honest.  You can’t “Photoshop” that reflection!

So I look into the mirror and see things that need correction, like where I need to cut back on the food, or exercise more.  It’s not the mirror that needs correction, it’s what I see in the mirror that needs to be fixed. 

When we read the Bible, we may not immediately like what we see.  The problem, however, is not the Bible.  The problem is what we learn about ourselves when we read the Bible.  Truth calls for change and change is often difficult.  At the same time, if we will allow the Bible to address our behavior and then respond correctly after careful reflection—not just hearing but doing what it says—we absolutely will be the better for it.   

Describing the Bible as “the perfect law of liberty,” James writes: “He who looks into the perfect law of liberty and continues in it, and is not a forgetful hearer but a doer of the work, this one will be blessed in what he does.”  So blessing comes when we are “not a forgetful hearer” but a doer of what we read. 

**Excerpt from You’re Either Walking The Walk Or Just Running Your Mouth (Preaching Truth: 2020), pages 51-52, available on Amazon.

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6 Reasons To Build Pauses Into Your Sermons

I’ve written a few posts over at chucklawless.com in recent weeks; grateful to Chuck for his inviting me to provide a few “Thursdays With Todd” on his terrific site. This post is similar in format.

“Speech is silver, silence is golden.” So goes the old proverb that teaches the power of things “not said.” Applied to preaching, what can occasional moments of silence do to improve the delivery of our messages? With this question in mind, here are six reasons to “hit the pause button” periodically while preaching:

1) Pausing allows our listeners to process what we have just said

Especially when wishing to make a memorable point, we are wise to pause for a moment after making it. This allows listeners to think about what we have said and consider its import. For example: “Zacchaeus was more interested in who Jesus was than what Jesus could do for him.” A pause after this statement gives listeners time to think about their own relationship with Christ.

2) Pausing prepares our listeners for what we are going to say next

In addition to giving listeners time to think about what we have just said, pausing also gives listeners time to prepare for, or anticipate, what we will say next. This is especially useful after asking a rhetorical question such as: “Why do so many Christians feel they have to earn God’s approval?” A brief pause here allows listeners time to think about an answer.

3) Pausing gives our listeners an opportunity to breathe

Especially when working through an exegetically rich text, pausing periodically keeps listeners from becoming overwhelmed. We must remember that most of our listeners will not have spent as much time studying the passage as we have.

4) Pausing allows the preacher to gather (or regather) his thoughts

Sometimes preachers lose their train of thought or forget the next emphasis of their message. Pausing for a moment to look again at the text (or notes) allows the preacher to get back on track.

5) Pausing may regain the attention of listeners

Whether we like it or not, our listeners may unintentionally “tune us out” as they begin thinking about a host of matters often unrelated to the sermon. And yes, some may even begin to nod off! Pausing upsets the sound equilibrium and alerts listeners to the fact that something has changed. I have often been surprised by how many people look up (or wake up!) after I have paused for just a second or two.

6) Pausing allows the preacher to vary his rate and pitch

Often when preaching, I fall into a predictable rhythm and pitch. Like listening to the soft rumble of an automobile on the highway, my listeners may be lulled into a comfortable “ride” where they are not really hearing what I am saying. I have found that pausing periodically helps me recalibrate my speaking rate (am I speaking too fast/slow?) and vary my vocal pitch (am I speaking too high/low?).

Preachers: what other reasons would you give for pausing while preaching?

Grace: Common And Effectual

Today’s Theology Thursdays post continues our systematic theological treatment of soteriology; the study of the doctrine of salvation.

Our post provides a general introduction to the concept of grace and then gives biblical support for both common grace (grace given to all people; grace like God’s good gifts of rain, sunshine, etc.) and effectual grace (grace given to some people; grace to enable them to believe in Christ).

So, without further ado, here is today’s SlideShare presentation:

Grace, Common and Effectual from Todd Linn, PhD

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Blessing, Behavior, And Beauty Of Biblical Wives (Pt.1)

What does the Bible teach about biblical marriage–and what is the word “submission” all about? Continuing our verse-by-verse study of 1 Peter, we look today at 1 Peter 3:1-6 and see what God teaches in His Word.

Unfortunately, many wrongly think of submission as a word that means wives are to be doormats upon which their husbands walk, or slaves who must obey the harsh commands of their husbands; men acting like frustrated, drill sergeants. This is NOT biblical submission!

Consider The Blessing Of A Biblical Wife

Is it really a blessing to be a biblical wife? I think so! Let’s begin by looking at the first verse of Chapter 3, and we’ll also consider other helpful verses.

Wives, likewise, be submissive to your own husbands, that even if some do not obey the word, they, without a word, may be won by the conduct of their wives, (1 Peter 3:1)

Recall that Peter has been writing about submission from at least as far back as Chapter 2 and verse 13. He charged Christians: “Submit yourselves to every ordinance of man” and so we talked about submitting to the government and following Christ whatever our politics. 

Then, in Chapter 2 and verse 18, Peter writes: “Servants, be submissive to your masters.” You may recall our post about New Testament slavery and how to suffer present day injustices.

So for the third time now Paul writes of submission here in Chapter 3 and verse 1: “Wives, likewise, be submissive…”

There is an inherent blessing when a wife submits to her husband–and the inherent blessing is bound up in the fact that when she submits to her husband she is doing that which is biblical. God always honors our doing what is biblical.

There is another blessing when a wife submits to her husband that is expressly stated here in verse 1. When a married woman becomes a Christian–and her husband remains an unbeliever–she may win her unbelieving husband to faith in Christ simply by living according to the Bible’s teachings.

Consider again verse 1: “Wives, likewise be submissive to your own husbands, that even if some do not obey the word (that is, the gospel), they, without a word (without your talking), may be won by the conduct (or behavior) of their wives.”

It is supremely helpful to remember that the conversion of an unbelieving husband is what drives this passage. Much is made over the fact that Peter takes six verses to address wives and just one verse to address husbands (verse 7). The faulty implication is: “Peter’s got a lot more to say to wives to straighten them out!” 

Hardly. Peter is writing about submission, and what undergirds these six verses is Peter’s demonstrating how biblical submission on the part of a wife may result in the conversion of an unbelieving husband.

Just knowing this helps us see right away that biblical submission does not mean that a wife can’t think for herself or that she must always agree with her husband. Peter doesn’t tell the believing wife to not think for herself or tell her she must follow her unbelieving husband’s views on everything. That’s not what submission means.

But the question remains: What is biblical submission? And what does it really mean to be submissive?

Many are concerned about what to do when husbands are not leading and we’ll be dealing with that unfortunate circumstance more fully when we get to verse 7. For now, let’s talk about this matter of male headship in the home. This teaching does not begin in the New Testament, but is as old as Adam & Eve.

It is not really possible to understand the wife’s role of submission apart from the husband’s role of headship; that is, the leadership of his wife and family. The husband’s role as leader is implied in 1 Peter 3, else the whole idea of submission would make little sense. In other words, since Peter instructs wives to “be submissive to their own husbands,” then it necessarily follows that the husband is leading.

Men and women are created as equal image-bearers of God. They are equal in essence. They equally possess dignity before God and neither is more or less important than the other. Nor is one inferior to the other.

Feminist teaching in some evangelical churches agrees that husbands and wives are equal in essence, but disagrees that either has a uniquely different role or function in the marriage.

But the Bible teaches that the husband bears primary responsibility to lead his wife and to lead his family in a God-honoring way. This means he does not lead as an authoritarian or as a domineering tyrant. His model for leadership is Jesus Christ.

Ephesians 5:23 states: “the husband is head of the wife, as also Christ is head of the church.” How did Christ lead as head of the church? He loved the church. He prayed for the church. He died for the church.

This role of the husband–headship in the home–is a role rooted in creation. Contrary to popular feminist theology, male headship in the home did not come as a result of sin which entered the world in Genesis 3.

When you study the opening chapters of Genesis, you note that male headship is taught before the Fall of Genesis 3. Indeed, Genesis chapters 1 and 2 teach the different functions and roles of husband and wife. 

To be sure, sin distorts the roles of husband and wife and that is largely what we are witnessing today in many families; role-reversals of husband and wife. But the biblical model begins in the opening two chapters of the Bible.

This is why the New Testament reaffirms the Old Testament teaching of male headship and biblical submission. If submission were sinful, it certainly would not be reaffirmed in the New Testament, yet it is.  We read it above in Ephesians 5, and here’s another place where this teaching is affirmed:

1 Corinthians 11:3: “I want you to know that the head of every man is Christ, the head of woman is man, and the head of Christ is God.”

Paul states very clearly that “the head of woman is man.” That is, the husband is to lead his wife. But note that this teaching is sandwiched between two other statements that color the kind of leadership Paul has in mind. See it again:

“I want you to know that the head of every man is Christ, the head of woman is man, and the head of Christ is God.”

What Paul intends when writing that “the head of woman is man” is discovered by the phrases both preceding and following that statement, namely these two phrases: “the head of every man is Christ” and “the head of Christ is God.” 

In other words, were we to ask, “How exactly does a husband lead his wife?” The answer is: “The same way that Christ leads the husband.” And if we ask, “How is a wife to submit to her husband?” the answer is: “The same way Christ submits to His Father.”

The husband and wife are equal in essence, but each has a different function or role in the marriage. The husband leads his wife as “head” of his wife. 

The wife is a “helper” to her husband (Genesis 2:18; 1 Corinthians 11:8-9), which makes her a beautiful complement and completer to her husband. He is incomplete without her.

Submission means that the wife voluntarily yields herself to the leadership of her husband. Again, it doesn’t mean she cannot think for herself or that she will always agree with her husband, but it means the wife has an inclination to lovingly follow her husband.

One other helpful illustration is found in the doctrine of the Trinity. The teaching of the Trinity is that God is a triune God. He is one God in three Persons. Each of the Persons–Father, Son, and Holy Spirit–is of equal essence and dignity in relation to the others. No one Person of the Godhead is more divine than another. The Son of God is as much God as the Holy Spirit. The Father is as important as the Son, and so forth.

Yet, while there is equality among the Persons of the Trinity, there is also variety of function and role and there is also subordination within the Godhead. The Son submits to the Father. The Holy Spirit submits to both the Son and the Father. Yet all three Persons are equally God with no loss of dignity or glory.

Likewise, the wife–with no loss of her dignity–submits to her husband. Husband and wife are equal image-bearers of God. They both have worth and dignity before God. Neither one is more or less important in God’s sight. Yet, while they are of the same essence, they have differing roles: the husband is head of the wife in the way that Christ is head of the church, and the wife submits to her husband in the same way Christ submits to the Father.

This is the blessing of being a biblical wife. God always honors our following His Word. 

And note again the special blessing that attaches to the wife whose husband is not a believer:

Wives, likewise, be submissive to your own husbands, that even if some do not obey the word, they, without a word, may be won by the conduct of their wives,

The JB Phillips translation is helpful:

“If they do not obey the Word of God they may be won to God without any word being spoken, simply by seeing the pure and reverent behavior of you, their wives.”

This teaching is similar to what Peter wrote in the previous chapter. He had said that the honorable conduct of Christians had the potential to cause unbelievers to “glorify God” (1 Peter 2:12).

There is power in a Christian life that is honorably lived-out before others. Often our actions do indeed speak louder than our words. This is not to say that words are not important. People must hear the gospel before they can be saved, but the godly actions of Christians may persuade those people to believe what they have heard.

So Peter is telling Christian wives who are married to non-Christian husbands how they may win their husbands to the Lord. He says that they may win them not so much by their speaking as by their living; living godly lives before them:

…they observe your chaste conduct accompanied by fear (1 Peter 3:2)

Some wives may become so frustrated by their husband’s lack of spiritual example that they fall into the trap of verbally rebuking him and lecturing him. Unfortunately, this reaction does little to soften the hard heart of a man insensitive to spiritual things. If anything, the incessant words of his wife may cause his heart to harden more.

So, next post, we’ll consider this teaching more fully: the behavior of a biblical wife (verse 2).

And we’ll also consider the beauty of a biblical wife (verses 3-6).

And don’t worry, husbands, we’ll get to you eventually in verse 7!

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