Our perfect sacrificial atonement and a word to wives
The Apostle Peter starts out by being dogmatic that Jesus Christ did not sin neither was guile found in His month. This means that the Lamb of God committed no transgressions nor was He deceitful in any way, shape or form. I was surprised when I talk to some people that they actually believe the Son of God committed some sins. Their logic is He was a good man but when He came to earth in flesh He surely had needs and was not able to help Himself. First of all this reasoning goes against many Bible verses and secondly Jesus Christ is our perfect sacrificial atonement for our transgressions. If He even committed one sin nobody would be able to be redeemed through His shed blood.
Peter goes on to explain our Savior was reviled and suffered but He did not try and defend Himself but committed Himself to Him that judgeth righteously. Jesus Christ did this so He could bare our sins in His own body on the tree that we being dead to sins should live unto righteousness. According to the Bible it was by His stripes we were healed. Through those stripes the Lamb of God who died for our sins was badly wounded. He did this for us because He loves us with an incomprehensible passion. We were sheep gone astray but are now returned unto the Shepherd who is Jesus Christ and Bishop of our souls.
The Apostle Peter changes his tone and subject by writing wives be in subjection to your husbands but the context as to why he is saying this is for them to win their husbands to the saving power of Jesus Christ. In essence the husbands will be won by the conversation of the wives. The Apostle was speaking to the wives so they would be in harmony and proper behavior with their husbands. I have personally seen this happen and there were true conversations that took place because of obedience to this verse.
The Apostle goes on to say let your conversation be coupled with fear, pureness and respect. Peter also writes do not dress elaborately. Then the Apostle gets to the root of the matter by writing let it be the hidden man of the heart in that which is not corruptible even the ornament of a meek and quiet spirit which is in the sight of God a great price because it is imperishable. Anytime we read through the Bible the empathies Jesus Christ places on the perishable is very slim to none because we are just pilgrims and strangers walking through this world. Let me quote the original text so you can read it and perhaps make reference to this passage in this study of the Bible.
(22) "Who did no sin, neither was guile found in His month: (23) Who, when He was reviled, reviled not again; when He suffered, He threatened not; but committed Himself to Him that judgeth righteously: (24) Who His own self bare our sins in His own body on the tree, that we, being dead to sins, should live unto righteousness: by whose stripes ye were healed. (25) For ye were as sheep going astray; but are now returned unto the Shepherd and Bishop of your souls." 1 Peter 2:22 - 25.
(1) "LIKEWISE ye wives, be in subjection to your own husbands; that, if any obey not the word, they also may without the word be won by the conversation of the wives; (2) While they behold your chaste conversation coupled with fear. (3) Whose adorning let it not be that outward adorning of plaiting the hair, and of wearing of gold, or of putting on of apparel; (4) But let it be the hidden man of the heart, in that which is not corruptible, even the ornament of a meek and quiet spirit, which is in the sight of God of great price." 1 Peter 3: 1 - 4.
The Apostle Peter even gives more reasons to encourage Christian servants to have patience under unjust circumstances. In essence he was saying we were called to endue this way for God. True believers in Jesus Christ are a people called to suffering. We should expect this, deny ourselves and take up our cross because the Lamb of God suffered for us in our sin plight for our good. When we look at what Jesus Christ did for us this should quiet our spirit in whatever we are going through in life. This is why the subjection and patience is explained by the Apostle Peter in that Jesus Christ suffered wrongfully because His words and actions were sincere, just and right. If our Savior did suffer patiently which He did then this is all the more reason true believers in Christ should try and avoid sin. You see everything traces back to Jesus Christ just like the entire universe revolves around the Son of God.
The Apostle Peter seems to be going back and forth with our suffering for God and the actual suffering of Jesus Christ. Peter was trying to explain that the Person suffering was Jesus Christ in His own self and in His own body. The Apostle was trying to explain the difference between the Son of God and the Levitical priests because they offered the blood of others. The sufferings that Jesus Christ went through were stripes and the death of the cross. This was a severe punishment but the Lamb of God did this for our sins. This is insurmountable love. Think about this because Jesus Christ bore our sins on the cross. He took the punishment of our transgressions. The fruit of the sufferings of Jesus Christ was our justification and sanctification. We were redeemed through Jesus Christ but are being cleansed everyday through the empowering work of the Holy Spirit. If we are not being renewed on a daily basis through the work of the Holy Spirit we need to ask ourselves as Christians some very serious questions if you know I mean. We have two primary callings as believers in Christ which are holiness and obedience.
1 Peter 2:25 is a very interesting set of words from the Holy Spirit because we as Christians do go astray based on our choice. In our misery we sometimes walk a path that is dark and for all practical purposes leave the Shepherd who is Jesus Christ. There is recovery by conversion and a return to Jesus Christ as sincere Christians come to their senses and confess their sins .Our Shepherd (Jesus Christ) loves His sheep and is a Bishop or overseer of our souls. This is why an honest believer in Jesus Christ will always try and go back to their first estate. Our Savior and Lord is first in our lives and everything else is second.
In chapter three verse one the Apostle Peter insists that there is a positive role to play with their husbands. He was talking to wives who had unbelieving husbands and rejected the word of God. He reminded the wives that their husbands would see their exemplary conversation.
The demeanor is also involved because a cheerful subjection and a loving respect are actual duties that a Christian women owe their husbands for good or bad. Peter is writing that there is nothing more powerful next to the Bible than a good conversation which involves speech and the proper way to live. This is an excellent way to win them to the faith of the gospel of Jesus Christ. Peter says keep your hair modest and do not get into wearing gold because this speaks a message of the world and not heavenly truths. Remember the Apostle just got done saying that we are strangers and pilgrims in this world. External behavior has to be answerable to their profession in Jesus Christ. When Peter writes the hidden man of the heart he was saying beautify your souls rather than your bodies.
Peter was in essence trying to say wives do not concentrate on the corruptible such as wearing gold around your neck but focus on the incorruptible truths of the kingdom of God. The grace of God is special but there is an extra bonus if the lady (wife) has a meek and quiet spirit. Let us just say for argument purposes that the husband is harsh and does not like your faith in Jesus Christ. The best way to win him to the Lord is diligent meek behavior in the Spirit of God. Did you ever notice that believers that really stand out in the Person of Jesus Christ have a command over their spirit because they let the Holy Spirit take control of their heart. The endowments of our soul are the chief ornaments of our faith in Jesus Christ. Our inner man is far more important than our otter man. If we as Christians choose to be calm with a quiet spirit this comes across as very becoming to other people watching because it is a mirror image of the Holy Spirit working through our spirit.
If you are one that does not know the Lord in a personal way I hope I was helpful in presenting the true gospel of Jesus Christ. Now may be a good time to accept Jesus Christ into your heart as your personal Savior and Lord by repenting of all your sins and inviting the Son of God into your life. I hope and pray you just made that all important eternal decision today / tonight wherever you are in this world because God loves you very much.
God Bless you,
Bob D.
No comments:
Post a Comment