Wednesday, April 13, 2022

PT-4 "The Matter of Submission" (Eph. 5:22a)

 

SPIRITUAL DIARY FOR 8/11/2019 5:57 AM

 

My Worship Time                                                      Focus:  PT-4 “The Matter of Submission”

 

Bible Reading & Meditation                                                 Reference:  Eph. 5:22a

 

            Message of the verse:  Wives, be subject to your own husbands,”

 

            I first want to mention that Peter taught exactly the same truth as Paul in regard to the relationship of husbands and wives as seen in 1 Peter 3:1 “In the same way, you wives, be submissive to your own husbands so that even if any of them are disobedient to the word, they may be won without a word by the behavior of their wives.”  Peter is talking about believing wives who are married to either a believing husband or a non believing husband, and states that the believing wife willingly functions under the husband’s leadership.  MacArthur adds “Peter also emphasized the mutual possessiveness of husbands and wives, using the same words as Paul—‘your own husbands.’  Wives are to submit even when their husbands ‘are disobedient to the word [that] they may be won without a word by the behavior of their wives, as they observe your chaste and respectful behavior’ (vv. 1b-2).  Instead of nagging, criticizing, and preaching to her husband, a wife should simply set a good example before him—showing him the power and beauty of the gospel through its effect in her own life.  Humility, love, moral purity, kindness, and respect are the most powerful means a woman has for winning her husband to the Lord.

 

            “When the wife’s primary concern is for those inward virtues, she will not be preoccupied with ‘adornment [that is] merely external—braiding the hair, and wearing gold jewelry, or putting on dresses.’  Rather her concentration will be on ‘the hidden person of the heart, with the imperishable quality of a gentle and quiet spirit, which is precious in the sight of God’ (1 Pet. 3:3-4; cf. 1 Tim. 2:9-10).”

 

            All of these things that Peter writes about are not what modern society desires to have the women of the world do, and this especially can be seen in the advertisements that we are bombarded with on the TV and the internet.

 

            That certainly does not mean that women are to dress in a sloppy mater, and as one looks at Proverbs 31 this comes out how a woman should look and live her life.

 

            John MacArthur again in his commentary talks about the women’s movement and as mentioned in an earlier SD, he talks about how harmful this movement has not only been to our society, but also it has crept into the church making it difficult for women to submit to their husbands in the way that God has designed it.  Again I say that the example of submitting is seen in the trinity as the Son submits to the Father and the Spirit to the Son.

 

            MacArthur writes “Holiness has always been the foremost concern of godly women.  ‘For in this way in former times,’ Peter goes on to explain, ‘the holy women also, who hoped in God, used to adorn themselves, being submissive to their own husbands, Thus Sarah obeyed Abraham, calling him lord, and you have become her children if you do what is right without being frightened by any fear’ (1 Pet. 3:5-6).  Just as Abraham was the symbolic father of the faithful (Rom. 4:11, 16), his wife, Sarah, was the symbolic mother of the submissive.  Because Sarah had no fear of obeying God, she had no fear of what her husband, or any other person or circumstance, might do to her.  God will take care of the consequences when His children are obedient to Him.”

 

Today’s quotation comes from David Nicholas who states “God’s promises are like stars; the darker the night the brighter they shine.”

 

8/11/2019 6:23 AM

 

           

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