Living As A Godly Husband
Text: 1 Peter 3:7
Introduction
1. "God intends and expects marriage to be a lifetime commitment between a man and a woman, based on the principles of biblical love. The relationship between Jesus Christ and His church is the supreme example of the committed love that a husband and wife are to follow in their relationship with each other." ~ John C. Broger http://www.whatchristianswanttoknow.com/21-powerful-christian-marriage-quotes/#ixzz2aCSq3vdl
2. Last week we talked about how a wife is to respond to her husband. Now this week it is the guys turn get marriage advice from Peter.
3. Peter tells husbands...
a. Honor Your Wife
b. Your Equal Partner
c. Your Prayer Receptor
4. Let's stand as we read together 1 Peter 3:7
Proposition: Husbands are to love their wives just has Christ has loved us.
Transition: Above all husbands should...
I. Honor Your Wife (7a).
A. Honor
1. We are dealing in this message with only one verse, but it is packed with content.
a. It took Peter 6 verses to give instructions to wives to only 1 verse for the guys.
b. However, Peter packs more into this one verse than do in an entire paragraph.
2. The beginning of the verse says, "In the same way..."
a. As you might recall, this is the same way that Peter started his address to the wives in the church.
b. In case you weren't with us, this phrase harkens back to 1 Peter 2:13, "For the Lord’s sake, respect all human authority..."
c. It has to do with submission and respect.
d. You see we all have to be submissive. We all are to submit to those in authority; wives are to submit to their husbands; and husbands are to submit to the Lord.
e. It is God's desire gentlemen that we treat our wives in a way that is fitting for a follower of Christ.
3. The way Peter insists that we do this is "...you husbands must give honor to your wives."
a. Just as the wives were to accept authority, so the husbands in the same way were to give honor to their wives.
b. This phrase is literally, "rendering honor."
c. The word here has several aspects to this word.
d. First of all it carries with it the idea of "honor as an element in the assignment of status to a person" (Johannes P. Louw and Eugene A. Nida, Greek-English Lexicon of the New Testament: Based on Symantic Domains, (87.4-87.18)".
e. Secondly, it carries with it the idea of "the worth or merit of some object, event, or state - 'worth, value.,' (620).
f. In other words, Peter is telling us to realize just how valuable our wives are to us.
g. To realize that they are a precious gift from God, and He has placed her in our lives to share, help in, and sweeten our lives.
h. We are to value them not in a monetary sense, but in a treasured sense over and beyond material value.
i. In a sense that our lives would be empty and incomplete without them, regardless of how much or how little are earthly possessions.
B. Cherish
1. Illustration: When Tina and I were dating, there came a point in our relationship, as all couples do, where I asked myself, "Can you see yourself living the rest of your life without this woman?" The conclusion that I came to was no I cannot see being happy in this life without her. There was something about her that made my life complete, and 29 years later that has not changed.
2. Outside of a relationship with Christ, our wife is the most important thing in our lives.
a. Proverbs 31:10-11 (NLT)
Who can find a virtuous and capable wife? She is more precious than rubies. 11 Her husband can trust her, and she will greatly enrich his life.
b. She adds sweetness to our lives.
c. She fills in all of our empty holes.
d. She takes our lives complete.
e. She is a gift from God!
Transaction: In addition, we are to see our wives as...
II. Your Equal Partner (7b).
A. Equal Partner
1. Peter now follows up on the idea of honor by expressing to us the way we should treat our wives.
2. He says, "Treat your wife with understanding as you live together."
a. Having addressed the wives of unbelieving husbands, Peter now addresses Christian husbands.
b. He assumes that their wives are Christians too, so his exhortation to them moves in a different direction.
c. Inasmuch as his exhortation to them to "be considerate" borrows its force from the verb of 2:13, it is best to see here a specific kind of "living under the order" for husbands, a kind of submission, yet distinct from it.
d. The order for Christian husbands is one of being considerate—literally, of "living with one's wife knowledgeably."
e. The verb synoikeo ("living together") was especially used for sexual relations between husband and wife, and that is no doubt the intended meaning here, though obviously not limited to that.
f. The Christian man, Peter says, is neither demanding nor selfish in his sexual and marital relations; he is instead considerate, sensitive, and serving.
3. Peter then gives his reasoning for this treatment. He says. "She may be weaker than you are, but she is your equal partner in God’s gift of new life."
a. The reason the Christian husband must be especially considerate in these relations is because his wife is "the weaker partner."
b. This expression has given rise to two major interpretations: physical weakness, and spiritual weakness.
c. Inasmuch as the preponderance of evidence in the ancient world uses identical or similar language when describing a woman's physical condition, it is almost certain that Peter has in mind a wife's physical capacities.
d. That a husband should treat his wife with understanding implies more than just a kind attitude; it goes deeper, implying that his consideration of his wife is based on his knowledge of her needs, desires, gifts, and abilities.
e. A husband who acts on his knowledge of his wife will greatly enrich her life, as well as his own.
f. While the woman may be “weaker,” she is also a “partner,” implying a side-by-side relationship of working together.
g. A man who respects his wife will protect, honor, and help her. He will stay with her.
h. He will respect her opinions, listen to her advice, be considerate of her needs, and relate to her both privately and publicly with love, courtesy, insight, and tact.
B. Fellowship of Marriage
1. "Marriage is a total commitment and a total sharing of the total person with another person until death." ~ Wayne Mack http://www.whatchristianswanttoknow.com/21-powerful-christian-marriage-quotes/#ixzz2aCiRzWuO
2. A Christian marriage is a relationship based on KOINONIA.
a. Philippians 1:4-5 (NLT)
Whenever I pray, I make my requests for all of you with joy,
5 for you have been my partners in spreading the Good News about Christ from the time you first heard it until now.
b. The word that Paul is using in this verse is the Greek word koinonia.
c. "an association involving close mutual relations and involvement" (Johannes P. Louw and Eugene A. Nida, Greek-English Lexicon of the New Testament: Based on Symantic Domains, 446).
d. Marriage, as Wayne Mack insists, a total sharing of the total person.
e. A fellowship of the heart, soul, mind and strength.
f. Above all it is a partnership and not a dictatorship!
Transaction: Another thing to consider is that she is...
III. Your Prayer Receptor (7c).
A. Prayers Will Not Be Hindered
1. Paul conclusion in his address to husbands comes in the form of a warning.
2. He says, "Treat her as you should so your prayers will not be hindered."
a. Here again Peter participates in the early Christian tendency to elevate the position of women in society; they are seen as fellow heirs.
b. Twice in this verse he forms a compound verb in his incorporation of women into the lives of husbands: "living together" and "fellow heirs."
c. In respecting their wives, these men and their wives will gain a hearing with God, and their prayers will be answered (McKnight, The NIV Application Commentary – 1 Peter, 186).
d. However, and herein comes the warning, if men use their position to mistreat their wives, their relationship with God will suffer.
e. A man should not expect to have a vital ministry in life or prayer if he is mistreating his wife in any way (Barton, Life Application New Testament Commentary, 1115).
3. If a man is not considerate and respectful of his wife, his prayers will not be heard, because a living relationship with God depends on right relationships with others.
a. Jesus said that if you have a problem with a fellow believer, you must make it right with that person before coming to worship
b. This principle carries over into family relationships. If men use their position to mistreat their wives, their prayers will be hindered (Life Application Study Bible, 2132).
B. Open Lines
1. "A married person does not live in isolation. He or she has made a promise, a pledge, a vow, to another person. Until that vow is fulfilled and the promise is kept, the individual is in debt to his marriage partner. That is what he owes. "You owe it to yourself" is not a valid excuse for breaking a marriage vow but a creed of selfishness." ~ R.C. Sproul
2. Treating your wife with respect and honor keeps the lines of communication open not only with each other but also with God.
a. Psalm 66:18 (NLT)
If I had not confessed the sin in my heart, the Lord would not have listened.
b. It is really simple to ignore or disregard the words of Scripture is sin.
c. If we mistreat our wives that is exactly what we are doing.
d. Therefore, to mistreat your wife is sin, and until you confess that to God, repent, and receive forgiveness, you close the lines of communication with God.
e. Your prayers will be hindered, and you will be miserable!
f. She is a treasure from God, so treat her that way!
Conclusion
1. Peter tells husbands...
a. Honor Your Wife
b. Your Equal Partner
c. Your Prayer Receptor
2. Are you treating your wife in a way that honors her and pleases God?
