A Word to Husbands. 1 Peter 3:7

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

Dear Suzanne, Rebecca, Anna and Mikayla,

Husbands, likewise.  John MacArthur stops dead right there in his commentary.  Why?  Because submission is the responsibility of the Christian husband as well.  The "likewise" hearkens back to verse 1 where it says wives, likewise, be submissive.  Ephesians 5:21 says that we are to submit to one another in the fear of God. 1 Peter 5 tells us we are to be submissive to one another and be clothed with humility. 

Submission is the responsibility of each and every born again believer.  Now a husband's role is not to submit to his wife as a leader, but a believing husband must subordinate his needs to his wife's and is to dwell with her with understanding.  Meaning he is to be sensitive to her needs, her fears, and her feelings.  The godly husband puts His wife first, and is compassionate, tenderhearted and courteous to her.  He examples Christ to her in every way. The husband, the Bible tells us, is the head of his wife as Christ is the head of His church. Christ is the Savior of the body and gave Himself for her.  The husband then should reflect Christ to his wife. 

Christ's love for us is selfless, self-sacrificing, and unreserved.  Christ is the standard that the believing husband must follow.  Loving his wife is the husband's supreme responsibility.  Ephesians 5 says he is to care for his wife as he cares for his own body.  He is also to nourish and cherish her by providing for her needs, helping her grow spiritually and by being comforting, caring and affectionate toward her. The oneness that is inherent in marriage (bone of my bone...flesh of my flesh) makes her so inseparably connected to him that when he cares for her, the Bible says, it is the same as if he is caring for himself.   Christ led as a Servant, washing His disciples feet; therefore, the husband is to be a servant leader in his home.  He is not to lord it over those entrusted to his care but is to be an example of his Lord to them. The following verses speak to the magnitude of the responsibility placed on the husband, but they also speak to the responsibility that each one of us have to exemplify Christ in our lives so that others see Him in us.   


John 13:12-17 So when He had washed their feet, taken His garments, and sat down again, He said to them, "Do you know what I have done to you? You call Me Teacher and Lord, and you say well, for so I am.  If I then, your Lord and Teacher, have washed your feet, you also ought to wash one another's feet.  For I have given you an example, that you should do as I have done to you. Most assuredly, I say to you, a servant is not greater than his master; nor is he who is sent greater than he who sent him.  If you know these things, blessed are you if you do them.

Matthew 20:25-28  But Jesus called them to Himself and said, "You know that the rulers of the Gentiles lord it over them, and those who are great exercise authority over them. Yet it shall not be so among you; but whoever desires to become great among you, let him be your servant. And whoever desires to be first among you, let him be your slave— just as the Son of Man did not come to be served, but to serve, and to give His life a ransom for many."


And this one to husbands specifically:

Ephesians 5:25-30  Husbands, love your wives, just as Christ also loved the church and gave Himself for her,  that He might sanctify and cleanse her with the washing of water by the word, that He might present her to Himself a glorious church, not having spot or wrinkle or any such thing, but that she should be holy and without blemish. So husbands ought to love their own wives as their own bodies; he who loves his wife loves himself. For no one ever hated his own flesh, but nourishes and cherishes it, just as the Lord does the church. For we are members of His body, of His flesh and of His bones.


THAT is a tall order...that is much responsibility and it is impossible outside of the Spirit of God working in a husband's heart.  As the husband lays down his life and dies to self for his family daily, he becomes a shining light for Christ. A testimony to His love and His care.

Continuing in verse 7,  the believing husband is to give honor to his wife as the weaker vessel and as being heirs together of the grace of life so that his prayers might not be hindered. Galatians 3:28 says that "there is neither Jew nor Greek, there is neither slave nor free, there is neither male nor female; for you are all one in Christ Jesus."  James tells us there is no partiality with God.  Each of us have different roles but each of us are on equal footing in the kingdom.  Because woman are the physically weaker sex, God gave husbands the role of protecting them and caring for their needs. Verse 7 continues, saying in effect, that if a husband does not do this, his prayers may be hindered.  Woe then to the man who uses his position to mistreat his wife. The rightness of our relationship with God depends on the rightness of our relationship with others.  If we are in disobedience, God is not in a position to bless us.  This is true for any of us who are in disobedience and are not right in our relationships with those God has put in our lives.

1 Peter 3:12 "FOR THE EYES OF THE LORD ARE ON THE RIGHTEOUS, AND HIS EARS ARE OPEN TO THEIR PRAYERS; BUT THE FACE OF THE LORD IS AGAINST THOSE WHO DO EVIL."

Are you getting the picture here?  What I truly want to convey is this.  As believers, we all have the same responsibilities...different roles...but each one of us are to example Christ to one another.  Each one of us are to submit to one another in love.  Each of us are to put the others' needs ahead of our own.  Each one of us are to be living sacrifices for Him...so that He can work in our lives to draw others to Himself.  The best thing we can do for those the Lord has graciously put into our lives is to sanctify the Lord God in our hearts, live in submission to His lordship and to love Him supremely with all our heart, mind, soul and strength.  If we love Him we will obey Him.  If we obey Him our relationship will be right with Him and with others.  Our marriage relationship will be sweet and filled with good fruit.

Girls...you will obviously never be husbands one day.  But you are His.  As His, you are to reflect Him to others.  You are not to look at how the other people in your life are doing in "their" reflecting of Jesus.  You are only to look to your own heart and to Him and do the job that He has called you to. What a gift God has given us in our husbands who are called to subordinate their own needs for us and to love us with the selfless love of Christ. What a picture it gives us of a  Father taking care of His daughter...ensuring her safety, preserving her, nourishing her, cherishing her and  washing her with the water of the Word.

Love
Mom


Submission to Husbands Post