1 Pet. 5:12- Through Silvanus, our faithful brother (for so I regard him), I have written to you briefly, exhorting and testifying that this is the true grace of God. Stand firm in it!
This week also we would like to continue our study on the topic ‘True grace of God’. Last week we had seen that the true grace will make us pure like Jesus. We will be purifying ourselves continually (1 John3:2-3). It will enable us to walk as Jesus walked (1John 2:6). True grace will help us to follow Jesus Christ in His footsteps.
1 Peter 3:1-2 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, as they observe your chaste and respectful behavior.
We saw in the chapter1 &2 what the true grace is doing in our personal life. But here we are seeing how the true grace is working in a family life. When a wife experiences true grace, she will be submitting to her husband as the church is submitting to Jesus Christ. If any husband is disobedient to the word of God, a wife with true grace will be able to win him by her godly behavior without a word. Under the Old Covenant God gave the commandments and asked them to obey them. But under the New Covenant God gives us grace and ask us to receive grace to obey the commandments. The standard of the New Covenant is much higher than the Old Covenant but the good news is that grace through Jesus Christ is available for the believer to live with this high standard.
We may wonder why the Holy Spirit is exhorting the wife first about family life (Eph 5:22, Col. 3:18, 1 Pet. 3:1). Husband is the head of the family, yet God is exhorting the wife first. The reason is that the wife is a weaker vessel and devil will try to attack her first like what he did to Eve. Eve got tempted and sinned and she pulled Adam also to sin (1 Tim.2:13-14).
1 Peter 3:3-4 Your adornment must not be merely external—braiding the hair, and wearing gold jewelry, or putting on dresses; 4 but let it be the hidden person of the heart, with the imperishable quality of a gentle and quiet spirit, which is precious in the sight of God.
Men and women normally look at the external beauty and try to appear beautiful in the eyes of others. Generally women are more beauty conscious and men appreciate and admire the beauty. But when we experience true grace we will be looking for what is precious in the sight of God and man’s value and opinion does not matters. “for that which is highly esteemed among men is detestable in the sight of God” (Luke 16:15). When a wife is experiencing true grace she will be looking for the help of God to adorn herself by “the hidden person of the heart, with the imperishable quality of a gentle and quiet spirit, which is precious in the sight of God”(V4).
Holy Spirit is giving the same commandment to sisters through Apostle Paul in 1Tim 2:9-14. Obedience to any commandment should be out of love from heart (John 14:15) and not by a law of letters.
1 Peter 3:5-6 For in this way in former times the holy women also, who hoped in God, used to adorn themselves, being submissive to their own husbands; just as Sarah obeyed Abraham, calling him lord, and you have become her children if you do what is right without being frightened by any fear.
Here Holy Spirit is showing the examples from the past. They are called “holy women” because they hoped in God and obeyed the commandments out of love and not out of fear. Again the Holy Spirit is exhorting that obedience to God’s commandments with love is “right” and there is no need to fear because of the hope in God.Humanly speaking submission to authority can bring fear and insecurity. But when we obey God by submitting to authority it will bring God’s protection and security because we are obeying God.
1 Peter 3:7 You husbands in the same way, live with your wives in an understanding way, as with someone weaker, since she is a woman; and show her honor as a fellow heir of the grace of life, so that your prayers will not be hindered.
Husbands have to remember that their wives are weaker vessels. The Lord gave her to him to love, nourish and cherish her. She is a fellow heir of grace. Husbands should do their best to win her so that their prayers will not be hindered due to the lack of unity and love. Satan always tries to attack a Godly family. To overcome this attack husband and wife have to stand together in one accord with God and against Satan in all situations.
Here the Holy Spirit is calling wife as “fellow heir of the grace of life”. This is having a great meaning. To experience the true grace of in our family life, husband and wife have to be united in one spirit. Husbands are having more responsibility in this area by considering wife as a weaker vessel. In a family husband and wife are the join signatories to avail God’s promises and protection. So husband has to make sure that at any cost he has to win his wife for God against Satan and stand together in one spirit.
1 Peter 3:9 not returning evil for evil or insult for insult, but giving a blessing instead; for you were called for the very purpose that you might inherit a blessing.
When we experience the true grace the instructions by God will be a reality in our life. In the world many will do evil against us and insult us but our response should be in a Godly manner by blessing them back. We should always
remember that God called us for the very purpose that we might inherit a blessing so we have to bless others in all favorable and unfavorable circumstances.
1 Peter 3: 10-12 For, “The one who desires life, to love and see good days, Must keep his tongue from evil and his lips from speaking deceit”. “He must turn away from evil and do good; He must seek peace and pursue it”.”For the eyes of the Lord are toward the righteous, And His ears attend to their prayer, But the face of the Lord is against those who do evil.”
Our human nature is to criticize, judge and tell evil about everyone with our tongue. But if we are experiencing true grace then we will allow Holy Spirit to control our heart, tongue and lips. Proper use of the Tongue is very important in our spiritual life (James 1:26, 3:5-8, Eph. 4:29. Math. 12:36). Words which come out through our tongue and lips originate from our heart. So we must allow Holy Spirit to control all these three organs of our body.
One who experiences the true grace will turn away from all evil and do good by the power of Holy Spirit. God is always in support and protects the righteous and is attentive to their prayers. God is always against the one who is doing evil.
1 Peter 3:13-15 Who is there to harm you if you prove zealous for what is good? But even if you should suffer for the sake of righteousness, you are blessed. And do not fear their intimidation, and do not be troubled, but sanctify Christ as Lord in your hearts, always being ready to make a defense to everyone who asks you to give an account for the hope that is in you, yet with gentleness and reverence
If you are experiencing the true grace then even if you suffer for righteousness you will be sanctifying Christ in your heart as Lord. There won’t be any fear or trouble. In our suffering for righteousness we have a great hope in the Lord. We will be bold enough to defend our hope by the help of God.
May God help all of us to experience the true grace in our life all the time.
