1 Pet 3:7
INTRO: Husband-wife relationships are second only in importance to ones relationship with God. But many who attempt to analyze the contemporary insecurity and instability found in so many marriages are discovering some alarming things. For example, little or no planning and thinking ahead precedes marriage. Couples do no reading and discussing of roles and expectations in marriage. Vital topics such as economics, religion, communications and such are treaded as after thoughts. Biblical guidelines are virtually unknown. Success in marriage is expected to happenbut no real preparation for success in marriage is considered. We need-in the lords church- to overcome these deficiencies by doing more teaching from the Bible on this vital subject. So, tonight, How To Live With Your Wife.
I. DWELL WITH HER ACCORDING TO KNOWLEDGE (3:7A)
A. Immediately, we see that success is no accident!
1. success is more than just living together!
2. that there is a sort of agreed toleration toward her (or she toward him) which permits living under the same roof is not success
3. dwelling according to knowledge is Gods advice
B. This speaks of reasonableness
1. husband to wife must be reasoned-thoughtful
2. I just wasnt thinking is the excuse for too many husbands inconsiderate behavior
3. and that ignorance/thoughtlessness leads to divorce!
C. But this speaks, too, of knowledge of Gods word
1. the husband must know and be governed by His word...and what are some of those points of knowledge?
2. Mt 19:3-6 Gods abhorrence of divorce
3. Rom 7:2,3 marriage is for life
4. Eph 5:25 husbands love for wife must be willing to sacrifice in her behalf (tender, caring, providing)
5. 1 Cor 3:19 extramarital affairs are violations of Gods word (sin), and they lead to destruction of marriages
6. Col 3:19 bitterness and resentment have no place in our relationship with wivesthe governance of husband over the wife must be out of love for her
7. Eph 5:31 we are one flesh with our wives...if we set out to hurt them, we are hurting ourselves (Eph 5:28,29)
II. HONOUR HER (3:7B)
A. She is to be cared for, respected
1. now, she must behave in a way to deserve this
2. but the wife must never be treated with disrespect, sarcasm, disdain...as an old shoe to be kicked around (1 Cor 11:7b)
B. One writer appropriately noted here chivalry
1. she is physically the weaker vessel
2. therefore, certain chivalrous acts from her husband should be forthcoming...from considerate opening of a door to practical helping with chores
C. I think Eccl 9:9 says something needed here
1. joyfully...lovest...all the days of the life
2. honouring her makes the prospect of Solomons admonition very real!
III. REMEMBER YOUR MUTUAL FAITH (3:7C)
A. Everything speaking to relationship with brethren...
1. ...obviously comes into focus and relevance here
2. she is not only your wife; she is your sister in Christ
3. unity, forgiving spirit, careful speech...all (and more) enter the marriage guidelines for Christians
B. And, too, the common goal...heaven
1. a Christian marriage is of far reaching dimensions
2. in such a marriage there is a concern for helping the other through life into eternity with God
3. heirs together...a not mine, but ours concept which reflects into the whole marriage relationship
IV. A SOLEMN WARNING (3:7d)
A. Danger to the spiritual health may come...
1. as a result of husbands improper behavior toward his wife!
2. domestic problems do often reflect into spiritual life
B. Actually, our eternal destiny is involved in marriage!
1. we cannot speak unlovingly to wives and speak lovingly to God in prayer!
2. husbands, think of marriage as intended to be a bit of heaven on earth...and work to make it so!
CLOSE: Marriage can be exceedingly happy...but it takes two people determined to make it so by applying Gods teaching to and in marriage.
Cecil A. Hutson
21 October 2001
You Must Hear the Gospel
Romans 10:17
You must hear the gospel and then understand and recognize that you are lost without Jesus Christ no matter who you are and no matter what your background is. The Bible tells us that “all have sinned, and come short of the glory of God.” (Romans 3:23) Before you can be saved, you must understand that you are lost and that the only way to be saved is by obedience to the gospel of Jesus Christ. (2 Thessalonians 1:8) Jesus said, “I am the way, the truth, and the life: no man cometh unto the Father, but by me.” (John 14:6) “Neither is there salvation in any other: for there is none other name under heaven given among men, whereby we must be saved.” (Acts 4:12) "So then faith cometh by hearing, and hearing by the word of God." (Romans 10:17)
You Must Believe
Hebrews 11:6
You must believe and have faith in God because “without faith it is impossible to please him: for he that cometh to God must believe that he is, and that he is a rewarder of them that diligently seek him.” (Hebrews 11:6) But neither belief alone nor faith alone is sufficient to save. (James 2:19; James 2:24; Matthew 7:21)
You Must Repent
Acts 3:19
You must repent of your sins. (Acts 3:19) But repentance alone is not enough. The so-called “Sinner’s Prayer” that you hear so much about today from denominational preachers does not appear anywhere in the Bible. Indeed, nowhere in the Bible was anyone ever told to pray the “Sinner’s Prayer” to be saved. By contrast, there are numerous examples showing that prayer alone does not save. Saul, for example, prayed following his meeting with Jesus on the road to Damascus (Acts 9:11), but Saul was still in his sins when Ananias met him three days later (Acts 22:16). Cornelius prayed to God always, and yet there was something else he needed to do to be saved (Acts 10:2, 6, 33, 48). If prayer alone did not save Saul or Cornelius, prayer alone will not save you. You must obey the gospel. (2 Thess. 1:8)
You Must Confess
Romans 10:9
You must confess that Jesus Christ is the Son of God. (Romans 10:9-10) Note that you do NOT need to make Jesus “Lord of your life.” Why? Because Jesus is already Lord of your life whether or not you have obeyed his gospel. Indeed, we obey him, not to make him Lord, but because he already is Lord. (Acts 2:36) Also, no one in the Bible was ever told to just “accept Jesus as your personal savior.” We must confess that Jesus is the Son of God, but, as with faith and repentance, confession alone does not save. (Matthew 7:21)
You Must Be Baptized
Acts 2:38
Having believed, repented, and confessed that Jesus is the Son of God, you must be baptized for the remission of your sins. (Acts 2:38) It is at this point (and not before) that your sins are forgiven. (Acts 22:16) It is impossible to proclaim the gospel of Jesus Christ without teaching the absolute necessity of baptism for salvation. (Acts 8:35-36; Romans 6:3-4; 1 Peter 3:21) Anyone who responds to the question in Acts 2:37 with an answer that contradicts Acts 2:38 is NOT proclaiming the gospel of Jesus Christ!
You Must Be Faithful Unto Death
Revelation 2:10
Once you are saved, God adds you to his church and writes your name in the Book of Life. (Acts 2:47; Philippians 4:3) To continue in God’s grace, you must continue to serve God faithfully until death. Unless they remain faithful, those who are in God’s grace will fall from grace, and those whose names are in the Book of Life will have their names blotted out of that book. (Revelation 2:10; Revelation 3:5; Galatians 5:4)