Sunday School
I’m typing this on Saturday morning. Tomorrow’s Sunday School lesson is called Our Relationships.” I studied last night and made several notes that I’d love to share with you - the reader and listener. As a believer living in the world, I think there’s a lot of good we can glean from this!
The scripture is from 1 Peter -
1 Peter 3:1-12 NIRV - Wives, follow the lead of your own husbands. Suppose some of them don’t believe God’s word. Then let them be won to Christ without words by seeing how their wives behave. Let them see how pure you are. Let them see that your lives are full of respect for God. Fancy hairstyles don’t make you beautiful. Wearing gold jewelry or fine clothes doesn’t make you beautiful. Instead, your beauty comes from inside you. It is the beauty of a gentle and quiet spirit. Beauty like this doesn’t fade away. God places great value on it. This is how the holy women of the past made themselves beautiful. They trusted in God. They followed the lead of their own husbands. Sarah was like that. She obeyed Abraham. She called him her master. Do you want to be like her? Then do what is right. And don’t give in to fear.
Husbands, consider the needs of your wives. They are weaker than you. So treat them with respect. Honor them as those who will share with you the gracious gift of life. Then nothing will stand in the way of your prayers.
Finally, I want all of you to agree with one another. Be understanding. Love one another. Be kind and tender. Be humble. Don’t pay back evil with evil. Don’t pay back unkind words with unkind words. Instead, pay back evil with kind words. You were chosen to do this so that you might receive a blessing from God. Scripture says, “Suppose someone wants to love life and see good days. Then they must keep their tongues from speaking evil. They must keep their lips from telling lies. They must turn away from evil and do good. They must look for peace and go after it. The Lord’s eyes look with favor on those who are godly. His ears are open to their prayers. But the Lord doesn’t look with favor on those who do evil.”
Huge Evangelism Point
The writer uses this passage to speak about wives submitting to their husbands, but I see it more of an evangelism tool. For example, the writer says, “many who were born into the class of the weaker power had to learn how to relate to others around them in a way that would advance the gospel and bring glory to God.”
(((Weaker power here refers to those in the society at the time born as workers, or Jews, or non-royalty. Many of the classes that were around then are around today, just called something different. For example, you may not have the power to make policy at home or work or in the government, so even though you are no less a person, your earthly influence is limited. Understanding this helps us approach evangelism wisely, because it shows us how influential our actions can be, even when our authority seems limited)))
Now this is a HUGE point for us that take evangelism seriously. You must learn to be firm and not waver on the truth, but you must still be diplomatic. Remember, not everyone agrees with you or your worldview, but bridging division is KEY, not creating division!
Looking back at verses 1 and 2 specifically - Wives, follow the lead of your own husbands. Suppose some of them don’t believe God’s word. Then let them be won to Christ without words by seeing how their wives behave. Let them see how pure you are. Let them see that your lives are full of respect for God.
There is so much truth here to unpack! First, let’s change wife/husband to brother/sister, friend, colleague, etc. For example -
Workers, follow the lead of your boss. Suppose they don’t follow Christ. Then let them be won over not with words, but with how you behave! Let them see how pure your thoughts and actions are. Let them see that you respect God.
Put your own situation in there!
Daughters, follow the lead of your mother. Suppose they don’t follow Christ. Then let them be won over not with words, but with how you behave! Let them see how pure your thoughts and actions are. Let them see that you respect God.
If you have read or listened to me much at all, you know that I believe evangelism is job one for a Believer. If you agree, then let that guide your thoughts and actions as well! Let it guide your relationship with non-believers all around you!
Living in Obedience
The writer points out later in the lesson, “they (wives) could not expect unbelieving husbands to live in obedience to the Word of God.” This is very true, so how does it affect us as believers?
First of all, we SHOULD expect believers - church family - to live in obedience. We are charged as a fellowship of Christians to make sure our members are living as they should. But we must remember that so many that come to church are lost! And the goal is not to get them to ‘live better,’ but to find Jesus!
So to clarify, what I’m saying is that if you encounter visitors at church, or people you work with, or go to school with - don’t expect them to follow a Biblical worldview just because you do or because you know it to be TRUTH. If they were believers of Christ as you are, then expect it.
2 Peter 2:22 NIRV - What the proverbs say about them is true. “A dog returns to where it has thrown up.” (Proverbs 26:11) And, “A pig that is washed goes back to rolling in the mud.”
Is this running down non-believers? Not at all! It is simply accepting the fact that people that follow evil will continue to do evil. They may ‘turn over a new leaf’ one day, but unless there is a change of heart, they will continue to return to evil. This is to be expected and planned for.
You have probably heard it said by secularists that ‘people are basically good at heart.’ I disagree with this!
Jeremiah 17:9 NIRV — A human heart is more dishonest than anything else. It can’t be healed. Who can understand it?
Isaiah 64:6 NIRV — All of us have become like someone who is “unclean.” All the good things we do are like dirty rags to you. All of us are like leaves that have dried up. Our sins sweep us away like the wind.
So the Bible makes it clear that the human heart is evil. If someone begins to ‘do good deeds’ to make themselves feel better, they aren’t offsetting the evil in their heart; they may do good for a while, but if the heart isn’t changed, then they will eventually show their true selves. How is the heart changed? Only through a relationship with Christ, which transforms the heart rather than just the outward behaviors.”
Submission to Authority
The writer continues, “submission did not imply inferiority, nor did it encourage wives to participate in sinful activities or remain in threatening situations. As much as possible, the wife was to voluntarily submit to the authority of her husband for the purposes of leading him to Christ.”
As I said before, replace wife with whatever you are. This goes for our job, our parents, the government… We are not to sin because our parents tell us to, or our job requires it, or the government makes it a law. We are to stand on God’s Word and do what is right, but as the writer says AS MUCH AS POSSIBLE we are to be subjects to the law.
Do you parents tell you not to pray? That this is all a bunch of lies? Then pray silently. God can hear your thoughts and definitely knows the intent of your heart. They don’t want to hear about or think about God? Then don’t bring it up, but be ready to respond if and when they do! And continue to seek God in your own heart!
When it comes to the government and laws, a good recent example of respectful civil disobedience was during COVID-19, when some governments placed strict limits on church gatherings. While many churches complied initially out of caution, ours included, others chose civil disobedience by respectfully gathering anyway. This showed prioritizing obedience to God’s call to worship over local laws. They weren’t defiant or belligerent; they quietly chose God’s authority over human rules, and our church has committed to doing this as well, when the time comes!
Meekness
A couple of quick points - the writer mentions that “a meek spirit is not a quality reserved only for women.” He goes on to point out that even Jesus in the Sermon on the Mount mentions it. Then Paul mentions something similar in the letter to Ephasis.
Matthew 5:5 NIRV - “Blessed are those who are humble. They will be given the earth.”Ephesians 5:21 NIRV - “Follow the lead of one another because of your respect for Christ.”
The bottom line? Meekness in truth will sway hearts where belligerence won’t. And remember, meekness is not weakness. Being meek means not insisting on your way or no way, but respecting others and their opinions. Being meek doesn’t mean ‘taking your ball and going home,’ but it also means winning graciously. Being meek means allowing others to disagree with you. You can disagree respectfully.
In Conclusion
Look back at verses 8-12:
1 Peter 3:8-12 NIRV - “Finally, I want all of you to agree with one another. Be understanding. Love one another. Be kind and tender. Be humble. Don’t pay back evil with evil. Don’t pay back unkind words with unkind words. Instead, pay them back with kind words. That’s what you have been chosen to do. You can receive a blessing by doing it. Scripture says, ‘Suppose someone wants to love life and see good days. Then they must keep their tongues from speaking evil. They must keep their lips from telling lies. They must turn away from evil and do good. They must look for peace and go after it. The Lord’s eyes look on godly people, and he blesses them. His ears are open to their prayers. But the Lord doesn’t bless those who do evil.’ (Psalm 34:12–16)”
I am currently having a private conversation with a friend where the term ‘live and let live’ was brought up. This entire passage sounds like exactly that… until you get to the last part - “but the Lord doesn’t bless those who do evil.”
Yes, God still loves everyone. But being a just God and a fair judge, He doesn’t ignore sin. If people refuse Jesus they not only get what they deserve, they get exactly what they ask for. But we are still to love them just as God does! We are to forgive them - over and over and over.
This is epitomized in the passage on the greatest commandment -
Matthew 22:37-40 NIRV - “Jesus replied, ‘Love the Lord your God with all your heart and with all your soul. Love him with all your mind.’ (Deuteronomy 6:5) This is the first and most important commandment. And the second is like it. ‘Love your neighbor as you love yourself.’ (Leviticus 19:18) Everything that is written in the Law and the Prophets is based on these two commandments.”
The first part means we do what God says EVERY time. Then love your neighbor as yourself - PERIOD.
Reflect on this: How are you actively pursuing peace in your daily life? When faced with unkindness, do you consistently respond with kindness? Or do you find yourself demanding that others agree with your viewpoint?
God bless!!!
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