Dear Heavenly Father, now I thank you for this verse, this passage, and pray that you would just help me to preach it clearly and for your honor and glory, and help me to sit before it and tremble. In Jesus' name, amen. 1 Peter 3, verse 7 is our text this morning. And over the last several weeks, just to put it in perspective now, We've seen Peter has his emphasis on submission, and submitting to governing authorities, even people like Nero and Pontius Pilate, submitting to masters, if we're a slave, so even crooked and unjust masters submitting to them, and then also submitting to husbands, Even husbands who are actively disobedient to the word. This is the power of the gospel. Peter wants us to see that submission, this is crazy, crazy, crazy, but watch this. Submission is how we fearlessly live out our freedom in the gospel as a testimony to a world that oppresses God's people. Submission is how we fearlessly live out our freedom in the gospel as a testimony to the world that oppresses God's people, whether that world we see in our husband, or that's a world we see in the governing authorities, or a world we see in our master if we're a slave. In other words, it's in the very context of obeying God rather than man, okay? So we all know, I obey God rather than man, but the Bible's point is that that's precisely the place where submission then becomes such a powerful testimony of the gospel to our true freedom in Christ. So in the very moment that you find yourself saying, I gotta obey God rather than man, there's your opportunity. There is where submission becomes all the more powerful. Whether it's a wife in a marriage to a disobedient husband, or citizens to a disobedient government. It's in this sense then that Peter wants us to see Christian wives. Last week we saw the Christian wife set before us as a model, an example to us of the calling ultimately of all Christians to submission to the governing authorities in our lives, whatever they may be. Now then, after all these exhortations to submission, Peter turns, very briefly but very powerfully, to address one of these three groups of people who are in a position of authority, and that's going to be the husbands. And I'm going to say at the beginning, he really focuses specifically on the husbands, but again, some of the principles here are meant to apply across the board to all in positions of any kind of authority. So we begin in the first part of verse 7, likewise husbands live, and that's all it says, live, so we supply something, we supply in the marriage relationship, according to knowledge. Husbands live according to knowledge. Now that word for live or live together is not the usual word for live. It's not just like husbands breathe, exist according to knowledge. It's not like that. It's actually a word that appears only this once in the entire New Testament. So that tells you it's an unusual word. It's not common. Wherever you find it in the Old Testament, it always refers specifically to living together in marriage. So it's like what Peter's saying is, live as a married person. That's what the word means, live. Live as husband and wife. In your handout, this is a word that refers to the whole marriage relationship. So, being married to Andrea, I live as her husband. I never stop being that or existing as that. It's who I am. And so, in all of my relationship, in my marriage relationship, in all of its aspects, the social relations, as well as the physical relations in every dimension and part. That's what this live, that's what it refers to. So Peter's got the whole gamut covered here. In other words, the relationship between a husband and wife is unique. I mean, it's special. There's nothing else like it. And so we see that specialness reflected in having a unique and special word that's just for that. Describes the husband and wife living together. Of course, not just living in the same house, but living together in relationship, socially, physically, in every way, spiritually. So here Peter takes this special word And he addresses it, not to the wives, because he could say the same thing to the wives, and in a sense he already has, we'll see. But specifically to the husbands. Husbands. And I'd also say at the end of this, I'm going to talk to future husbands. But let me just begin right now, saying husbands and future husbands, think about these things. Husbands, live together with your wives, or we could say live in the marriage relationship according to knowledge. What Peter's calling for here is a very purposeful, active, in your handout, diligent approach to the marriage relationship. For the husband, it's not to be something he lets happen, but something he pursues, something he's diligent in. Living with a wife in the marriage relationship, is to be a full-time calling for the husband. I've, in a sense, I mean, I do this all the time. I'm going to preach this as the authority of God's Word, but know that I'm preaching it kind of just in a sense overwhelmed at what I know I'm called to in the ways that I fail in this. So I'm right there with you, husbands. But there's something beautiful in this, and I hope it'll encourage us all. Husbands, in every part of your relationship, in every aspect of your living together with your wives, you are to be always characterized by knowledge. All of your social relations, physical relations with your wife, ensure all the ways you ever interact with and relate to your wife are to grow out of and be rooted in knowledge. Man, are you seeing how purposeful and active and diligent and careful we're to be? So what does it mean to live with my wife according to knowledge? Now, that's what it says in the Greek, according to knowledge, straight out. The modern English translations all interpret these words to mean something like, if you look in your Bible, live with your wife in an understanding way. or be considerate as you live with your wives, NIV. And of course, I believe husbands should do this. And Peter's basically going to say that very thing later in the verse. But I honestly very strongly, I know this might sound presumptuous, but I very strongly disagree with that interpretation of these words. along with some very, very good commentators. So, if I was the only one saying that, but there's many others. In the first place, I do not see the word for knowledge used that way anywhere else in the New Testament, ever. Nowhere is knowledge used to refer to being understanding of someone else or considerate of someone else. Instead, wherever you see the word knowledge in the New Testament, It always refers to our knowledge of God. And part of me is like, well, that's less practical. I kind of like the living with an understanding way. Because that kind of got more touchable, kind of, you know, or being considerate. But here Peter's going back to knowledge of God. Oh, what is that about? I hope that's not how we respond. Because Peter's calling us as husbands to a sacred and high calling. This is what will truly impact you in your relationship with your wife. If we get this here. were to live according to our knowledge of God or knowledge of His truth. And specifically, this word knowledge refers to our saving knowledge of God through the gospel of His Son, Jesus Christ. I want to read two scriptures that kind of give a picture for us of what this word knowledge is about. Colossians chapter 1. And so, from the day we heard, we have not ceased to pray for you, asking that you may be filled with the knowledge of His will, what He has revealed through the Gospel and in His Word, in all spiritual wisdom and understanding." Husbands, if we're to fulfill our calling, we need spiritual wisdom and understanding. So as to walk in a manner worthy of the Lord, fully pleasing to Him, bearing fruit in every good work, and increasing always in the knowledge of God. 2 Corinthians 4. Here's the key to being a faithful husband. For God, who said, let light shine out of darkness, has shone in our hearts, husbands. He has shone in our hearts to give us the light of the knowledge of the glory of God in the face of Jesus Christ. It's this kind of knowledge that Peter's talking about here, and that best fits the context. Back in chapter 1, verse 14, We read this, as obedient children do not be conformed And that's the word agnoia, agnostic. Maybe we wouldn't want that history for that word, but that's kind of that meaning of the word, agnoia, ignorance. In chapter 2, verse 15, we read, For this is the will of God, that by doing good you should put to silence the ignorance. This is not a slam at people. This is not calling people names. It's just talking about that moral and spiritual ignorance that we have apart from Christ. Put to silence the ignorance of foolish people. But now look what Peter says. Contrary to the... He says this, husbands are to live with their wives, not according to their former ignorance that he talked about, that we used to have. not according to the ignorance of the world around us that they still have. Rather, we are to live together with our wives according to the knowledge. And the word, Greek word, is gnosis. It's related to agnosia or agnoia. We're to live together according to the gnosis, the knowledge, or the, in your handout, the enlightenment. that we have received through the gospel of Jesus Christ. Now Peter is going to tell us exactly what that means in a moment, but first we just need to see what a holistic calling we have as husbands. Our calling as husbands is to live out our knowledge of God in relationship to our wives at every moment. You can see clearly this is not about head knowledge. What Peter is saying in your handout is that it's our saving knowledge of God. Husbands, do you have a saving knowledge of God? Then it's through that knowledge that you are to be shaped, that's to shape and determine every part, every aspect of your living together with your wives. If that sounds lofty and big and grand and overwhelming, then I guess that's good. I guess that's the point. Husbands, do we really understand that and are we taking it seriously? I say, couldn't Peter say the exact same thing to the wives though? Yeah, he could and he really already has. We looked at that last week. Wives too are to live with their husbands according to knowledge. according to the gospel light that they've received. We've seen how they do that. The difference here is not in our calling as husbands and wives in our gospel calling. The difference is in the context in which we are called to live it out. Okay, key. In the last three sections, Peter has been talking to who? People who are under authority. and called on to submit to those in authority over them. But now, who's Peter talking to? Peter's talking to those in authority, and now he reminds them that in this different context, their gospel calling is the same. So, different context, same gospel. Now, for a woman, a wife, we saw what that Gospel works out in, in her relationship, even to a disobedient husband. The same Gospel in her context. Now, Peter says, now, how does that same Gospel in your knowledge of God and Christ, how does that work itself out in your context, husbands, as the one in the place of authority? Both in the Scriptures, and in the culture of Peter's day, to be a husband was to be in a place of authority. So the authority is automatically assumed just in the word husband. It's just assumed. But whereas in the secular writings of Peter's day, Husbands, if you look at examples of it, husbands were exhorted. You had codes, kind of just like we have in the scriptures, but they were very different. They followed the same pattern, but had different ingredients. And husbands would be exhorted to exercise their rule or their authority over their wives, even if it was a kind and gentle rule. The Bible nowhere exhorts a husband to exercise his authority, at least not in those words. Instead, the authority is assumed. The Bible doesn't say, make sure you got the authority, make sure you're using it, make sure you got that in line. No, the authority is assumed you're a husband. Now, the main thing that we need to work out is how that authority is to be used, and in your handout, to what end. that authority is to be directed. So husbands, as the one in the place of authority, in that context, you are to live with your wife not according to your former ignorance or the ignorance of the world around you, but rather according to the knowledge and the enlightenment that you've received through the gospel of Jesus Christ. I just want to say to you, young women who are looking, ultimately, one day, by God's grace, to be married, look for a husband like that. Husbands, it's your saving knowledge of God through the gospel of His Son that's going to shape and determine every aspect of your living together with your wife. What does that mean we're going to have to be doing? It means we're going to have to be praying. It means, husbands, we've got to pray. It means, husbands, we need to be in the Word. that we need to be bringing the word to our homes. But what will this mean in Peter? What will this look like in real life? Okay. The second part of verse seven says, likewise husbands live in the marriage relationship according to knowledge, bestowing honor on the female as the weaker vessel. Before we look at what is so amazing and wonderful about these words, it's so frustrating that we can't automatically see their beauty. Instead, even as Christians, I think we can get a little bit uptight about these words. We hear the word weaker, and in our culture obsessed with power and strength, what do we automatically assume? That something's deficient. We think of something negative and bad. That's obviously not what Peter intended. And I see people all over the spectrum on this verse because I think it's hard to escape our culture. I'm going to try my best and maybe not fully succeed, but I'm going to try my best to leave the culture at the door and look at what the scriptures say. In the first place, we know that Peter is not saying the woman is morally or spiritually weaker than the man. And there's some Christians who would somehow kind of end up in a roundabout way saying something like that. That's just outright false. And there's nothing in scripture that implies that. In fact, just last week we saw how Christian wives, what are Christian wives called to do? Submit themselves to their husbands so that even if some are disobedient to the word, they might be won without a word by the conduct of their wives. I tell you, that is a calling. that can only be fulfilled by a woman who is morally courageous and spiritually strong. I'll say this, a woman who submits even to a disobedient husband is certainly as spiritually fearless and bold as any man will ever be. I like what one commentator described it as. He described a submissive and holy wife as performing feats of moral and spiritual strength. So what does Peter mean, the weaker vessel? It seems that the obvious place to start is with biology, with the simple fact that men are physically stronger than women. as a class. Now, I suppose God could have done anything he wanted. Think about it. Can God do anything he wants? Yes, within who God is. So, he could have created women to be just as manly as men. I kind of thought about that. Well, I guess we could still have women and they'd be manly. But then, that would kind of ruin the entire point, right? The weaker sex, as is in the olden days, used to be called the fairer sex, which I think we also all are free to admit. These two realities, being the weaker sex and the fairer sex, seem to go together hand in hand. I think also of God equipped the woman in the reproductive way, to bring forth children, and He's fitted her perfectly for that. And it kind of, in a sense, goes along with how He's just created the woman, the female, as the weaker sex. So, that's all a good thing. The point here, for me, is to see that being physically the weaker is for the female ultimately a very good thing. I don't know too many women who said, I don't want to be beautiful, or I want to look like a man, I want to be as strong as a man. So this was good. And it's related to the fact that she's God's good creation. Weaker, in this sense, is good. But we still think there's some kind of a negative overtone, and there is in a sinful fallen world. That's what we're going to see in a moment. But in the creation, when God created the weaker vessel, it was all good. Now that word weaker has a negative overtone. So in this light, I also believe, now bear with me here please, just bear with me. I also believe that Peter is describing the female as emotionally or relationally weaker. Just hold on, hold on, just hold on with me, okay? I'm going to explain. Not as though this were, first of all, a bad thing. I do not mean by that being emotionally unstable. Okay, that's not what I mean. Not emotionally unstable. But rather, once again, it's something that's ultimately very good. Let me also qualify. My point is not that a woman is emotional and a man is not emotional. That's not my point. Both are emotional. I'm emotional as a man. My wife's emotional as a woman. We're emotional in different ways. We're emotionally wired differently. Both are emotional beings. So, we know that God created the woman different from the man. In our culture, and I believe as Christians and as the church, we've begun to buy into this whole idea. Not only has God created men and women differently physically, but in other ways as well, and he meant that in a good way, and we should come to celebrate that. To celebrate it. And yet at the same time, not to stereotype and to say, well, this is what a woman is and you always have to look exactly like this box that I have for a woman and this is what a man should be. Right? Especially as that's become affected by our culture. We know that if God had created women with the same emotional, relational makeup as men, I believe with all my heart the world would be a far less good place. Far less. And a far less beautiful place. It's at least in part because of the, I have an emotional makeup and relational, but the woman has a different, my wife has a different makeup than I have, and it's in part because of the emotional or relational constitution of a woman that enables her to reflect uniquely the very image and likeness of God. I think that's why Peter uses the word vessel. If Peter was just talking about being physically the weaker vessel, he would have probably said the woman is weaker in body. That would have been very simple. But he uses this word vessel that all the commentators get all worked up about. Why did he use this? And everyone's confused. I think it's just because he's talking about the woman in total as a female, as that part of God's creation. to refer to everything that sets her apart as a woman. And in the church, of all places, we should embrace and celebrate that. That's Peter's point. This also explains one other very unusual thing Peter does here. Most translations say bestowing honor on the woman. They say showing honor, but the actual words means bestowing, bestowing, bestowing honor on the woman. Peter does not actually use a noun here, okay? This is actually important. He uses an adjective, which is strange. And it's only here in the entire New Testament that we see this word, right here. So I've translated it, bestowing honor on the female, because that emphasizes that Peter has in mind the female in contrast to the man. He's thinking of her as the correspondent to the man, not the man. We could translate it more literally like this, bestowing honor on the womanly one, or on the feminine one, as the weaker vessel. And so here again, I think we see in Peter's mind, what he has in mind is all that makes a woman uniquely a woman and not a man, physically, as well as emotionally, relationally, whatever other ways in the mystery of God, he's created me different from a woman. And this must all have been very good. Because both vessels, I'm a vessel too, both the feminine vessel and the masculine vessel, are equally a part of God's good creation and equally reflect in different ways at some points the image and likeness of God. Now, we only have one problem left. If this is such a good thing, then why does Peter describe this? And in your handout, if we could describe this as one of the woman's strengths, then why would Peter describe it here as being weaker than the emotional makeup of a man? I think there's a simple answer. And I don't think it should be offensive. It would be offensive to the world, but hopefully not in the context of the church. It's offensive to the world just because they're denying reality. But Peter uses the word weaker to emphasize the idea of being more vulnerable. I looked for another Greek word that would convey the idea of being more vulnerable and I couldn't find one. So I think that's what he has in mind here. The physical and emotional, relational makeup of a woman that's all very good and reflects the likeness of God. We could say what makes a woman a woman and not a man? They are together, both good and beautiful, but in a sinful, fallen world. What happened was that it's precisely these good and beautiful attributes that results in her being more vulnerable to things that did not exist before the fall. Oppression and injustice. We see that that's just a fact of the world and of history. Being more vulnerable to abuse. Both of the physical kind and ultimately of the emotional kind. Not that you can't emotionally abuse or physically abuse a man. But the woman is more vulnerable in both of those ways. Now, let me say this. Can a woman stand up under these things with spiritual and moral courage equal to that of any man? Yes. Yes, she can. But the point remains that she is still weaker in the sense of being more vulnerable to suffering in these ways. You can stand up under it and yet still be suffering under it. And the woman is more vulnerable to this suffering than the man is. Why? Because God created the man as the stronger vessel. So now perhaps we're ready to see what's really so amazing and wonderful about Peter's words here in verse seven. And I hope you'll see that as maybe you're sitting here like working, grappling, saying, okay, say that again, say it again, again, and again, or say it from another angle, because maybe that's just revealing how we have to work at this to grasp the beauties of what God created. In the eyes of the world, What I think would be most, see the world also, what the problem here is, the world wants to say, women are not vulnerable. They're not more vulnerable than men. They're just as strong as men in every way. And the reality is, that's not good. If that were the case, that wouldn't be good. That would take away part of the beauty of God's creation. So in the eyes of the world, what might be most surprising is that Peter doesn't say, he doesn't say this, bestowing honor on the female in spite of the fact that she's the weaker vessel. What is the world honor? The strong. Peter says bestowing honor not in spite of the fact that she's the weaker vessel, but rather bestowing honor on the female as the weaker vessel or precisely because She is the weaker vessel. Husbands, if you want to honor your wives as you are called to do, you need to recognize and see and rejoice in her being the female, the weaker vessel in God's creation. In the beauty of what that brings to this world, to the marriage relationship, to God's creation. Now, the fall and sin has caused that to become, I mean, vulnerable to bad things. But we're to see that as something good and it's to be the cause and the result and the cause of our honoring. So how does that work? When God created man, he created him male and female. Isn't that good? Let's just love that. Not the same. the stronger vessel and the weaker vessel. It's been that way since before the fall. Part of the goodness of the stronger vessel, part of the goodness of it was related to its strength, whereas part of the goodness of the weaker vessel was actually related to its weakness. Weakness what we now think of especially in a fallen world as weakness and then in the goodness and wisdom of God's creation What did God do? He brought the stronger and the weaker vessels together In the covenant bond of marriage look at what God's doing on the one hand It is precisely the wife's nature as the weaker vessel or the more vulnerable vessel. Those things that cause her in the end to be more vulnerable are also the very things that in part fit her and equip her to be her husband's helper, the helper that no one else could be. On the other hand, it's precisely the husband's nature as the stronger vessel. Husbands, let's rejoice in being the stronger vessels. that fits you and equips you to promote, which Adam would have done to promote, but now in a fallen world, to safeguard his wife's honor. And in every way, to communicate to her, to all her worth and value in a world that does not recognize true worth and value as God does. as God's creation reflecting uniquely in ways that we don't His own image and likeness. We see a parallel to this situation in Paul's example of the church as a body with different members. So 1 Corinthians 12, the eye cannot say to the hand, I have no need of you. The man can't say to the woman, I have no need of you. Nor again the head to the feet, I have no need of you. On the contrary, The parts of the body that seem to be weaker are indispensable. And on those parts of the body that we think less honorable, who thinks less honorable? The world and our sinful fallenness. And we're trying to bestow honor now again on the woman, but we're not doing it, are we? We're doing it in a completely way contrary to God's Word in many aspects. We think less honorable. We bestow the greater honor. And our un-presentable parts are treated with greater modesty, which our more presentable parts do not require. But God has so composed the body, giving greater honor to the part that lacked it in the eyes of the world. The very thing that in the world's eyes lacks the honor, that God composes so that He gives greater honor. That there may be no division in the body, but that the members may have the same care for one another. See, Peter's talking about an honor here, a showing of honor, that in a sense the wife is not called this honor in this context to show to her husband. It's an honor uniquely that the husband bestows on his wife. In this sinful world, strength has been perverted into a means for controlling and using and even abusing those who are more vulnerable. And so husbands have been turned into weaklings in many ways, afraid to embrace their true strength. But in the gospel of Jesus Christ, we see firsthand true, the beauty of strength as it was originally intended. So we look at the example of Jesus in Isaiah 42. Behold my servant whom I uphold, my chosen in whom my soul delights. I have put my spirit upon him. He will bring forth justice to the nations. He will not cry aloud or lift up his voice or make it heard in the street. A bruised reed he will not break." Now he will go after the Pharisees pretty strong and he will get a whip and drive everyone out of the temple. But the bruised reed, the one looked down on by the world, the one without honor by the world's standards, he will not break. In a faintly burning wick he will not quench. He will faithfully bring forth justice. He will not grow faint or be discouraged. Here is strength. Till he has established justice in the earth and the coastland to wait for his law. Now I'm not saying the husband's strength is the strength of the servant, but I'm saying we see here the beauty of strength. as it's intended to be used. Mark 10, look at this, they were bringing children to Jesus that he might touch them and the disciples rebuked them. But when Jesus saw it, he was indignant and said to them, let the children come to me. Do not hinder them for to such belongs the kingdom of God. Strength being used to give honor to those who in the world's eyes lack it. All the more honor. Truly I say to you, whoever does not receive the kingdom of God like a child shall not enter it. And he took them in his arms and blessed them, laying his hands on them." Again, I'm not comparing. This isn't an exact parallel. I'm just seeing the beauty of strength. Husbands, as the stronger vessel. and the one in the place of authority. You are to live with your wife, not according to your former ignorance or the ignorance of the world around you, which is all around us and constantly working to infiltrate Christian homes, but rather according to the knowledge you have of God in the face of Jesus Christ. What will that mean? It will mean this. Using your strength, not being a weakling, not abdicating or pretending you don't have that strength. Using your strength and authority to promote and to safeguard your wife's honor and well-being and in every way, in every way to communicate to her And I am cognizant of the fact that my wife sits in this room and listens to me to communicate to her and to all the very highest esteem in which you hold her. I will say that it is true that being married to a holy and godly wife will make that far easier and more joyful than if you're married to a disobedient and unsubmissive wife. We've called on wives to submit even to disobedient husbands. Husbands are to honor even their disobedient wives. And yet, not disobedient necessarily to them, but disobedient to God, His Word, which might reflect itself in being unsubmissive to their husbands. And yet there is an honor that every husband bestows on his wife. because she's the weaker vessel in God's good creation. It's the calling of the stronger vessel. But now Peter gives a different and even more wonderful reason for the honor husbands should bestow on their believing wives. Likewise, husbands should not only honor their Live, there's that word live, every part, every aspect, social, physical, spiritual. Live with your wife. Live in the marriage relationship according to knowledge at all times. Your knowledge of God in the gospel. Bestowing honor. And he uses that word bestowing because it's appropriate to the one in authority. not bestowing condescendingly, but bestowing as the one who's in a position to bestow it. Bestowing honor on the female as the weaker vessel, the more vulnerable in this messed up world, as also heirs together with you of the grace of life. Oh, wow. The wisdom of God is on full display here. We come back to the beauty of what we saw last week, In this relationship between the stronger and the weaker vessels, between characterized as it is by submission and authority, there is still in the gospel, and I'm using four words here, an absolute, total, unqualified, and glorious equality. I love it. I love how you can have so much different. so much even seemingly two sides of the coin and yet full and complete and total and glorious equality in the gospel that's the wisdom of God let's live that out Could Peter possibly have said this any more forcefully than using the words he does here? You want to know how equal this is, the beauty of it? Our wives' husbands are heirs, heirs together with us. Oh, what a wonderful thing that is. Of the promised salvation Peter has said already will be brought to us at the revelation of Jesus Christ when we stand before him together one day. Now, The point here isn't that that's a surprise to us. Oh, really? Oh, I thought it was just me. That's not at all. You know what Peter's point is? The point is this. That as husbands, we are to diligently embrace this. Yeah, we all know it. But as husbands, we're to embrace it and live in light of it with our wives. or to diligently embrace this gospel reality always more and more. Why? So that we might therefore be motivated to bestow all the more honor upon our wives. All the more honor. By God's grace, and I have been appreciating this, in God's blessings to me, I can share a oneness and an equality with my wife, a kind of equality, in the gospel. that couldn't be possible in any other way. And so how is it that I celebrate that? How is it that I celebrate this joy and this privilege as a husband? I celebrate it by bestowing honor upon my wife. Young man, are you listening? I'll ask young women, are you listening? I told my daughters this morning, I pray and want them to find a husband who will honor them in this way. Like us, on the one hand, this is our joy and privilege as husbands. On the other hand, it's our solemn obligation. Sometimes we need to know that. and responsibility before God. This is not just a motivating thing like, oh, that sounds good, it's inspiring. No, no, this is God's command to us husbands. So Peter concludes, likewise husbands live in the marriage relationship according to knowledge, bestowing honor on the female as the female and not the man. as the weaker vessel, as also airs together with you of the grace of life in order that your prayers may not be hindered. One of the good things about preparing messages is you think more about things you never thought about that much before. And as I reflected on those words, I realized I had never felt their full weight and gravity until now, until this week. So I'll invite you husbands to think about it. What Peter is saying is that if I should fail to bestow honor on the woman in my life as the weaker vessel and a co-heir with me of the gift of eternal life, then God himself will turn a deaf ear to me when I call out to him. If I don't feel how terrible that is, I don't know if I know what Christianity is. What a terrible thing it is to pray to God and know in the act of praying He doesn't hear me. To cry out to Him and know He is not listening. Husbands, do we feel the full weight and gravity of these words? Because if we are, I believe they should cause us to tremble. I really do. So one commentator writes, so concerned is God that Christian husbands bestow honor upon their wives that he interrupts his relationship with them when they're not doing so. Here was convicting, no Christian husband should presume to think that any spiritual good will be accomplished by his life as a husband, as a father, in any other way without an effective ministry of prayer. And no husband may expect an effective prayer life unless he lives with his wife according to knowledge. bestowing honor on her. To take the time to develop and maintain a good marriage is God's will, clearly. It is serving God. It is a spiritual activity pleasing in His sight. So before I conclude directly to the husbands, I just want to say to the young men, practice now. Practice now learning to delight in the honoring of the female. In fact, Peter has in mind not only husbands loving and honoring their wives in this way, but it's really men as a stronger vessel treating women in a way that honors and glorifies God. Practice now, young men, in putting these words into practice. as to the extent that that is appropriate. Delight to honor your wife one day. And I'll say to the young women, you know, I've had things where You know, I want all my daughters to marry a man that they'll love to submit to, except for that's the nature that's in them, that will always be a problem in all of us. They'll love to submit to. So, man, I'll try to make sure that no one comes in who's not someone I want them to submit to. But once they're married to him, then they have a calling to submit. So I say to young women, watch, is this a man you will want to submit to? But then also watch, is this a man who will honor you as the beauty of God's creation that you are, not by the world's standards or the way the world thinks, but according to the wisdom of God's word. So husbands, what are the ways that we are bestowing honor on our wives? What are the ways that we are communicating to her the very highest esteem in which we hold her in our use of our time, in our use of our words, in the priorities we set, in the choices we make? I think one very practical thing for those of us who still have children in the home, and of course that's where I am, so these come to my mind. What are the things that we say to our wives in front of our children, and also about our wives to our children? And I'm not just saying the things we don't say, but what are the things we do say? and that we purpose to say. I think of the husband of the excellent wife who praises her in Proverbs 31. Many women have done excellently, but you surpassed them all. A woman who fears the Lord is to be praised. Give her of the fruit of her hands and let her works praise her in the gates. It wouldn't be fair for me to stand here and maybe honor my wife because then all the other husbands wouldn't get all the same chance. They don't have the time for all of it. But I want to say that I want to honor my wife and bestow honor on her. She is God's gift to me. And I certainly wouldn't be who I am or what I am or in any way without her and her strength. Husbands, we're to live with our wives, not according to ignorance, but in every way, here's the words, according to, according to the knowledge and the full enlightenment we've received through the gospel of Jesus Christ. I encourage you to go out and get a book that talks about what that looks like. But the main thing you want to know is what it's according to, because that's what will give you spiritual wisdom in every circumstance and every situation that no book can ever cover. When we truly understand the gospel, do you understand the gospel, husbands? Because when we truly understand it, we'll understand that this means actively and diligently bestowing honor on our wives as those who are the weaker vessels, precisely because they are as co-heirs with us. of the gift of eternal life. May we all then be husbands whose prayers God listens to, and who faithfully live out in our marriages the true knowledge of God. Dear Heavenly Father, Lord, your wisdom is beautiful. I pray, O Lord, that you would help the wisdom of the world to be checked at the door, and that we could truly, really embrace and love the way you made the world, the way you made us as male and female, and then the way that you put us together to live together in the marriage relationship. I pray that in the church of all places, in the church, male and female would be celebrated for the way that this reflects your image and likeness. And for the way even more so that it ultimately reflects in different ways, in different ways and aspects, the beauty of the gospel of Jesus. I pray, Lord, that you would just forgive us as husbands for our failures, for being at times weaklings, for being ashamed of strength, or at other times for using strength in ways that are sinful. I pray that we would be able to embrace being the stronger vessel in a way that's biblical, and so bestow honor upon our wives. I pray that our wives might be able to reap just the joys and the fruits of that in our marriages. Lord, I pray for your grace because in ourselves we will fail. But thank you for holding before us such a beautiful goal, such a lovely image and picture of what you've created to be. I pray that in my marriage and all the marriages here, we could more and more and more and more see this realized. To your honor and to your glory, in Jesus' name, amen.