Read 1 Peter 3:1-7
Discover
1. What is the purpose of submission as described in verses 1-2?
2. How is fading beauty compared with unfading beauty?
3. How are husbands to treat their wives (verse 7)?
Respond
Today’s passage can be a land mine to navigate, but the key purpose of verses 1-6 was to guide women who followed Christ but were married to nonbelievers. During this time period, a woman’s marriage was her source of security. If she chose to follow Jesus, that decision came at great risk. Peter advised that in the face of this tension, wives should conduct themselves in a way that would grasp the husband’s unbelieving heart. In a similar challenge, he told men to submit to Jesus and lead out of the same posture of honor and sacrifice that Jesus did.
Both of these types of submission are countercultural in our day. Whether we’re married or not, we’re called to first submit to Jesus and then let our conduct display an unfading testimony to nonbelievers.
How does this passage challenge you personally? If you’re married, are you surrendering your will to God’s? If you’re not married, are you submitting to Jesus and modeling His way to others? Acknowledge any struggles, and ask God for a humble and courageous heart to follow His will.
*If you find yourself in a harmful or destructive relationship, please know that you don’t have to subject yourself to physical, mental, psychological, or sexual abuse. Please visit our website for resources, and reach out if you need support.
Want to go deeper? One way we can model biblical submission is by living out the Fruit of the Spirit. Read Galatians 5:22-23, and then if you want to explore further, rewatch one of the messages from our summer series, What the World Needs Now.