from being in submission to the concern's head. A Christian wife is to be submis sive "in all things." This command extends to every area of life in which the marriage relationship is involved. With obedience to the Lord such submission is only lim ited by the higher authority of Cod. In this way, despite a husband's wishes, a wife cannot do what God clearly forbids. In actual practice, as long as a husband and wife are agreed, the question of submission never comes up. When problems do arise there is a need for calm and ra tional discussion. Suppose they do this, however, and still fail to agree? There cannot be a majority vote. With two people that is impos sible. They will either separate or one of them must be allowed to make the final decision. God has given to the husband the privilege, as well as the responsibility to de cide how the family should be run. Would a wise woman really have it otherwise? If she respects a man enough to marry him, she should respect him enough to follow in submission. No woman is ever flat tered by being called the head of her house. That rightly embarrasses her, reflecting poorly on her choice of a marriage partner. She has only the path of "living happily ever af terward" if she submits to her hus band "in the Lord." As the poet observed of an ideal marriage: They were so one, it seldom could be said Which of them ruled, or which of them obeyed; He ruled because she would obey; and she, By obeying him, ruled as well as he. There never was known between them a dispute Save which the other's will should execute.
WINNING THE UNSAVED PARTNER There is perhaps no area of mar ried life that is more difficult or devastating as where there are un saved mates. Usually, the wife has come to trust Jesus Christ as Sav iour. The husband on the other hand refuses to do so. Letters or testimonies I have received go something like this: "My husband is not a Christian. He shows no interest in the things of God. I have talked with him repeatedly and yet he will not respond. What can I do to win him to Christ?" Faith in the Saviour is the most important matter of life. We can understand how frustrated a person would be come if his loved one refused to share this interest. In New Testament times, under both Jewish and Roman law, a woman was simply a "thing." If she became a Christian apart from any decision of her husband, she was considered to be in rebellion. Serious problems would almost al ways result. In I Peter 3:1-6, Peter gives some clear advice to wives in this category. He tells the wo man nothing else but to be the best wife possible. She is to break down the barriers of prejudice and rejection by "the silent preaching of a pure behaviour." As William Barclay notes, "It is the submission which is a 'voluntary selflessness.' It is the submission which is based on the death of pride, the abasing of self, and the instinctive desire to serve. It is not the submission of fear, but of perfect love." Usually we hear protests at this point, "But you do not know my, husband. If I did not stick up for my rights, he would make a door mat out of me. How can I be sub missive to him?" The Holy Spirit
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