Warning to Remain Faithful, Part 2-Wives

Warning to Remain Faithful

Part 2—Wives

My Introduction:

To put Jesus’ warnings to his chosen humble family members, wives, children, mothers, and even orphans in Context, we need to continually relate this mission back to the bridal paradigm and the marriage covenant backdrop of relationship, for everything we think, do, and say towards one another. The reason we do this is to be faithful and inline with his heavenly calling upon our lives.

To be perfectly blunt, if we truly are ALL ONE “IN CHRIST” THEN: Everyone in our church and spiritual community, whether they live here, or in France, or Indonesia, or South Africa, each and every believer is a part of our eternal family, and deserves our honor, our respect, our mercy, our service, our support, our generosity, our prayers, and very possibly our whole life sacrifice to strengthen and build them up in Christ.

Note: That was clearly the mindset and thought process that built the Early Church, under some of the hardest, most violent, and most agressive persecution the Church has ever known. That mindset made the early church strong and invincible even unto death. And that mindset is the same one we are called to embrace today.

If we truly are ALL ONE “IN CHRIST” THEN: We should begin to think like it, believe it, speak like it, and live like it. The list below is just a simple checklist of common things to avoid, that are common to all believers. These are areas we can expect to be tempted and attacked in. So God is warning us ahed of time, so that we can be prepared when (not if) the attacks will come.

The list of warnings below is just a quick reminder not to get distracted, and diverted away from our inherited purpose and reason we are living on this planet, maintaining and growing the Kingdom of God, until He Himself returns.

Below is a list warnings written in the New Testament for elders, deacons, and bishops to consider and overcome in order to have a victorious walk with Christ Jesus. The below warning and exhortations are not just for church leadership, they apply to all believers generally, but to leadership specifically.

The New Testament contains several warnings and exhortations directed specifically toward wives to help them maintain a victorious walk with Christ. These teachings focus on maintaining godly character, being faithful in relationships, and living according to the principles of Christ’s love and authority. Below is a list of the key warnings, along with the scriptural references:

1. Warning Against Disobedience or Rebellion to Husband

Ephesians 5:22-24: “Wives, submit yourselves to your own husbands as you do to the Lord. For the husband is the head of the wife as Christ is the head of the church… Now as the church submits to Christ, so also wives should submit to their husbands in everything.”
Colossians 3:18: “Wives, submit yourselves to your husbands, as is fitting in the Lord.”
1 Peter 3:1-2: “Wives, in the same way submit yourselves to your own husbands so that, if any of them do not believe the word, they may be won over without words by the behavior of their wives when they see the purity and reverence of your lives.”

Explanation: The call to submission here is a godly submission, rooted in respect for God’s design for marriage. A wife is warned against a rebellious or unsubmissive spirit, which can cause strife in the marriage and hinder spiritual growth. This does not mean subjugation or inferiority, but a willing heart to follow God’s order for marriage. The key is submission “as to the Lord,” which is part of the believer’s walk with Christ.

2. Warning Against a Bitter or Unforgiving Spirit

Colossians 3:19: “Husbands, love your wives and do not be harsh with them.” (Implied: Wives should not respond with bitterness.)
Ephesians 4:31-32: “Get rid of all bitterness, rage and anger, brawling and slander, along with every form of malice. Be kind and compassionate to one another, forgiving each other, just as in Christ God forgave you.”

Explanation: A bitter heart or unforgiving attitude can damage both the marriage and one’s relationship with Christ. Wives are called to reflect Christ’s forgiveness and grace in their marriage. A wife’s response to conflict or mistreatment should be characterized by grace, not bitterness.

3. Warning Against Adorning the Outside More Than the Inside

1 Peter 3:3-4: “Your beauty should not come from outward adornment, such as elaborate hairstyles and the wearing of gold jewelry or fine clothes. Rather, it should be that of your inner self, the unfading beauty of a gentle and quiet spirit, which is of great worth in God’s sight.”
1 Timothy 2:9-10: “I also want the women to dress modestly, with decency and propriety, adorning themselves, not with elaborate hairstyles or gold or pearls or expensive clothes, but with good deeds, appropriate for women who profess to worship God.”

Explanation: The focus for wives should not be on outward appearance or materialism, but on cultivating inner beauty that comes from a godly character. A wife’s character—humility, gentleness, and good deeds—is far more valuable than external adornment. This speaks to the importance of spiritual maturity over superficial appearance.

4. Warning Against Pride or Disrespect Toward Husband

Titus 2:4-5: “Then they can urge the younger women to love their husbands and children, to be self-controlled and pure, to be busy at home, to be kind, and to be subject to their husbands, so that no one will malign the word of God.”
Ephesians 5:33: “However, each one of you also must love his wife as he loves himself, and the wife must respect her husband.”

Explanation: Pride or a lack of respect toward one’s husband can damage the relationship and the witness of the gospel. Wives are called to respect their husbands and love them deeply, understanding that this mutual respect and love reflect Christ’s relationship with the Church. Disrespect or a critical attitude toward the husband can also malign the Word of God, hurting the testimony of the family and the church.

5. Warning Against Being Conformed to the World’s Standards

Romans 12:2: “Do not conform to the pattern of this world, but be transformed by the renewing of your mind. Then you will be able to test and approve what God’s will is—his good, pleasing, and perfect will.”
1 John 2:15-16: “Do not love the world or anything in the world. If anyone loves the world, love for the Father is not in them. For everything in the world—the lust of the flesh, the lust of the eyes, and the pride of life—comes not from the Father but from the world.”

Explanation: The world’s standards of marriage, femininity, and womanhood often contradict biblical values. Wives are warned against adopting worldly standards of beauty, success, or independence that undermine God’s design for marriage and family. The call is to be transformed by the renewing of the mind through God’s Word and to prioritize eternal values over temporary ones.

6. Warning Against Being Idle or Lazy

Proverbs 31:27: “She watches over the affairs of her household and does not eat the bread of idleness.”
1 Timothy 5:13: “Besides, they get into the habit of being idle and going about from house to house. And not only do they become idlers, but also busybodies who talk nonsense, saying things they ought not to.”

Explanation: Wives are warned against laziness or neglect of their responsibilities at home. The Proverbs 31 woman is presented as a diligent worker who manages her household well, which includes caring for her family, supporting her husband, and serving others. Idleness and gossip are cautioned against in both practical and spiritual terms.

7. Warning Against Engaging in Dishonorable or Deceptive Behavior

1 Peter 3:1-2: “Wives, in the same way submit yourselves to your own husbands so that, if any of them do not believe the word, they may be won over without words by the behavior of their wives when they see the purity and reverence of your lives.”
Titus 2:3-5: “Similarly, teach the older women to be reverent in the way they live, not to be slanderers or addicted to much wine, but to teach what is good. Then they can urge the younger women to love their husbands and children, to be self-controlled and pure…”

Explanation: A wife’s behavior and conduct should reflect purity, honor, and respect for both God and her husband. Dishonorable actions, manipulation, or deceitful behavior will undermine her witness to Christ and negatively affect her marriage. A godly woman is characterized by purity and reverence in her life, especially in the context of her marriage.

8. Warning Against Not Recognizing the Importance of Marriage

1 Corinthians 7:3-5: “The husband should fulfill his marital duty to his wife, and likewise the wife to her husband… Do not deprive each other except by mutual consent and for a time, so that you may devote yourselves to prayer. Then come together again so that Satan will not tempt you because of your lack of self-control.”
Hebrews 13:4: “Let marriage be held in honor among all, and let the marriage bed be undefiled; for God will judge the sexually immoral and adulterous.”

Explanation: Marriage is to be honored as a sacred institution ordained by God. Wives are urged to maintain the purity of their marriage and ensure that the physical, emotional, and spiritual aspects of their relationship with their husband are prioritized. Neglecting the marriage or being unfaithful can lead to temptation and harm both spiritually and relationally.

9. Warning Against Neglecting Spiritual Growth

1 Timothy 2:9-10: “I also want the women to dress modestly, with decency and propriety, adorning themselves, not with elaborate hairstyles or gold or pearls or expensive clothes, but with good deeds, appropriate for women who profess to worship God.”
1 Peter 3:5-6: “For this is the way the holy women of the past who put their hope in God used to adorn themselves. They submitted themselves to their own husbands, like Sarah, who obeyed Abraham and called him her lord. You are her daughters if you do what is right and do not give way to fear.”

Explanation: Wives are encouraged to cultivate their spiritual life, prioritize good deeds, and live in a way that reflects their hope in God. Neglecting spiritual growth or failing to focus on godliness can lead to imbalance in the marriage and hinder the wife’s witness as a follower of Christ.

Conclusion

The New Testament contains many practical and spiritual warnings for wives, emphasizing submission, respect, purity, diligence, and spiritual growth. These principles not only help in maintaining a victorious walk with Christ but also contribute to building strong, godly marriages that honor God. By reflecting Christ’s love and following biblical commands, wives can have a fruitfuland victorious life in Christ.

Please Note: From my newly observed observations: It seems to me that many women are specifically attacked in their spirit for not feeling good enough about themselves, or even being good enough.

Many women carry a heavy burden they have inherited from their family and society, that they need to be perfect. Perfect in beauty (make-up, hair, nails, weight, fashions, jewelry, shoes–and the list goes on, having the perfect home, having the perfect garden, having the perfect cleaning and weeding schedules, etc.), and this is just another one of Satan’s ways of getting them bogged done, overwhelmed, and feeling unsupported by their husbands, and even at odds with their husbands.

I didn’t even include on the list the responsibilites of taking care of the children, making delicious meals that no one will complain about, paying all the bills on time, and the myriad of other duties a wife and mother can take upon themselves.

This all adds up to the saying: If the devil cannot make you sin, he can just make you busy.

Eventually, all the pressure wives can put on themselves can and predictably may overwhelm them at some point down the road. And for this reason alone, Jesus reminds us to live in rest in him, one day at a time, and not to worry about tomorrow because in Him, tomorrow with have enough trouble of its own. And for that reason he commands his wives and wives to be to: “Take my yoke upon you. For my burden is light, and you will find rest for you souls.” (Matthew 12:28)

Outline above compliments of ChatGPT.com

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—From God's Perspective