[Biblemat] S) PETER'S PORTRAIT OF TRUE FEMININITY

[J5827Sasser at wmconnect.com]

Brethren and Friends, Jim Sasser here.  Here is a study from my
files.  Use to the glory of God.

PETER'S PORTRAIT OF TRUE FEMININITY

     Nothing is more attractive than the good life of a truly fem-
inine  human being.  She exudes beauty to those who behold
her emphasis upon the important things in life.  She influenc-
es with charm and grace those who witness her love, faith,
character, strength, and hope.

     Peter paints a portrait of the woman of God who adorns
herself in the cloting of true femininity (1 Pet. 3:1-6).  Behind
the figure of thsi beautiful woman, the canvas on one side
portrays her husband.  How she lives  impacts the life or her
man.  In Peter's illustration, he is not a Christian.  Behind the
figure to the right are the images of Sarah, Abraham's wife,
and other holy women who trusted in God.  These "daughters
of Sarah" are role models for God's women today (1 Pet. 3:6).

Interpretive Elements Of The Portrait: -- When looking at port-
raits, too many see no further than the physical image on the
canvas.  Like insightful art students, we should look deeply
into the character of our "Mona Lisa."  What do her smile and
her eyes tell us?  How do we interpret the real beauty of God's woman?

     She Is Submissive: -- This does not mean that she has no
mind of her own, no moral strength, or no real character.  It
does not mean putting her husband in the place of Christ.  It
means just the opposite.  Women are not inferior in intelligen-
ce, in virtue, in spirituality, in giftedness, in personal commit-
ment to Jesus in any way...period.  They simply have been
given a role by God, which calls upon them to recognize the
leadership responsibility residing in their husbands.  Under-
standing that is a virtue and it is beautiful.

     She Is Chaste: -- She is morally pure.  She is faithful to her
husband.  She does not flirt with others and she does not get
involved emotionally in any impure relationship.  Her husband
can trust in her.

     She Is Modest: -- She is a person of grace and quiet demeanor.  She is 
not seeking to attract attention to herself
and she is not preoccupied with her own outward appearance
That does not mean that she is unkempt and doesn't care 
about her appearance.  Such would itself draw the wrong kind
of attention to how she is seen by others.  But the Lord has
never been pleased with women who are loud and demand-
ing.  He is not happy with women who are engrossed in cloth-
ing, physical beauty, and bodily attraction.  And He certainly
is not pleased by women (young or old) who seek to sexually
attract men other than their own husbands.  Such is not beau-
tiful in any kind of lasting way.  Isaiah said, "Instead of a sweet smell 
there will be a stench; instead of a sash, a rope;
instead of well-set hair, baldness; instead of a rich robe, a 
girding of sackcloth; and branding instead of beauty" (Isa. 3:
16-26).  I promise you that outward beauty alone will not cap-
ture the heart of your husband for the rest of his life...or yours!

The Impact Of The Portrait: -- We often view lives like we look
at magazine photographs of movie stars and "models."  "Mod-
els" of what?  Models of virtue?  Models of character?  Mod-
els of purity?  Models of inner beauty?  Models of modesty?
No!  They are no more than mannequins when we look at them in the ways they 
intended when they posed.  In contrast
the woman described by Peter successfully accomplishes the
great purposes that God created for her in life and becomes
a true model!

     She Helps Her Husband...Spiritually: -- The woman who
nags her husband, harshly argues with her husband, and con-
stantly preaches to him, never will be the kind of helper intended by God 
(Gen. 3:18,20).  But the faithful wife who
keeps her heart pure and gives him the love and respect of a
devoted companion will help even the best of men to be better (Prov. 
31:23-31).

     She Becomes Like The Godly Women Of Old Who Have
Been Admired Through History: -- Sometimes it may be chall-
enging for a woman to submit her life to the direction taken
by her husband.  As far as I can determine, there is only one
time when Sarah was present when God gave Abraham his
instructions (Gen. 18:10-15).  Yet she loved and trusted her
husband, left her home, and followed him to the Promised
Land.

     She Delights Her Maker: -- The gentle and quiet spirit of 
the godly, feminine woman is the result of her continual trust
in God to supply her needs, and God delights in being trusted
(1 Pet. 3:5).  Could there be a greater reward?

     I imagine that each of you experiences a mental image when you read 
Peter's description of "the incorruptible beauty" of "holy women who trust in 
God."  Mine is of a "gentle" yet persuasive, "quiet" yet vibrant, blond and blue
eyed lady who has been my companion for more than forty
years now and who has influenced my life more than I could
ever have imagined possible.  Thank You; Lord, for such a
wonderful gift and blessing.   ------ C.G. "Colly" Caldwell in
Biblical Insights, Vol. 6, No. 10, Oct. 2006.   </HTML>
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