1 Peter 3:3-7 - "True Beauty Before The LORD"

1 Peter 3:3-7

"Whose adorning let it not be that outward adorning of plaiting the hair, and of wearing of gold, or of putting on of apparel; But let it be the hidden man of the heart, in that which is not corruptible, even the ornament of a meek and quiet spirit, which is in the sight of God of great price. For after this manner in the old time the holy women also, who trusted in God, adorned themselves, being in subjection unto their own husbands: Even as Sara obeyed Abraham, calling him lord: whose daughters ye are, as long as ye do well, and are not afraid with any amazement. Likewise, ye husbands, dwell with them according to knowledge, giving honour unto the wife, as unto the weaker vessel, and as being heirs together of the grace of life; that your prayers be not hindered."

True beauty before the LORD is not outward, but inward, the hidden man of the heart in that which is not corruptible, even the ornament of a meek and quiet spirit, which is in the sight of God of great price. What Peter writes in 1 Peter 3:3–7 is not limited to women, but speaks to all who are Christ’s bride. The LORD’s people are called to live in subjection to Christ as their Husband, for He has by His grace delivered us and drawn us to Himself. Our adorning is not to be that outward adorning of plaiting the hair, and of wearing of gold, or of putting on of apparel, but that Spiritual working of grace in the heart, which is everything before the LORD.

The only way that any sinner could ever be called chaste or pure is through the Righteousness of the LORD Jesus Christ imputed when He paid their sin debt at the cross. Other than that, we are nothing but wretched sinners. To live unto the LORD is to live unto Him Who died for us, Whose Righteousness He earned and established, and which was put to our account as His elect bride. That is our garment, our purity, our beauty—it is in Him, not in ourselves.

We are reminded in Hebrews 4:1–2, "Let us therefore fear, lest, a promise being left us of entering into his rest, any of you should seem to come short of it. For unto us was the gospel preached, as well as unto them: but the word preached did not profit them, not being mixed with faith in them that heard it." There may be the outward appearance of being the LORD’s, and yet no inward work of grace. So it is that the LORD calls His people to adorn the hidden man of the heart, not with corruptible things, but with the incorruptible Grace of Christ.

In false religion, beauty is measured by outward adornment. It is all about appearance, about how one is perceived by others. But that is not the true beauty of the LORD. The true beauty is the inward working of grace, the meek and quiet spirit wrought by the Spirit of God in the heart. Anything done to be seen by men is corruptible. But to live to the glory of Christ, in submission and meekness before Him, is of great price in the sight of God.

None of us is meek and quiet by nature. It takes the grace of God. To be meek is to be bowed unto the LORD. To be quiet is to have the mouth stopped before Him, giving Him all the glory. We quietly wait before Him and worship Him because of His work of righteousness on our behalf. This is the hidden life of the heart that only the LORD sees because it is the Revelation of the LORD Jesus to the heart, and that inward beauty then is not corruptible, because it is Christ revealed in the child of God that is ALL the glory, and nothing in this flesh.

The holy (sanctified unto Christ) women of old adorned themselves after this manner, trusting in God and being in subjection unto their own husbands. They were blessed and set apart unto Christ, looking by Faith to Him Who would come and pay their sin debt. Their beauty was not in outward wardrobe or jewelry or hairstyle, but in that Righteousness which God imputed through the work of His Son at the cross. The Grace of God that brings sinners to look to Christ is the True Beauty that is of Great Price before the LORD.

Our LORD warned the Pharisees in Matthew 23:25–28 that they cleaned the outside of the cup while within they were full of extortion and excess, appearing beautiful outward but within full of dead men’s bones and all uncleanness. Outward religion is vain. True beauty before God is the inward work of Grace, the cleansing within, the adorning of Christ’s Righteousness.

As “Titus 3:5–7” declares, "Not by works of righteousness which we have done, but according to his mercy he saved us, by the washing of regeneration, and renewing of the Holy Ghost; Which he shed on us abundantly through Jesus Christ our Saviour; That being justified by his grace, we should be made heirs according to the hope of eternal life."

This is what 1 Peter 3:3–7 sets before us. Christ is the True Husband, and His church is His bride, adorned not in outward finery, but clothed with His Righteousness, washed in His blood, renewed by His Spirit, and made heirs together of the Grace of Life. That is True Beauty before the LORD, the Beauty of His Son. All the glory belongs unto Christ alone.