Commands to Godly Women with Strong Warnings
There are few times in the Bible that has a strong warning after a command. Look at these two verses closely and examine the strong warning after each.
“I will therefore that the younger women marry, bear children, guide the house, give none occasion to the adversary to speak reproachfully” (1 Timothy 5:14) The command is for younger women to marry, bear children, and guide the home. The warning is to give none occasion to the adversary (the Devil) to speak reproachfully.
“The aged women likewise, that they be in behaviour as becometh holiness, not false accusers, not given to much wine, teachers of good things; That they may teach the young women to be sober, to love their husbands, to love their children, To be discreet, chaste, keepers at home, good, obedient to their own husbands, that the word of God be not blasphemed” (Titus 2:3-5). The commands are to the older and younger women on how they should live their lives and the warning is that the Word of God be not blasphemed.
God is serious about how godly women live their lives as you can see from these commands and warnings. Other things that blaspheme (speak evil against) the Word (Christ – John 1:1) or against the Holy Spirit (Luke 12:10) are those who dishonor and oppress the poor (James 2:6, 7), and “For the name of God is blasphemed among the Gentiles through you, as it is written” (Romans 2:24).
What does all this mean? From Barnes’ Notes on the Bible: “That is, your conduct is such as to lead the pagan world to blaspheme and reproach both your religion and its Author. By your hypocrisy and crimes the pagan world is led to despise a religion which is observed to have no effect in purifying and restraining its professors; and of course the reproach will terminate on the Author of your religion – that is, the true God. A life of purity would tend to honor religion and its Author; a life of impurity does the reverse.”
God gives clear directions on how women who love Him are supposed to live their lives in honor of Him. Can you see how much this culture hates and despises God’s ways and so many Christian woman have fallen for their lies and deceit not realizing that they are blaspheming God’s Holy Word? Yes, the world hates God and I am consistently ridiculed for teaching His Word but when they see Christian women willing to live out their lives in obedience to Him, these God-fearing women are witnessing to a dying culture the power of a Living God. We should not want to give the enemy of our souls any reason to speak reproachfully or blaspheme His Word if we love the Lord Jesus. Our greatest desire should be to live for Him completely. You need not guess what He wants for you, women. It is clear in these verses. Now, go about living your life in obedience to Him which brings glory to Him.
The fear of the LORD is the beginning of knowledge:
but fools despise wisdom and instruction.
Proverbs 1:7
9 thoughts on “Commands to Godly Women with Strong Warnings”
Wow, I had never noticed the last part of 1 Tim. 5:14. Thanks for pointing that out. That’s encouraging! It’s so good to step back and look at the bigger picture. We women have a wonderful role! 🙂 We can bring God glory as we do what He created us to do!
Lori
Serious warnings indeed. We do not take word seriously enough and somehow believe in exception after exception and the mentality of, ‘ God will understand’.
We always make excuses ( all of us do it, not saying I don’t!) and forget that God does not change in his holiness and righteousness.
Blessings
Helen UK
You are right, CW. All I ever wanted to do is to get married and raise children and this brings glory to the Lord!
This is why we are told to exhort one another daily because of the deceitfulness of sin. It hardens our heart and if we love Him, we never want this to happen. Thank you, Helen!
How in the world could you think that God had an separate role for women? 😉 I thought you would appreciate this article.
http://babylonbee.com/news/god-apologizes-gendered-language-bible/
Such a good reminder! Lori, I was going to email to thank you for the writing on self pity being satanic. I have been reminding myself of that exact saying as I go about my days. Days where I am tempted to feel sorry for myself for one reason or another. Just, ” self pity is satanic”– that snaps me out and gets me praying!
God bless you
Mrs.O
This is actually what many people believe today. God’s ways are old-fashioned and must be up-dated to fit out culture. They are missing out on the best as if careers and stuff can come close to the value God places on marriage, the family, children, and the home. Thank you, Michelle.
This is a great saying that I remind myself of once in a while for the same reason, Mrs. O. Godliness with contentment is great gain!
I wanted to share that your site is so refreshing and so challenging. 10 years ago God called me out of an illustrious carreer and directed me to my main call/carreer , being a wife and mother .
I was such an ambitious, driven, astute business and professional pharmacist. I was clearly not a diligent and ambitious wife and mom.
God’s clear mandate to me was that if i were successful in everything else, except the call to my husband and children, first, he was not glorified in that. I reluctantly gave up and sold everything and went home to serve my family. I tried to creep back into the workforce but God would not have it; it felt he took his Holy spirit from me and I had no peace. This year was 10 years since I left that life behind and gave up my membership as a pharmacist.
God in these 10 years began breaking me and remaking me into his image. Today I am a different person, heaven is my goal, my husband, children and the congregation are my priority. I had to undo the prideful, ambitious person the world taught me to be and give up myself to take on the image of Christ.
Daily it’s a dying to self to honor and glorify Christ. My husband is also a lay-pastor .
The call to Christian women is servanthood. First in your home then to others .
NO PERSONAL REWARDS IN THIS LIFE could make up to fulfilling this great call.
Transformed woman, Vanessa