It is written on a man’s soul — a design engraved deeper than the writings of personality, sin, or society. We may try to cover it or drown it out, but this calling remains: men are made to honor and protect, guard, and cherish women.

The Christian husband, Peter says, shows this honor because his mind has been flooded with the knowledge of the gospel. God and sin and holiness and the gospel and eternal life and the purpose of the universe — all of these are set before his eyes in the new birth. According to this knowledge, the husband sees his wife not as a woman to manipulate or dominate, but as a treasure to protect, a vessel of the image and glory of God.

The disapproval of a worldly culture cannot pry this image away from Spirit-opened eyes. With the grace of eternal life in his sights, the Christian husband will honor his wife as the “weaker vessel” — emotionally, spiritually, verbally, physically, financially — at whatever cost to himself. God has written it on his soul.

Look at the Book is John Piper’s latest effort to help teach people to read the Bible for themselves. It’s an ongoing series of 8–12 minute videos in which the camera is on the text, not the teacher.

As part of this initiative, Desiring God is putting on regional events focused on certain passages of Scripture. This is Part 3 in a series on 1 Peter called “Hoping, Singing, and Loving in the Refiner’s Fire.” More parts will be released in the coming weeks.