Making a Pinto point about a Lexus topic

The culmination of Perry Noble’s much-hyped sex sermon was a multi-part questionnaire that married couples were asked to take home and ask each other. The first question was, “Have you had sex with anyone besides me since we have been married?” (A quick aside. How many marriage counselors did NewSpring hire to have on call that afternoon and evening? Talk about life change…)

Noble interrupted the list of questions to publicly announce to his wife that the answer was no. Then he said to her, “I don’t need a Pinto when I have a Lexus.”

It’s encouraging that he thinks so highly of his wife’s appearance, but the statement–repeated in multiple services–undoes whatever biblical teaching he’d presented earlier in the service. Marriage is based on a covenant promise that is a symbol of Christ’s covenant with us. It’s not based on anything we do or on how we look.

If Noble explains his faithfulness by his wife’s Lexus status, what happens if she loses that status? New model years come out. Perhaps the engine stops running or one of the tires blows out. A few nicks and dings, a few more miles on the speedometer, a bit of hard driving, and even Lexuses can start to look unappealing. (This is not about Mrs. Noble, by the way; I do not doubt Perry’s claims for her beauty, nor the sincerity of his praise for her.)

A few Lexus-quality questions to ponder:

1. Is this a good example for other husbands? How do you persuade someone to stay faithful once they realize they’ve married a Pinto? Rephrase the question, and you see why it’s so bad. “Honey, why would I have a Lexus when I get to have a Pinto?” Hosea married a Pinto, yet he loved and overpaid for Gomer as if she were a Lexus. (Hosea 2:14-20)
2. Does this build confidence in women? Perhaps our lady commentators can answer this more authoritatively, but I would imagine that this rationale could create a great deal of personal insecurity. “Honey, so long as you keep looking like a Lexus, I won’t stray on you.” Where’s the rest and trust based on the assumption that promises will be kept at all costs?
3. Is a wife a thing to be owned and used? This idea that women are assets to be used is often what leads to the problems Noble’s sermon was complaining about. Ask Noble’s friend how that attitude worked for him.
4. Where’s the love? Husbands are to love their wives as Christ loves the church. How does he love the church? While we were yet Pintos, Christ died for us. (Romans 5:8)