fam037 Conduct yourself as a Man

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fam037 Conduct yourself as a Man, What is a Man? Explains what God wants of men, i.e. those people born as a male. We define God’s view.

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1 Corinthians 16:13 Watch ye, stand fast in the faith, quit you like men, be strong. 14 Let all your things be done with charity. “Quit you like men” means to stand fast as a man, be strong.

What does that mean, to quit you like men? In Greek this is only one word, the verb (G407 ἀνδρίζομαι andrizomai) that means to act as a man. For Paul, there was a way to conduct yourself which was very specifically associated with men, as God wants them to be, manly. Paul exhorted Christian men to act like men as God wants them to be.

Philippians 1:27 Only let your conversation be as it becometh the gospel of Christ: that whether I come and see you, or else be absent, I may hear of your affairs, that ye stand fast in one spirit, with one mind striving together for the faith of the gospel;

True Men, Where are they?

Proverbs 20:6 Most men will proclaim every one his own goodness: but a faithful man who can find?

Faithful men, manly men, are very scarce. God has no problem with “being masculine.” The Bible presents God as male in gender. God mad man in “his own image” Genesis 1:26-27; Colossians 3:10 “after the image him that created him.” But God wants men to be manly, that act like men, and this has a very clear idea in the Word of God. There are elements of character that identify a person as being manly. This is not being “macho” where they abuse women. Women have their own orders from God for their identification. But men should follow the example of God in affirming and doing in God’s will. But being a “manly man” is being “masculine.”

A True Man is not Lazy

A true man is never lazy or slothful. Proverbs 21:25 The desire of the slothful killeth him; for his hands refuse to labour. Proverbs 26:13 The slothful man saith, There is a lion in the way; a lion is in the streets. Proverbs 26:14 As the door turneth upon his hinges, so doth the slothful upon his bed. A lazy man wastes his time and energy in vain things, things that will have no value in eternity. Proverbs 26:16 The sluggard is wiser in his own conceit than seven men that can render a reason. This is not saying that he is rich, but it is saying that if he has sparse resources, a true man will not be in that position because of his own lack of expenditure of energy, desire, and planning to better the situation.

Proverbs describes where this will end up: Proverbs 12:24 The hand of the diligent shall bear rule: but the slothful shall be under tribute. His future is dark. Proverbs 20:4 The sluggard will not plow by reason of the cold; therefore shall he beg in harvest, and have nothing. He will be poorer and poorer. Proverbs 13:4 The soul of the sluggard desireth, and hath nothing: but the soul of the diligent shall be made fat. The opposite of being lazy is being a good worker, moving quickly and accurately fighting life as “a man” 1 Samuel 4:9 “be strong, and quit yourselves like men”.

A True Man Orders His Life

A man is A MAN! He is a type of person who is pro-active, somebody who acts without his wife having to get behind him and push him. He is a person who is both preparing for the future and obeying God. He is not lazy. Proverbs 6:6 Go to the ant, thou sluggard; consider her ways, and be wise: We can describe him as somebody who “is on top of the things in his life.”

Family. The true man is the head of his family. From Genesis 1:28 and Genesis 3:17-19 when God commanded Adam to sustain his family and protect it (with the sweat of his brow), true men have taken this into account and done so.

Ephesians 5:23 For the husband is the head of the wife, even as Christ is the head of the church: and he is the saviour of the body. 1 Timothy 3:4 (for pastors as examples of what men are to be) One that ruleth well his own house, having his children in subjection with all gravity; 12 Let the deacons be the husbands of one wife, ruling their children and their own houses well. Genesis 18:19 For I know him, (Abraham) that he will command his children and his household after him, and they shall keep the way of the LORD, to do justice and judgment; that the LORD may bring upon Abraham that which he hath spoken of him.

Joshua 1:7 Only be thou strong and very courageous, that thou mayest observe to do according to all the law, which Moses my servant commanded thee: turn not from it to the right hand or to the left, that thou mayest prosper whithersoever thou goest. 8 This book of the law shall not depart out of thy mouth; but thou shalt meditate therein day and night, that thou mayest observe to do according to all that is written therein… 9 Have not I commanded thee? Be strong and of a good courage; be not afraid, neither be thou dismayed: for the LORD thy God is with thee whithersoever thou goest.

Courage. A persona is courageous when they do not fear anything, knowing that God is with that person, opening doors and give strength and guidance. He is not a coward nor fearful (of men), and he acts and reacts quickly and correctly. Psalms 31:24 Be of good courage, and he shall strengthen your heart, all ye that hope in the LORD. 2 Timothy 1:7 For God hath not given us the spirit of fear; but of power, and of love, and of a sound mind. In other words, a true man or a man of valor as God wants is a spiritual example for others. A brave man does find this difficult or impossible when something opposes him. He fights even in impossible situations, knowing God works miracles if He so wills.

Work. A true man is an excellent worker. He knows how to work well, and he does everything with much effort to be excellent in what he does. He works in order to comply with his obligations and duties to submit himself and his family under God including doing the work of God. 1 Timothy 5:8 But if any provide not for his own, and specially for those of his own house, he hath denied the faith, and is worse than an infidel.

Ephesians 4:28 Let him that stole steal no more: but rather let him labour, working with his hands the thing which is good, that he may have to give to him that needeth.

Church. The strength that we have in being a man comes from our life in Christ. Communion with Jesus gives us spiritual strength, and to be a man is a spiritual act. Ephesians 3:16 That he would grant you, according to the riches of his glory, to be strengthened with might by his Spirit in the inner man; 17 That Christ may dwell in your hearts by faith; that ye, being rooted and grounded in love, The focus here is that God “works in a manly fashion” in a man’s life, making him a true man, and this is a reflection of the divine character of love in that man’s life. This love means to act, and to act with energy. Imitating God, men defend their wives and family, their homes. True men provide for them. They spiritually protect them. The protect them from evil, and sin by drawing them closer to God. “Our strength as men” or to act as a true man, comes from God. Specifically, we take on this responsibility and do what is correct, as imitating the moral character of God. We live “these principles as the truth of our lives.” Our lives are examples to others of the principles of God which are the basis of our faith. According to how much we meditate in the Word of God, have more power and strength to comply with what God wants of us as men.

2 Peter 1:5 And beside this, giving all diligence, add to your faith virtue; and to virtue knowledge; 6 And to knowledge temperance; and to temperance patience; and to patience godliness; 7 And to godliness brotherly kindness; and to brotherly kindness charity. (“Virtue” means moral strength.) these things are what builds your spirit so that you have spiritual strength to be what God wants you to be.

2 Thessalonians 2:15 Therefore, brethren, stand fast, and hold the traditions which ye have been taught, whether by word, or our epistle.

To be a true man is to maintain biblical doctrines and practices with bravery, as a dog defends his bone. Only with true men will God built His church and do His work. It begins with what we are brethren, really what we are. Are you a true man?

A Fighter, Someone who Stays with it

1 Corinthians 9:25 And every man that striveth for the mastery is temperate in all things. Now they do it to obtain a corruptible crown; but we an incorruptible. 26 I therefore so run, not as uncertainly; so fight I, not as one that beateth the air: 27 But I keep under my body, and bring it into subjection: lest that by any means, when I have preached to others, I myself should be a castaway.

A true man is a person who puts up with everything, that sacrifices his own life and will (his wishes, comfort, and even putting up with suffering and pain) so that he can achieve what God wants of him. He is a winner against everything life throws at him. The first problem he has victory over is his own self. He has “self-control.”

Proverbs 25:28 He that hath no rule over his own spirit is like a city that is broken down, and without walls. Proverbs 16:32 He that is slow to anger is better than the mighty; and he that ruleth his spirit than he that taketh a city.

A brave man should break every worldly practice in his life, and force himself to walk spiritually putting his life and the life of his family under Bible study, consideration, and investigation, meditating and praying that they understand and practice those principles. He should be strong in order to implement the principles of God in their lives. A person should control themselves and act according to wisdom and knowledge, according to the “truth of God” (according the commandments of God, the Word of God and the principles of God.)

The Effeminate Man

1 Corinthians 6:9 Know ye not that the unrighteous shall not inherit the kingdom of God? Be not deceived: neither fornicators, nor idolaters, nor adulterers, nor effeminate, nor abusers of themselves with mankind, 10 Nor thieves, nor covetous, nor drunkards, nor revilers, nor extortioners, shall inherit the kingdom of God. 11 And such were some of you: but ye are washed, but ye are sanctified, but ye are justified in the name of the Lord Jesus, and by the Spirit of our God. Paul declares to us that these kinds of people will not be in heaven. Do not deceive yourselves, these kinds of people are not saved. When a person, who is really saved, accepts Jesus as their Savior, they leave those things and become like their Savior, they “receive” Him as their moral example. What is an effeminate man? He is not manly. Men that appear as women are not manifesting the evidence of a saved person. Neither are men who are unfaithful to their wives. Homosexuals would be included in this group of unsaved people. See 1 Timothy 1:10, Romans 1:27.

1 Corinthians 16:13, Be manly

Vigilante. Men should be vigilante and defend their personal lives, their families, their churches. It is a clear manifestation that they are walking in the will of God, in good doctrine and practice.

Be Firm. Satan unseats us and our families, and we think that we have to give in to him when the crises happen. But a man has already lost the battle if he thinks he will be strong when that crisis comes, but isn’t daily being strong for God. God supports the person who has a long history of faithfulness.

Be Strong. Much exercise is what gives strength. We have to practice communion with God a lot (studying our Bibles, praying, meditating in the Word, etc.), and we must do the work of God intensively (understanding, teaching, witnessing) in order to be strong.

Truthfully, we need true men because, because today in our churches, the only ones that fit this description of a true man are the women!

Ephesians 6:10 Finally, my brethren, be strong in the Lord, and in the power of his might.

fam037 Conduct yourself as a Man

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