A Man According to Our Master and Maker (GOD) – Part 2

A Man According to Our Master and Maker (GOD) – Part 2

"Watch ye, stand fast in the faith, quit you like men, be strong." — 1 Corinthians 16:13

Back in my early years as an adolescent, the phrase “BE A MAN” automatically arrested my attention—explicitly, when an authoritarian (coach) that excelled in extracting the best out of his athletes, in addition to empowering them to confront challenges that were perceived to be formidable.

I am denoting the days of my football years that placed me at the threshold of toughness, as well as my initiation of intimidation—that is, moving from the position of being intimidated to the intimidator.

On one occasion during difficult and grueling practice, my football coach was emphatically encouraging me to embrace the moment of manhood by tackling a fellow teammate who was significantly larger in size. I can recall his roar to this day: “It’s not the size of the dog in the fight but the size of the fight in the dog!”

I was able to face my fear and produce the fierceness necessary to tackle a player that was significantly larger, in addition to being older and more experienced—because I had faith in the coach’s instruction, and I was convinced that he had faith in me.

The phrase “be a man” is a general idiom that has been used for myriads of moments in time in countless cultures around the world. Manhood has been thoroughly tied to characteristics such as strength, courage, and honor. A man was supposed to provide for and protect his home and the community where he lived, regularly with resolve, rigor, and valor—or military service. This venerated version of manhood persists in many societies today.

However, to realize what a true man is, you must see no further than the life of our Lord God and Savior Jesus Christ. In the Word of God, Jesus is often referenced as the Son of man and thus He is the perfect personification of manhood, in addition to the perfect model of what true maturity looks like. Our Lord Jesus Christ was full of the Holy Spirit in His first advent and lived entirely trusting and obeying the will of God. The Lord absolutely advertised the fruit of the Spirit.

"But the fruit of the Spirit is love, joy, peace, longsuffering, gentleness, goodness, faith, Meekness, temperance: against such there is no law." — Galatians 5:22–23

Finally, an authentic man of God will echo his Lord and exhibit evidence of the works of the Spirit.

"But the anointing which ye have received of him abideth in you, and ye need not that any man teach you: but as the same anointing teacheth you of all things, and is truth, and is no lie, and even as it hath taught you, ye shall abide in him." — 1 John 2:27

Join me next time as we continue to consider manhood according to the Master.

Not a sermon, just some thoughts.
FtGG