Gospel Manhood - part 7

Conclusion

Why do we resist this?

The easy thing to do is to be fat and bad. It takes hard work and effort – daily to be a Gospel man. As God established in Genesis 3, it is the desire of the wife to rule over her husband. Because of this same curse everything under our authority continually rebels, and our natural state is to rebel against God. See also Gen 4.

Genesis 4:1-16 ESV

1: Now Adam knew Eve his wife, and she conceived and bore Cain, saying, "I have gotten a man with the help of the LORD."
2: And again, she bore his brother Abel. Now Abel was a keeper of sheep, and Cain a worker of the ground.
3: In the course of time Cain brought to the LORD an offering of the fruit of the ground,
4: and Abel also brought of the firstborn of his flock and of their fat portions. And the LORD had regard for Abel and his offering,
5: but for Cain and his offering he had no regard. So Cain was very angry, and his face fell.
6: The LORD said to Cain, "Why are you angry, and why has your face fallen?
7: If you do well, will you not be accepted? And if you do not do well, sin is crouching at the door. Its desire is for you, but you must rule over it."
8: Cain spoke to Abel his brother. And when they were in the field, Cain rose up against his brother Abel and killed him.
9: Then the LORD said to Cain, "Where is Abel your brother?" He said, "I do not know; am I my brother's keeper?"
10: And the LORD said, "What have you done? The voice of your brother's blood is crying to me from the ground.
11: And now you are cursed from the ground, which has opened its mouth to receive your brother's blood from your hand.
12: When you work the ground, it shall no longer yield to you its strength. You shall be a fugitive and a wanderer on the earth."
13: Cain said to the LORD, "My punishment is greater than I can bear.
14: Behold, you have driven me today away from the ground, and from your face I shall be hidden. I shall be a fugitive and a wanderer on the earth, and whoever finds me will kill me."
15: Then the LORD said to him, "Not so! If anyone kills Cain, vengeance shall be taken on him sevenfold." And the LORD put a mark on Cain, lest any who found him should attack him.
16: Then Cain went away from the presence of the LORD and settled in the land of Nod, east of Eden.

Why does this matter?

The importance is quite clear. Men matter. Fathers matter. Our homes are our greatest missions field – our children will go farther and touch more lives than we ever could. The basic building block of any society is the family. As goes the family, so goes the city, the state, the nation, and the world. The church and the family exist to support each other. Neither can be truly healthy unless both are.

The urgency is clear as well. As Paul says in Romans -

Romans 13:11-14 ESV

11: Besides this you know the time, that the hour has come for you to wake from sleep. For salvation is nearer to us now than when we first believed.
12: The night is far gone; the day is at hand. So then let us cast off the works of darkness and put on the armor of light.
13: Let us walk properly as in the daytime, not in orgies and drunkenness, not in sexual immorality and sensuality, not in quarreling and jealousy.
14: But put on the Lord Jesus Christ, and make no provision for the flesh, to gratify its desires.

How is Christ the Hero?

Jesus is Christus Victor, Christus Exemplar, Savior and King. He is the author and finisher of our faith. It is in Him alone that we can become the Gospel men he would have us be.

Hebrews 12:1-8 ESV

1: Therefore, since we are surrounded by so great a cloud of witnesses, let us also lay aside every weight, and sin which clings so closely, and let us run with endurance the race that is set before us,
2: looking to Jesus, the founder and perfecter of our faith, who for the joy that was set before him endured the cross, despising the shame, and is seated at the right hand of the throne of God.
3: Consider him who endured from sinners such hostility against himself, so that you may not grow weary or fainthearted.
4: In your struggle against sin you have not yet resisted to the point of shedding your blood.
5: And have you forgotten the exhortation that addresses you as sons? "My son, do not regard lightly the discipline of the Lord, nor be weary when reproved by him.
6: For the Lord disciplines the one he loves, and chastises every son whom he receives."
7: It is for discipline that you have to endure. God is treating you as sons. For what son is there whom his father does not discipline?
8: If you are left without discipline, in which all have participated, then you are illegitimate children and not sons.